In the wake of questions surrounding Frank Clark, the Chiefs bring back a familiar face to add to the pass rush.
In 2019, the Chiefs added Alex Okafor to the defense to help overhaul what was one of the worst defenses in the NFL. The Chiefs signed Okafor to a three-year, $17.9 million deal back in 2019, and now he is returning to Kansas City as depth and insurance for the pass rush.
Even without the questions surrounding Frank Clark, adding Okafor back made sense purely from a depth and familiarity standpoint. With the Steelers adding Melvin Ingram – another name the Chiefs had an interest in – this seemed to be the next domino to fall. Alex Okafor has totaled eight sacks in his two seasons as a Chief and never played more than 12 games. Injuries clearly being a problem for him, especially on his old contract.
With him signing so late in the off-season, his contract will be much more palpable and so will his production. Okafor will be added to the edge-rushing mix along with Frank Clark, Chris Jones, Taco Charlton, Mike Danna, and rookie Joshua Kaindoh. It’s also worth mentioning that bringing back Okafor does not force the Chiefs to play Chris Jones at edge, something that has been described as experimental at this point in the season.
While this move may not cause a huge celebration in Chiefs Kingdom, it is much-needed depth that made too much sense… Chiefs fans can expect to see Okafor mix into the starting role early in the year, especially if Frank Clark is suspended.
