The Kansas City Chiefs have filled a void at safety by re-signing one of the players who contributed to their Super Bowl LVIII victory.
Kansas City’s strong team culture, which coach Shaka Smart describes as A.I.R. (measuring how an organization acts, interacts, and responds), continues to shine. This was evident on Thursday when the Chiefs brought back veteran safety Mike Edwards on a one-year contract, according to insider Tom Pelissero. This move helps address the gap left by Justin Reid, who recently signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent.
Edwards, a 5-10, 205-pound defensive back from Kentucky, returns to the Chiefs after brief stints with Buffalo, Tennessee, and Tampa Bay in 2024. He earned a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City during the 2023 season.
Edwards spent his first four seasons (2019-2022) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Chiefs in 2023 as an unrestricted free agent. During the regular season, he appeared in all 17 games, making five starts and recording one interception, one sack, and two fumble recoveries, including a 97-yard touchdown return against the Chargers in a season-ending win.
In the postseason, Edwards played in all four games, making key contributions such as an interception in the wild-card win over Miami and breaking up a pass in the overtime victory against San Francisco.
Edwards’ return adds to a growing list of familiar faces rejoining the Chiefs, including wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, running back Kareem Hunt, and defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
Edwards originally left Kansas City as a free agent, signing with Buffalo in March 2024. However, after limited playing time, he requested a trade, and when Buffalo was unable to find a trade partner, they released him at the November 5 trade deadline. He was quickly picked up by Tennessee but only spent a week with the Titans before being placed on waivers. The Buccaneers then claimed him, reuniting him with the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Edwards played six games with Tampa Bay last year, helping the Buccaneers win the NFC South title and secure a playoff berth.
As for Reid, the Chiefs couldn’t accommodate him within the salary cap restrictions this offseason, opting instead to franchise tag Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith and re-sign linebacker Nick Bolton. However, there’s still a possibility Reid could return to Kansas City in the future.
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