Last October, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired former New England Patriots edge rusher Joshua Uche via trade.
The former second-round pick was a worthwhile flier at the time, considering the Chiefs had a notable lack of depth at pass rusher early in the 2024 campaign. They sent a 2026 sixth-round selection to the Patriots in return for Uche, hoping to unearth some untapped potential.
Unfortunately, that never really happened, and on March 13, the Uche experiment ended after the unrestricted free agent elected to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles confirmed this contract agreement themselves on X, noting a “one-year deal” for Uche in Philly.
With Charles Omenihu on the mend and BJ Thompson out indefinitely, Uche joined the Chiefs in Week 9. He logged two tackles in his first appearance, playing a total of nine defensive snaps and four special teams snaps.
From there, Uche did not record a single defensive statistic until Week 18 despite appearing in four more games from Week 10 through Week 13.
The pass rusher was a healthy scratch from that point on until the final regular season week, when Kansas City rested their starters. He was credited with 5 solo tackles and 3 tackle assists during the 50-snap audition in Week 18.
Clearly, Uche did not show enough in that outing for the Chiefs to re-sign him.
Chiefs Could Get a Compensatory Pick Back for Losing Joshua Uche in NFL Free Agency
Although KC traded a 2026 sixth rounder for Uche, they could potentially get a similar pick back according to Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick, who relayed the following when Kansas City originally acquired the pass rusher in the first place.
“If [the] Chiefs don’t re-sign [Uche], he’s comp pick eligible and could bring back a 7th vs. [the] 6th going to [New England],” Derrick noted back on October 28, 2024.
That doesn’t mean Uche will automatically net an extra seventh-round selection next year, but it does mean that he should factor into the formula that weighs new additions versus departures.
Over the Cap currently has the Chiefs gaining one seventh rounder in 2026, after losing defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, safety Justin Reid and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. On the flip side, signings Jaylon Moore (left tackle) and Kristian Fulton (cornerback) canceled out with Wharton and Reid.
That leaves Hopkins, who netted one seventh. Uche has not been factored into this formula yet, so if Derrick is correct, Kansas City could bump their 2026 comp pick outcome up to two compensatory sevenths — barring any new signings that might cancel out the departures.
Chiefs Still Have Holes to Fill on the Defensive Line
After the initial round of free agency — which included key KC re-signings and extensions — the Chiefs’ most glaring area of need is probably defensive line.
Sure, Kansas City could still add a running back, wide receiver or offensive lineman at some point in free agency or the draft, but the D-line is the only legitimate need area at this time.
It wouldn’t be surprising if KC solved one of those issues by re-signing run stuffers Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel. Both typically return on the cheap, and Pennel has previously made it clear that he wants to finish his career with the Chiefs.
Aside from one-tech defensive tackle, the Chiefs could also use an understudy to superstar Chris Jones. This is expected to be a strong draft at DT, so perhaps this is finally the year KC invests a first-round selection in Jones’ heir apparent.
Defensive end is a little less of an issue, but Kansas City must still re-sign or replace Omenihu as they continue to wait on 2023 first rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah to take the next step in his development.
