The Kansas City Chiefs have added a familiar face to help reinforce their pass rush depth.
As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs have reunited with defensive end Alex Okafor, signing him to a one-year contract. The Kansas City Star and The Athletic have both since confirmed the report. This will mark Okafor’s second contract and tour with Kansas City.
The 30-year-old pass-rusher originally joined the Chiefs in 2019 as a part of their revamped 4-3 defense under then-new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Okafor spent the last two seasons playing for K.C., appearing in 21 games while starting in nine. During that span, he recorded 38 total tackles, six tackles for loss, eight sacks and 19 quarterback hits.
Free agent pass-rusher Alex Okafor is signing back with the #Chiefs, source said. He gets a 1-year deal and will return to KC, his home for the last two seasons.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2021
Okafor’s original contract with the team was a three-year deal worth $17.9 million. He restructured his contract ahead of the 2020 NFL season, turning the final year of his deal into a void year. His contract with the Chiefs voided on February 23rd, ahead of the start of the new league year.
The reunion with Okafor makes too much sense for Kansas City. He has played both a depth role and a three-down role during his tenure with the team. He’s spent two years in the system, so he’s really a plug-and-play option for Spagnuolo and Brendan Daly.
The one thing to watch out for with Okafor is injuries. His two seasons have been marred by injury with a torn pectoral ending his season prematurely in 2019 and hamstring injuries stifling the success of his 2020 NFL season. The key to this reunion with Okafor will be for him to stay healthy throughout training camp and the preseason. His lone full 16-game season came in 2018 with the New Orleans Saints.
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