Just a day after his release from the Houston Texans, veteran pass-rusher Whitney Mercilus has decided on a new team. Despite their best efforts to land him, Mercilus won’t be signing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to numerous reports, Mercilus will sign with the Green Bay Packers. The 31-year-old was owed quite a bit of guaranteed money from the Texans, and it doesn’t sound like this was an issue of the Chiefs getting outbid. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says Kansas City was in the mix for his services. Instead, it sounds like this decision to join Green Bay was a matter of opportunity and fit for Mercilus.
Chiefs were also in the mix for Whitney Mercilus, who had guaranteed money owed to him as part of his Texans deal.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 20, 2021
For the last nine seasons, Mercilus has played the outside linebacker position in a 3-4 defense in Houston. This year was actually his first season playing as a hand-in-the-dirt 4-3 defensive end. Going to a team that plays a scheme he’s more comfortable and familiar with seemed to be a priority.
At the same time, Mercilus likely would not have been a starter in Kansas City, but rather part of a rotation. Right now, the Packers are dealing with injuries at the outside linebacker position with both Za’Darius Smith and Chauncey Rivers on injured reserve. They also have Preston Smith dealing with an injury too. That means he should have a larger role from the get-go in Joe Barry’s defense.
At the end of the day, Green Bay could offer those two things that the Chiefs simply couldn’t offer. Kansas City will have to look elsewhere as they pursue help on the defensive line, perhaps pouncing on an opportunity at the trade deadline.
