Marquette basketball coach Shaka Smart said culture is A.I.R., measuring how an organization acts, interacts, and responds. In the NFL, the culture the Chiefs have established in Kansas City contains some of the best air in the league.
That was evident Thursday when the Chiefs re-signed another veteran, safety Mike Edwards. According to insider Tom Pelissero, Edwards is returning on a one-year contract. The move helps to fill a void left last month by Justin Reid, who signed as an unrestricted free agent with New Orleans.
A 5-10, 205-pound defensive back out of Kentucky, Edwards rejoins the Chiefs after brief 2024 stops in Buffalo, Tennessee, and Tampa Bay. Edwards earned a Super Bowl ring with Kansas City during his only year with the Chiefs, 2023.
Edwards spent his first four years (2019-22) in Tampa Bay, then joined the Chiefs as unrestricted free agent. During the 2023 regular season, he played in all 17 games with five starts, posting one interception, one sack and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a 97-yard touchdown in the season-ending, 13-12 road win over the Chargers.
During the victorious run to Super Bowl LVIII, Edwards played in all four postseason games, recording an interception in the frigid wild-card victory over Miami and breaking up a pass in the overtime win over San Francisco.
Edwards is the latest in a long line of reunions the Chiefs have marked during the NFL’s resident dynasty. That list of players who’ve left and returned includes wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, running back Kareem Hunt, and defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
Like Reid, Edwards departed Kansas City in free agency, signing with the Bills last March. Due to a lack of playing time, Edwards requested a trade but when Buffalo couldn’t solidify a trade partner, the Bills released Edwards at the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
Signed by Tennessee a day later, Edwards spent just a week with the Titans before they placed him on waivers. That’s when the Buccaneers claimed him, reuniting Edwards with the organization that had selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft.
Edwards played six games with the Buccaneers last year, helping the team secure an NFC South title and first-round playoff berth.
Reid didn’t fit into the offseason plans under the limitations of the salary cap. Brett Veach and Andy Reid opted to use the franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith and re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton. But don’t be surprised if Reid returns to the Chiefs in the future.
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