Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford says it would be “very disappointing” if he weren’t able to play for the team in 2019.
Dee Ford has enjoyed a bit of a roller coaster of a ride since he first signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a member of the 2014 NFL Draft class. Now that the end could be here, at least for his time in Kansas City, Ford says he doesn’t want to go.
The first round pick out of Auburn entered the NFL as the future of the Chiefs pass rush, a man who could slide in next to Justin Houston. The Chiefs knew Tamba Hali was entering the twilight of his career, and it was time to bring in another high-ceiling prospect who could stand opposite Houston and punish quarterbacks. Ford put up a strong showing in his final year with the Tigers, and John Dorsey liked his pass-rushing potential enough to pull the trigger.
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From there, however, the ride has been up-and-down due to injuries and inconsistency. Back injuries kept Ford out for all but six games last season, a lower lumbar sprain that turned into a strain—an issue that first arose back in 2015. Ford has also had a couple key concussions at the pro level.
This year, however, Ford finally (and completely) turned the corner. Not only did he finish the season with a career-high mark of 13 sacks, but he was consistently applying pressure on the quarterback in the pocket. He ended the year with 29 total hits on opposing quarterbacks, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s top edge rusher in 2018.
Ford says he’d love to extend his career in Kansas City and continue to show the city and his teammates what he can do. He also clearly believes that there’s something special in the works here in K.C. as a young team on the verge of making their first Super Bowl since 1970. Ford told the Kansas City Star:
"“I would love to come back here. I would love to be here, but that’s out of my control … It’ll be very disappointing for me to not be able to continue what we started this year, healthy finally. It’ll be very disappointing, but at the end of the day I hope it all works out.”"
Early rumors are swirling that the Chiefs might be interested in applying the franchise tag to Ford, in which case he’d be paid handsomely for a single year. The deal would give the Chiefs some motivated pass rush help for another year as they try to solve their positional concerns out for the long haul.
If the Chiefs are remotely interested in bringing back Ford for another year, it certainly sounds like the desire is there on the player’s end. Perhaps there’s even enough of a spark to forge something long-term.