The best players drafted by the Chiefs who never played for the team

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 5: Runningback Gale Sayers #40, of the Chicago Bears, runs the ball as guard George Seals #67 sets up to block during a game on October 5, 1969 against the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

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George Saimes #26 of the Denver Broncos (Photo by James Flores/Getty Images) /

4. George Saimes

Unlike the others on this list, George Saimes did not choose the NFL over the AFL’s Chiefs. Instead, Saimes wound up playing for the AFL’s Buffalo Bills where he played for 10 seasons and was a member of the AFL’s All-Time Team.

This was a bit of an oddity in the way the AFL functioned at the time. While not exactly common, the AFL’s approach was simply that they did not necessarily care if the team who drafted the players signed them. Their only goal was to ensure that the NFL did not. Saimes ended up in Buffalo due to owner Ralph Wilson’s willingness to spend on the aafety, and on his longtime connections to Michigan.

“George Saimes was one of the surest tacklers I ever saw,” Saimes’ former teammate in the Bills’ secondary, Booker Edgerson recalled. In his career, Saimes was a five time Pro Bowler and was three times named to a 1st Team All-Pro.

Kansas City drafted Saimes to pair with fellow safety, and Chiefs legend, Johnny Robinson. A pairing of the two would have been one of the best safety combinations in football history, but alas, it never came to be.

Saimes passed away in 2013, and though worthy, has never been considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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