Deandre Baker will reportedly sign with the Kansas City Chiefs in coming days.
It didn’t take long for Deandre Baker to find a new home. Multiple reports are now saying that the Kansas City Chiefs have already been selected as the new home for Baker despite interest from multiple teams. Both Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo! Sports and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network are reporting that the signing is expected in the days to come.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post was the first to report on Baker’s potential free agent interests, which included the Chiefs along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, and Cincinnati Bengals. From there, Schwartz also had first word that Baker was set to visit the Chiefs on Wednesday morning.
For those who haven’t followed Baker’s story, he was originally released by the Giants back in September after already being placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. Behind the punishments were charges and allegations of an armed robbery attempt at a party in Miami—charges that Baker insisted all along were wrong. Eventually, it was found out that the lawyer involved and multiple accusers were all trying to extort Baker and the cornerback’s name was cleared.
Shortly after Baker was allowed to play again, he made it clear he wanted to return to the Giants, a move that made sense for both sides given that the team invested a first round pick just a year ago in the former University of Georgia star.
DeAndre Baker's first comments: “I never had a record in my life. I was never in any trouble in my life and still to this day I haven’t been in any trouble, up until this event. I don’t think I’m a risk to any team.'' https://t.co/P5dGIJBjMC
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) November 16, 2020
Instead, they declined any further interest and wanted a clean break—a head-shaking move such a young, cost-controlled asset who has been exonerated of the charges.
Enter the Chiefs, who are now able to take advantage of their standing in the open market as a Super Bowl contending destination filled with bright young talent and well-respected coaches. Paylor notes that he will start on the Chiefs practice squad until he learns the system more and can be an asset for the Chiefs on the field.
Baker was the Giants first round pick at No. 30 overall, a pick for which they traded up, in the 2019 NFL Draft. He just turned 23 years old.