KC Chiefs free agent profile: Will Alex Okafor return in 2022?
By Jacob Milham
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor is once again a free agent. He was once viewed as a key player in the resurgent Chiefs defense, coming to Kansas City on a three-year, $18-million deal in 2019. He recorded five sacks in 10 games before an injury sidelined him until the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers.
After that first season, Okafor took a pay cut for the team. He reduced his salary-cap figure for the upcoming season by $2 million and voided the final year of his original deal. That move proved beneficial for the Chiefs, as Okafor only logged three sacks and 16 combined tackles in 2020. He did not start any games, serving as a rotational player for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He only played in 39% of Kansas City’s 2020 defensive snaps, a noticeable drop from 2019’s 62% mark.
Okafor was not resigned during that season and left at the season’s end. However, heading into training camp last summer, with Melvin Ingram signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans and analysts clamored for his return. The team lacked explosive edge rushers, and defensive end Frank Clark was a prime-cut candidate. While Okafor did not bring much to the team, his depth and veteran experience were enticing.
A look at the upcoming free agency of Alex Okafor and what it means for the Chiefs.
So, in late July 2021, Okafor re-signed with the Chiefs on a one-year, minimum-salary deal. While the Chiefs kept Clark and started defensive lineman Chris Jones on the edge, Okafor came back with low expectations. The then-30-year-old was not sought after on the free-agent market but came back to a mutually beneficial scenario.
In a Chiefs offseason where every penny counts, Okafor was hardly a re-sign priority before the season’s end. Will his veteran presence and experience translate to another deal in Kansas City, or is it time for the two parties to part ways?