The Kansas City Chiefs reportedly brought in free agent defensive end Carlos Dunlap for a visit on Wednesday evening.
For those few veteran free agents who’ve patiently waited for an entire offseason before getting serious about making up their minds on a destination for the 2022 NFL season, the start of training camp is the point where fans finally start to see some of those decisions shaking out. For free agent defensive end Carlos Dunlap, that’s exactly the case as teams are showing serious interest in the last several hours and days—including the Kansas City Chiefs.
Just days after the Carolina Panthers spoke openly about their desire to potentially sign him for the coming year, the Chiefs reportedly warmed up to the idea of bringing him on board. NFL reporter Adam Schefter noted on Wednesday night that Dunlap was already hanging out with the team by the time any news leaked of their interest.
If Dunlap was/is already in K.C., then it’s quite possible that both sides will be able to strike a deal quite soon—perhaps even by Thursday morning. If Dunlap leaves Kansas City without a contract, his chances of playing for the Chiefs are lower, although certainly not out of the question.
The Chiefs have been quite active at the defensive end position in the last 48 hours with the signing of Azur Kamara, the workout with USFL Defensive MVP Chris Odom, and the interest in Dunlap. For fans, it’s a sign that maybe the team is as concerned as those fans outside of Arrowhead about the state of the team’s pass rush.
Dunlap had 8.5 sacks last season for the Seattle Seahawks and has proven to be a steady contributor to a team’s pass rush even well into his thirties (he’s had 23.5 sacks since turning 30). Now 33 years old, Dunlap could make one final championship push with a new team while still providing a franchise with some pass-rushing prowess like Melvin Ingram did for K.C. a year ago.