KC Chiefs keep pressure off of Joshua Kaindoh to produce in 2022

Everyone knew that Joshua Kaindoh was always going to be a long-term project for the Kansas City Chiefs. Judging by the way the Chiefs have restocked the defensive end position for the ’22 season, it appears that the franchise isn’t expecting much from him heading into his second regular season as a pro.

The Chiefs still have serious long-term needs as ever at edge rusher, but the truth is that Kaindoh really isn’t being asked for much coming into another season on the Chiefs roster.

This offseason, the Chiefs surprised many in Chiefs Kingdom with their decision and ability to reach a restructured deal with Frank Clark on what was scheduled to be an untenable hit on the team’s salary cap. Instead of releasing him outright and suffering some dead cap space (along with the void on the roster for another starter), Clark and the team were able to find a middle ground that kept Clark in-house for another season.

The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t applying much pressure on edge rusher Joshua Kaindoh to come through for them in his second season.

Given the investment of a first-round selection on George Karlaftis at No. 30 overall out of Purdue, the Chiefs suddenly had two starting caliber players at the position. From that point, it looked as if the team might still have a need for a solid rotational end alongside Mike Danna, especially after losing Melvin Ingram to the Miami Dolphins in free agency. However, the Chiefs recently reached an agreement with former Seattle Seahawks end Carlos Dunlap to take over Ingram’s role.

All these moves together mean that the Chiefs have some combination of Clark, Karlaftis, and Dunlap as potential starting ends to go with Danna as the next man up along with Turk Wharton who can slide outside on occasion. This leaves Kaindoh competing for whatever reps are left along with former Georgia defensive end Malik Herring, who was an injured reserve stash a year ago as a rookie free agent.

It should also be noted that this year, the Chiefs have added some further competition alongside some holdovers. Austin Edwards is a familiar face from last season who has been on the practice squad. In addition, the Chiefs signed former Cowboys edge rusher Azur Kamara at the start of training camp and just added Matt Dickerson on Monday. Kehinde Oginni Hassan is also around as an international prospect.

The abundance of developmental players along with more entrenched, obvious roster locks take the pressure off of Kaindoh for now—at least in the sense that he must deliver on the vision that the front office had for him. That said, he faces the pressure of a different kind now going forward to at least stave off the competitors who would like to claim his spot as a talent waiting in the wings.

Remember Kaindoh was originally a much lower pick than where someone with his physical traits is typically taken. At the same time, Kaindoh was a much higher pick than someone with his lack of production. Veach claimed him in the heart of the 2020 draft because he believed he might have a real shot at leveraging his pro-level skill set with proper coaching. For now, Kaindoh doesn’t have to break through in the face of a glaring roster need. However, he does need to show something in order to keep the Chiefs’ interested in what could be.