Buy-low trade candidates for Chiefs’ Brett Veach this offseason

Jerry Hughes

Going back to the Houston Texans but this time for an even older veteran, there is a great deal of smoke around the idea that edge rusher Jerry Hughes may be available via trade. There is little doubt that, at 35, he wouldn’t love to play for a contending team—and that’s where the Kansas City Chiefs come in.

With the departure of Frank Clark and the free agency of Carlos Dunlap, there is little doubt that the Chiefs will be looking to bring in a veteran to guide the room moving forward. Hughes fits that bill. A former first-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the now 34-year-old has amassed 67 career sacks and played in some big games with the Colts and the Bills before landing in Houston.

Hughes enters the last season of his current contract and comes with a modest $6.5m cap hit. Despite his age, he played in every game for the Texans in 2022 and recorded nine sacks in the campaign. Obviously still a durable and productive player, Hughes may be just what Kansas City needs to fill a gap left by the departing Dunlap and/or Clark. A most optimal situation for the Chiefs would be that he was a third rush edge for the team, so pairing him with a top 100 draft pick the team thinks could start, along with 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis, would be most optimal.