The Kansas City Chiefs had an eventful offseason, but fans are always going to think the team should have and could have done more. It's hard to make a huge splash when the Chiefs are consistently Super Bowl contenders and, therefore, have to pay a lot of their big-time stars. That being said, they did make some nice moves, including signing Kenneth Walker and bringing in Kader Kohou.
That's not what we're here to talk about, though. Instead of fixating on the good moves K.C. made, it's time to look at the players the Chiefs should have signed but didn't—or at least the ones we're questioning most. Not only that, but we'll be highlighting former players who donned the red and gold that Kansas City didn't bring back but should've. Let's get after it.
Chiefs had some previous players they should have retained
Leo Chenal, LB - Signed with Commanders
This one still hurts. With a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chiefs found an absolute gem in Wisconsin's Leo Chenal. He made an immediate impact early in his career, and a strong case could have been made for him to have been named MVP in Super Bowl 58 for his efforts in that game.
Yet, when push came to shove, Chenal was not retained by the team that drafted him. Props to the Commanders for offering Chenal a deal that he couldn't refuse, as the former Badger signed a three-year deal worth $24.75 million, but it still hurts. Chenal was a great player during his time in Kansas City, and while fans are happy that he got the bag, his absence will most definitely be felt defensively and on special teams.
Robert Tonyan, TE - Signed with Steelers
This one might not seem like that big of a deal and hopefully it won't be. But I'm including Robert Tonyan here because the Chiefs have done absolutely nothing at tight end, and there were reasons to think that Tonyan had value to add, even if the coaches left him on the sidelines. After all, he wasn't the only player with usage rates questions in 2025.
The Chiefs are once again leading with Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, and Jared Wiley atop the depth chart, but everyone is a year older than before, and Wiley hasn't shown anything meaningful in his two NFL seasons. Tonyan isn't an ultra-productive asset, but he's far more proven in an NFL offense than Wiley and he's also the best blocker of the lot.
Tonyan is now in Pittsburgh, and while he's not going to outshine their stacked group of tight ends, the Chiefs could still regret letting him walk. Hopefully Wiley proves them right.
Kareem Hunt, RB - Free Agent
This is the one exception on the list, as Kareem Hunt hasn't landed anywhere else yet, so, hypothetically, the Chiefs could still sign him. If they did, Chiefs fans wouldn't be upset about it.
While Hunt shouldn't be the RB1 wherever he is, he could still provide depth at the position. The Chiefs upgraded their backfield in the offseason, signing Kenneth Walker and Emari Demercado and drafting Emmett Johnson, but Hunt is familiar with their offense and has worked with Eric Bieniemy before.
Hunt isn't the same player he was during his rookie and sophomore seasons, but he's shown in recent years that he still has enough in the tank to merit keeping around. Maybe the Chiefs sign him later on this summer or once the season kicks off, but if they don't, they might regret not having a running back on the roster who's familiar with their offense.
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