This is the rather trying stretch for free-agent veterans in the National Football League.
The days after the NFL Draft inject all 32 rosters with a heavy dose of youth and excitement about player potential. Fresh faces update the competitive levels at every position and, at least for those experienced players, it doesn't help that the freshmen are all under team control for multiple seasons on the cheap.
Every year, veteran performers wait for their phones to ring in the hopes that some team has an opening for them for yet another season. But given the lack of meaningful activity on the open market—and that NFL personnel can actually afford to take a vacation during the late spring and early summer—some players will have to wait until training camp begins before finding a home.
A few former members of the Kansas City Chiefs are among those forced to be patient this time of year. Here's an updated look at each and what they can expect to find going forward.
Nazeeh Johnson, DB
Johnson is a former seventh-round choice of the Chiefs in 2022 who is the lone defensive back still to find a new team after free agency this season. Trent McDuffie was dealt to the L.A. Rams, and Jaylen Watson followed him in free agency. Safety Bryan Cook signed with the Cincinnati Bengals; Joshua Williams with the Tennessee Titans.
Earlier this offseason, Johnson told reporters that he'd been in touch with the Chiefs and that he felt confident he would be back with the team. That was before the complete overhaul of the secondary, which included a new first-round investment in Mansoor Delane. This makes it hard to tell what K.C. is thinking relative to Johnson, but his experience and special teams acumen are exactly what will help him land a spot at the bottom of the depth chart—either with the Chiefs or elsewhere.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Alongside Johnson, Smith-Schuster feels like a potential return candidate in Kansas City, depending on how the Chiefs feel about their youthful receiving corps going into training camp in St. Joseph. While Smith-Schuster's offensive ceiling is limited given his age and injury history, he's also a leader on and off the field, a strong blocker, and a trusted asset for this coaching staff.
For all of the hand-wringing about the state of the wide receiver room on the part of many Chiefs fans, the front office doesn't seem to share the sentiment. Other positions have been completely remade, but K.C. has decided to bring back most of last year's options—including a renewed commitment to Tyquan Thornton. Will they add Smith-Schuster to the mix? Likely not, but it's impossible to rule out.
Kareem Hunt, RB
Coming into the '26 NFL Draft, Kareem Hunt felt like a solid bet to come back to K.C. for one more year given his tremendous success as a short-yardage back. His homecoming with the Chiefs has been one of the more heartening stories of the last couple of seasons after five years away with the Cleveland Browns, but it appears that his run is over given the emphasis on replacing anyone and everyone from a year ago in the backfield.
Kansas City still had room for Hunt after signing free agents Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado, but the fifth-round draft investment in Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson sealed the deal on Hunt's future. WIth Brashard Smith also lingering and a couple of new undrafted free agents to round out the preseason depth chart (E.J. Smith, Jaydn Ott), Hunt's going to need to wait for a new suitor.
Mike Danna, DE
The Chiefs reportedly released Mike Danna in late February in order to give him a head start on the rest of the free agent class, an attempt to do well by a player who has been a model citizen and impressive performer since joining Kansas City as a fifth-round choice in the 2020 draft. Unfortunately for Danna, however, he's yet to find a place to land, which is interesting because Danna has a floor worthy of an NFL roster in a league that can never find enough quality options on the edge.
It's possible Danna is waiting for the right opportunity. It's also possible that K.C.'s uncertainty on the edges, even after the draft, could bring Danna back for a fraction of what he was scheduled to make before his release. Either way, this offseason has not gone as expected.
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