By most accounts, the Kansas City Chiefs' ability to retain Charles Omenihu for another season in 2025 was a very positive development for the franchise. The versatile pass rusher re-signed in free agency in a bit of a surprising move, given that the free-agent market never quite developed for him as expected. But the payoff might be even greater than originally expected.
Those who've followed Omenihu on social media during his tenure with the Chiefs are already well-acquainted with his penchant for expression his unfiltered emotions. Sometimes those statements are even later deleted. But his emotions are fuel for the on-field product as well, which is part of what makes him such a solid addition fo r the Chiefs' pass rush.
Omenihu has chip on his shoulder for the coming season, and that's a good thing for Chiefs Kingdom.
Moving forward into 2025, Omenihu is back with the Chiefs, but he's bringing a chip on his shoulder with him.
Give me a full season to do this right and see what the results are. Appreciate those who don’t believe and those who do.
— Charles Omenihu (@charless_94) March 27, 2025
Omenihu returned to the Chiefs on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million after the first couple of weeks in free agency came and went. Despite being an aggressive force for the Chiefs' front line who has dominated in big postseason moments, Omenihu's stock was never as high as projected—at least by some—and the Chiefs were rewarded with a smart, short-term buy.
Some teams likely docked Omenihu for having missed so many games over the last two seasons—either due to injury or suspension. However, Omenihu came back last season for six regular season games and remained healthy for the duration of the postseason as well. Given a full offseason where he can distance himself even more from the ACL tear that robbed him of so much time, there's every reason to expect Omenihu to be more effective than ever.
Now the Chiefs can add "highly-motivated" to the list of reasons for bringing back Omenihu, which is just what the team's pass rush needed heading into a new year. Given that Felix Anudike-Uzomah is still an uncertainty and Mike Danna has a ceiling as a disruptor, it's vital for the Chiefs to have someone like Omenihu to add to the mix with George Karlaftis and Chris Jones as a proven third force up front.
Omenihu's career highs are 7 sacks (2023) and 21 pressures (2020, 2022). He set the former mark in only 11 games in his first year in K.C. Perhaps Chiefs Kingdom will see Omenihu eclipse those figures with an inspired season hoping to truly cash in during the 2026 free agency period.