Leo Chenal is with the Washington Commanders. Drue Tranquill will turn 31 this summer. The Kansas City Chiefs linebacker corps still has Nick Bolton as an anchor in his prime, but the transition is starting to happen all around him.
That makes Cooper McDonald a name worth paying closer attention to this offseason for Chiefs Kingdom, even as most of the defensive attention is understandably on just about every other player on that side of the ball.
McDonald's story was a very familiar one a year ago, but such positive momentum can feel lost after he spent a redshirt season on the Chiefs. He signed with K.C. out of rookie minicamp after going undrafted, a tryout player who stood apart from dozens of other hopeful prospects. As if that wasn't impressive enough, he surprised everyone by making the active roster and played in all 17 games on special teams, with a start against the Las Vegas Raiders in the season finale.
While his on-field impact was minimal, it's eye-opening to remember just how far he was able to stretch that single tryout. And the commentary from coaches about his journey is also an important part of things as he heads into his second season with the team.
Remember that Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called McDonald a "really good find" back in his first training camp and went out of his way to mention his work in the one-on-ones against the running backs. Brett Veach spoke about his "incredible plays" made during a late preseason broadcast.
It was also clear that McDonald was still earning more and more trust from the team's coaches as the regular season rolled along. Even in the midst of a frustrating 6-11 campaign, McDonald's stock was rising, with positional coach Brendan Daly singing his praises. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub also said McDonald was going to likely finish as the Chiefs' best special-teamer of the year.
McDonald is not the only young competitor at linebacker this offseason hoping to take a step up in the wake of Chenal's departure. Jack Cochrane is back for another year. Jeffrey Bassa was the team's fifth-round choice a year ago. Kam Arnold is around, and the Chiefs just signed Wesley Bissainthe as a rookie free agent as well.
For those wondering who might break through, however, it's important to recall that McDonald was turning the heads of those who matter most for all of 2025. He's coming in with a lot of momentum in a year where someone is going to earn more playing time in 2026.
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