In an offseason in which some old friends have resurfaced with the Kansas City Chiefs, another familiar veteran might make the most sense when it comes to bolstering a very inexperienced and thin defensive end room.
On Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints officially convinced team legend Cam Jordan to return for a 16th season with the team on a one-year, incentive-laden deal. This came after several weeks of rumored interest on the part of the Chiefs, who were likely hoping that the storied vet would provide some production and security across from George Karlaftis.
With Jordan now gone from the NFL's store shelves, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is forced to go shopping when the position is already picked over. But one player the team is already very familiar with is sitting there waiting for a home in 2026.
A familiar answer remains on the market
Emmanuel Ogbah played for the Jacksonville Jaguars a year ago, but he's been available in free agency since the new league year began in mid-March. Ogbah is a friendly face for Chiefs fans after watching him excel as a pass rusher in limited doses back in 2019. Back in those days, Veach was hoping he was a late bloomer on a one-year deal. In 2026, the Chiefs would ask him to be the unit's seasoned leader.
No one would be asking Ogbah to anchor the pass rush. Karlaftis is the primary force outside, and the Chiefs are hoping the young combination of Ashton Gillotte and rookie R Mason Thomas can elevate the unit as well. But beyond those impressive pieces are question marks like former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who missed all of last season (hamstring), and then developmental names like Tyreke Smith or Anthony Dunn.
Just in case it feels like pursuing a player who hasn't been on the roster since before COVID was a thing, remember that the Chiefs were reportedly chasing Ogbah again as recently as 2024. That offseason, K.C. was rumored to be interested in a reunion even then, per NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe, but he returned to Miami instead on a one-year deal.
The connection to Ogbah never really disappeared
The Chiefs have a penchant for chasing defensive ends and striking out. They tried their best to lure Melvin Ingram time and again before finally trading for him to force the marriage. Cam Jordan has now spurned them and Ogbah did the same two years ago. But the latter is now an aging option who was passed over on the depth chart by younger players in Jacksonville a year ago.
Ogbah enjoyed a resurgent campaign in Steve Spagnuolo's first season as defensive coordinator back in '19, with 5.5 sacks in rotational snaps in 9 total games before a torn pectoral muscle ended his season prematurely. From there, he landed a two-year, $15 million deal in free agency with the Dolphins and had 18 sacks over the next two seasons. He'd remain in Miami for five years before landing with the Jags last season.
Even if the kids win out and a veteran ends up released at the end of training camp, it still behooves Veach to provide some more competition for the preseason at defensive end. The ratio of positional importance and roster questions is untenable as it is, which is why K.C. should be chasing someone with experience to join the ranks, even if Cam Jordan didn't work out.
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