Defensive end George Karlaftis III's presence, or lack thereof, was ostensibly a hot topic at every Kansas City Chiefs fans' Thanksgiving festivities. He didn't make much of a contribution in the team's crushing 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, which drew attention for the wrong reasons.
Karlaftis was far from the only problem in Dallas. However, he had a prime opportunity to stand out (in a good way) with Cowboys starting left tackle Tyler Guyton sidelined due to a high-ankle sprain. Instead, the 2022 first-round pick shriveled under the Turkey Day spotlight as Kansas City watched its playoff hopes take a significant blow.
Kansas City signed Karlaftis to a four-year, $93 million contract extension that included $62 million in guaranteed money this past offseason. The payday wasn't just for his previous efforts, but also for what they expected from him moving forward. Yet, FOX Sports analyst and former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz seemingly believes he's robbing the organization in broad daylight.
Schwartz didn't mince words on social media in the wake of the Chiefs' dispiriting defeat to the Cowboys. He aimed his frustration directly at Karlaftis, and emphatically so.
Former Chiefs OL Geoff Schwartz doesn't hold back on George Karlaftis
"It's an all-time bad contract," Schwartz replied to a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) about Karlaftis' quiet outing against the Cowboys. "[He makes] zero impact on the game."
One member of Chiefs Kingdom tried to check Schwartz, saying his comments are"extremely hyperbolic," noting solid advanced metrics as a primary argument. Karlaftis is currently tied with Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby in QB pressures, good to land him in the NFL's top 20. Nevertheless, the one-time Kansas City blocker proceeded to double down on the bold Karlaftis take:
"I watch every Chiefs game," Schwartz said. "I have no clue where or when Karlaftis pressures the quarterback to have a good pressure rate. It has no [effect] on the opposing quarterback."
Schwartz has long been a supporter of the Chiefs so this can be taken one of two ways: Constructive criticism/tough love or genuine concern. Either way, the message is quite clear: the on-field results/his eye test tell a story the numbers don't.
Folks may call Schwartz a prisoner of the moment, and that may not be far-fetched, though he raises a valid point. The Chiefs need Karlaftis to live up to the lofty standards of his massive deal.
The Chiefs obviously like Karlaftis; otherwise, they wouldn't have given him a boatload of cash. The three-time reigning AFC champions also don't have much else on the edge. So, a group that ranks 18th in ESPN's 2025 pass rush win rate would be even worse than it is if he weren't involved.