Last week, we took a look at 10 free agent options who could help the Kansas City Chiefs bolster the offense. Today, we shift our focus to the defensive side of the football. The start of free agency is a week away, beginning on Wednesday, March 11. For a unit that finished last season as the No. 6 scoring defense and No. 10 total defense, there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Before we dive into players, it is important to get clear about what the Chiefs should be looking for in free agency. This defense has several holes along the defensive line that limit its ability to defend the run and generate consistent pressure. There could also be change in the secondary in 2026. Last week, Chiefs insider Nate Taylor suggested that safety Bryan Cook might be moving on. With that in mind, here is a list of free agent options who can help the Chiefs field a more consistent defense next season.
Defensive End
Jaelan Phillips
Among all of the free agent defenders in this group, Jaelan Phillips has the highest upside. He would be an aggressive swing for a Chiefs team that lacks a true high-end edge presence, especially if Kansas City has concerns about the availability or fit of top draft prospects like David Bailey or Rueben Bain Jr. Phillips opened last season with Miami before being traded to Philadelphia midyear and finished with five sacks, 53 tackles, and seven tackles for loss across 17 games. At just 26 years old, he profiles as the kind of impact bookend who could complement George Karlaftis and give Kansas City a long-term answer at a premium position.
Dre'Mont Jones
In 2025, Jones split his season between Tennessee and Baltimore, joining the Ravens in a November 4 trade after a productive start with the Titans. He offers the kind of positional versatility Steve Spagnuolo values, with the ability to play defensive end on early downs and kick inside in sub-packages as a disruptive penetrator. Jones is not an elite finisher, but he’s reliably good for five or six sacks a year and brings steady disruption across multiple alignments. A modest one-year deal could be enough to bring him into the rotation and give the Chiefs another movable piece along the defensive line.
Bradley Chubb
After recently being released as a post-June 1 designation by the Miami Dolphins, Chubb enters free agency as a veteran option for Kansas City. He returned from the torn ACL that wiped out his 2024 season and looked like himself again in 2025, appearing in all 17 games and finishing with 8.5 sacks and 20 quarterback hits. Chubb would be more of a “good time than a long time” addition for the Chiefs, but he brings a stable, experienced presence to a defensive line with some younger pieces. His ability to set the edge and generate consistent pressure would give Kansas City a reliable veteran for the rotation.
K'Lavon Chaisson
Chaisson is coming off the best year of his career after signing a one-year deal with the Super Bowl runner-up Patriots. He gave New England a real spark off the edge, finishing with 7.5 sacks in the regular season and adding three more in the playoffs, which marked the most productive stretch of his career. At just 26 years old, he fits Brett Veach’s long-standing interest in former first-round picks who still have room to grow. Chaisson still leans heavily on his athleticism, but working with Joe Cullen could help him sharpen his technique and build on the disruption he showed throughout 2025.
Kwity Paye
Kwity Paye does not have the eye-popping production you might expect from a top free-agent edge, but he remains one of the most complete all-around options on this list. He started 16 of 17 games for Indianapolis in 2025 and finished with four sacks, tying a career low, yet his 38 total pressures would have led the Chiefs last season. Paye is a strong, physical defender who plays with the kind of power and effort that fits a Spagnuolo scheme built on setting a firm edge and compressing the pocket. He is not a high-end finisher, but he offers reliable early-down play and enough pass-rush ability to complement Kansas City’s young core.
Defensive Tackle
David Onyemata
Onyemata played a full-time interior role for the Atlanta Falcons in 2025, operating primarily as a 1-tech and setting a career high in tackles in the process. The 33-year-old Nigerian-born veteran has been one of the league’s more durable interior defenders throughout his long career, giving Atlanta steady early-down production and reliable gap integrity. Kansas City expects to get second-year lineman Omarr Norman-Lott back from the torn ACL that ended his rookie season, but adding another dependable run-stuffer to the rotation would help stabilize the interior and protect against the natural volatility of young players returning from major injuries.
Tim Settle
Tim Settle is significantly younger than Onyemata and not as strong a run defender, but he remains a viable interior option for Kansas City. He earned a 62 grade from Pro Football Focus last season and would give the Chiefs versatility as a rotational tackle who can handle early downs and provide a little pass-rush pop. The medical review will matter because he missed five games in 2025 with a foot injury that required surgery. Settle has spent eight seasons in the NFL with Washington, Buffalo, and Houston, and he profiles as a younger complementary piece who can round out the interior without needing a heavy workload.
Safety
Jalen Thompson
With Bryan Cook potentially moving on, the Chiefs may need to use free agency to stabilize the position ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. One option is Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson, a versatile defender with experience at both free and strong safety. He finished last season with 95 tackles, two tackles for loss, and six passes defensed, giving Kansas City a steady presence on the back end. He’ll be 28 before the season starts, but he profiles as a viable two-year bridge. Thompson wouldn’t be a long-term commitment for Kansas City, and his projected $10 million price tag wouldn’t prevent them from taking Ohio State’s Caleb Downs at No. 9 if he’s available.
Kamren Curl
For a slightly younger option, Rams safety Kamren Curl is a name to consider as a successor for Cook. Curl is a physical player who is a strong, reliable tackler and generally holds up well in coverage. He also brings versatility and is the kind of defender Steve Spagnuolo can move around within the scheme. He’ll want a multi-year commitment, so signing him would tie Kansas City to Curl for the foreseeable future. The seventh-year safety started all 17 games for the Rams last season and finished with 122 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions.
Coby Bryant
Bryant isn’t as physical as Curl or Thompson, but he brings versatility with experience at both safety spots and cornerback earlier in his career. He started 15 games for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks last season and held up well in coverage. The former Cincinnati Bearcat isn’t as strong a run defender as the other options, but he’s steady on the back end and has the ball skills to play the ball in the air. He finished 2025 with seven passes defensed and profiles as a reliable coverage piece who can handle multiple roles in Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme.
Punter
Braden Mann
It is uncertain what the Chiefs will do with exclusive rights free agent Matt Araiza. Kansas City will have the option to tender him again, just as they did around this time last year. If they decide to move on, Braden Mann is an intriguing name to consider. Mann spent last season with the Eagles and is arguably the most stable punter in this free agent class. His 2025 season was one of the best of his veteran career. Mann averaged 43.1 net yards per punt and tied a career high with eight touchbacks.
Jake Bailey
Jake Bailey is another veteran option who would give the Chiefs a steady and experienced presence on special teams. Coordinator Dave Toub values directional punting and hang time, and Bailey excels in both areas. He was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2020, and that peak still informs the reliability he brings as a seven-year pro. His ability to control placement outside the numbers would be a boost for Toub’s coverage units and help the Chiefs consistently win the field position battle.
The 2026 NFL Draft will play a major role in shaping the next version of this defense, but adding players from this free agent group would give the Chiefs a stronger foundation heading into the season. Recent roster moves have opened up space for the Chiefs to be players in the first wave of free agency. Kansas City has a real chance to stabilize the front, strengthen the secondary, and keep this unit performing at a championship level.