No other number in Kansas City Chiefs history is as underappreciated as No. 25. From the best player to ever wear it to an overlooked defender to an unsung Super Bowl hero, some special Chiefs who deserve far more attention have worn the number. Thus it's a fitting stop on our journey to document the best stories for each number in team history—the very reason why we've taken on the exercise in the first place.
The complete history of Chiefs players to wear No. 25
The Best: Jamaal Charles
Let's have Andy Reid tell you all about the best player to ever wear No. 25: Jamaal Charles.
"Hall of Fame player. He was tremendous. He could do everything—literally everything. He could have played wide receiver, and he did play running back. You give him the ball, you guarantee whatever his average was—one of the highest, if not the highest, in league history. He was a great player. I wish I had him when he was even younger than when I got him."
Reid is right. Charles came to the Chiefs as a third-round pick and was forced into a tandem with Thomas Jones by head coach Todd Haley right in his prime and still ended his career as the team's all-time leader in rushing yards with 7,260 and longest rush ever with 91 yards. He had 43 rushing scores and another 20 touchdown receptions. His career rate of 5.4 yards/carry remains the best mark ever posted by a running back, and his 6.38 average in 2010 sits two-hundredths of a yard behind Jim Brown for the best single season ever for a back.
Canton has yet to come calling, but Chiefs Kingdom (and the team's current head coach) are firm in their belief that he's a worthy Hall of Fame candidate. Hopefully that day arrives soon.
The Defensive Snub: Greg Wesley
Greg Wesley has a case for being the most overlooked defender in Chiefs history. Check the records and you'll find absolutely no hardware with his name, yet all he did for eight seasons in Kansas City was create one turnover after another. The former third-round pick out of Arkansas Pine-Bluff in 2000 hauled in 29 interceptions (an impressive total for a strong safety and No. 8 all-time in franchise history) and forced another 12 fumbles. That's good for a tier just below Deron Cherry in terms of player rankings, yet his name would never appear on a Pro Bowl roster or earn a team award. We can at least acknowledge him here. If not for Jamaal, he's the best to ever wear No. 25.
The Versatile Veteran: Mark Collins
When Albert Lewis left to play for the Raiders in 1994, the Chiefs replaced one great veteran DB with another. Mark Collins spent eight seasons with the Giants and won two Super Bowls there, and he brought his number with him when he came to Kansas City. His first season ended with the highlight of his short stint in KC: a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown in a Christmas Eve finale against the Raiders. It was a game both teams needed at 8-7, with the loser going home. Kansas City won 19-9, took the AFC's last wild card spot, and ushered Joe Montana into his final postseason. The Chiefs would shift Collins to free safety in '95, and he responded with a career-high 6 picks in 15 starts at the age of 32.
The 51 G-O Reverse: Frank Pitts
Frank Pitts was never a featured target for the Chiefs in his six seasons with the team (1965-70), but he remains an important figure in franchise history for his impactful role in the team's first championship. Watching film of the Vikings before Super Bowl IV, Chiefs head coach Hank Stram noticed that Minnesota's defensive ends crashed hard toward the middle on every snap, leaving the edges open. Pitts would get the call to run a rarely-run reverse play on three separate occasions for 71 yards on the biggest stage of all. K.C. would go on to win 23-7, with Pitts playing a pivotal role in the Chiefs' ability to move the chains. Pitts finished his tenure with 1,450 and 12 total touchdowns in Kansas City.
Alaska or Bust: Reggie Tongue
Before Greg Wesley sported No. 25, it was seen on the back of Reggie Tongue in the Chiefs secondary for four seasons. The former second-round pick came to the NFL all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska—by way of Oregon State where he began as a running back but shifted to defensive back due to injuries. After tying a Pac-12 record with four interception returns for a touchdown in his career, the Chiefs selected him in the '96 draft and relied on him for four seasons. He would elevate things after he left for Seattle, where played his next four seasons, but he's a nice entry here among those who wore the number.
The Current Wearer: Emari Demarcado, RB
The lesser of the two Chiefs running back signings coming into 2026, Demercado has a real chance to make an impact as a third-down back with some enticing dynamism in spurts with the Arizona Cardinals.
Et Cetera
- Doyle Nix, CB - Former Packers corner who furthered his career in the AFL when it was formed in 1960. Landed with the Dallas Texans (Chiefs) in his final season and had 3 picks in '61.
- Danny Copeland, S - Drafted by the Browns but found his first action with the Chiefs on special teams in the late-'80s before blossoming as a starter in Washington.
- Kenneth Acker, CB - John Dorsey dealt a 2018 late-round pick to the 49ers for corner help coming into the 2016 season, and Acker provided both rotational reps and special teams support.
- LeSean McCoy, RB - The Chiefs signed McCoy on the downside of his career in 2019 to bolster the backfield. Concerns about ball security sidelined him as a healthy scratch down the stretch.
- Ricky Wesson, DB - Former SMU quarterback caught on in the NFL for a brief spell after converting to defensive back in '77 before heading to CFL.
- Charley Warner, CB - Former Prairie View A&M corner who caught on with the Chiefs for their first two seasons after moving to K.C.
- Elijah Mitchell & Dameon Pearce, RBs - Two ne'er-used veteran signings who sat on the sidelines watching the league's most uninspired backfield in 2025.
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