With the NFL trade deadline coming into view, it's become pretty commonplace for fans of most teams to make projections or search for rumors about the various players they might try to buy or sell. For the Kansas City Chiefs, some names are more obvious than others.
When it comes to potential acquisitions for the Chiefs, general manager Brett Veach is going to have to decide how much he's interested in reunions with known quantities versus bringing in outside help who have never played for K.C. before. That's because names like defensive end Frank Clark and wide receiver Mecole Hardman are so obviously available.
The Kansas City Chiefs are clearly open to bringing back Frank Clark for another season after his recent release from the Denver Broncos.
The New York Jets haven't yet released Hardman but the move has been telegraphed for weeks. Meanwhile, Clark is already a free agent after having received his release from the Denver Broncos. Immediately the Chiefs and Clark were linked by both analysts and reporters as a potential pairing willing to dance once again.
At first, some fans might have doubted whether or not the Chiefs would be interested given the performance of the line so far and the youth and depth already in house, but new reports from the likes of Dianna Russini of The Athletic have stated that K.C.'s executive have discussed the idea, which generated even more smoke to a likely move.
On Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed the rumors himself. Nothing official has happened yet, nor did he say it would happen. But he also seemed to indicate a real interest there on his part and the organization himself.
"We love Frank. Right now, we're just talking through some things there. There are a few things you have to look at when you do that. That's kind of where we're at. We haven't done anything to this point." - Andy Reid on DE Frank Clark being available
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) October 16, 2023
The Chiefs will have to figure out what to do with the roster around the position and elsewhere. The team already carries George Karlaftis and Mike Danna as starting ends and Charles Omenihu is just now active after being suspended for the first six games of the season. Felix Anudike-Uzomah is their first-round investment who needs reps to bloom, and Malik Herring has looked promising in the last couple of weeks. B.J. Thompson is also a health scratch each week as their fifth-round rookie stashed on the active roster for now.
As for Clark, he's been a playoff hero for the Chiefs for the last four seasons, including two Super Bowl runs. In total, he's had 10.5 sacks in 12 games including 2.5 last season. When Clark's contract proved too expensive to bring back, Clark signed with the Denver Broncos in the offseason as his third NFL team. However, he lasted less than half of the regular season before being released.
This is Clark's ninth NFL season after spending his first four years with the Seattle Seahawks. He joined the Chiefs in a blockbuster draft-day trade back in 2019 as the Chiefs acquired a new anchor for their defense for new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.