Whenever a former Kansas City Chiefs player pops up in the news, I (and probably many others) like to say, 'Old friend alert!' For example, when former Chief Bashaud Breeland made headlines for his arrest the other day, my first comment to the other Arrowhead Addict writers was 'Old friend alert!' although in this case, it was definitely sarcastic.
Anyone watching this week's game between the Chiefs and New Orleans Saints will have plenty of "old friend alerts", as an astounding number of former Chiefs have gone to the Big Easy in recent years. Here's a quick round-up of who you might recognize.
Tanoh Kpassagnon
Tanoh Kpassagnon, a former second-round pick of the Chiefs, always showed promise, but he just never quite delivered. And the Chiefs had a lot of patience with him. In four years, TK only picked up seven sacks. He peaked in 2019 where he had four sacks and a forced fumble.
After his contract ended with the Chiefs, Kpassagnon signed with the New Orleans Saints where he's had a moderately better career. In his two years, he's picked up another six sacks and become a decent rotational player.
Khalen Saunders
Unlike Kpass, Saunders proved to be a relative mid-round success story after the Chiefs drafted him in the third round of the 2019 draft. As a nose tackle next to Chris Jones, he got better every year. His best season was last year. Saunders made himself popular with fans because of his fun personality. If you haven't followed him on X (formerly Twitter), you should.
The two-time Super Bowl champion signed with the Saints earlier this offseason, and I'll be honest and say I was a little sad. I like Khalen and hope he has nothing but success.
Tyrann Mathieu
The Honey Badger himself will be on the other side of the field come Sunday. After a drawn-out "will they, won't they" decision on if the Chiefs would keep him, the Landlord found himself headed south to New Orleans. Mathieu of course helped lead the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl win, and then back to the big game the following year. We probably wouldn't have that ring without him.
It was a shame that Tyrann didn't get to win a second ring with the rest of the crew, but he seems to be doing alright with the Saints. I'm sure plenty of players and fans will be excited to see their former teammate again.
Bonus: Maybe a Kareem Hunt sighting
Oh what could have been. The former Chiefs running back who could have become a legend finds himself a free agent now. And apparently a coveted one at that. He was suppose to sign with the Saints, but then visited the Colts, and now his status is up in the air. If the Saints decide to pick him up in the next few days, maybe we'll seem him on the field, too.