It has been more than a month, but the Kansas City Chiefs still have many reasons to celebrate. They finished this past season on top as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII, taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years.
The team had a slow start to the season, going 4-2 which included a loss to the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City managed to win 10 of its last 11 games, with the only loss coming against the then-reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.
With thrilling home wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and Bengals in the playoffs, the Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl for the third time since 2020. Thanks to a comeback led by MVP Patrick Mahomes, the team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit versus the Birds to become champion once again.
But success is coming with a price. The Chiefs lost many key players in free agency since they were in a tough cap situation. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Bengals. He was considered one of the top free agents of the 2023 class. Right tackle Andrew Wylie followed offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to the Washington Commanders.
Although the Chiefs suffered major setbacks, they still managed to make positive and impactful moves of their own. With that being said, here is the Chiefs' sneakiest signing in the 2023 NFL free agency.
Chiefs’ sneakiest 2023 NFL free agency signing: S Mike Edwards
A big part of Kansas City’s strong second half of the season was due to their improvements on defense. With the help of the secondary, the team bounced back from its below-average start en route to another Super Bowl.
One of the players who made a big difference on defense was Juan Thornhill. This past season, the safety had a career-high 71 total tackles with 43 being solo and four for a loss. He also registered two quarterback hits and one sack. Most notably, his three interceptions tied with L’Jarius Sneed for the most on the team.
Thornhill was perhaps the main defensive free agent for the Chiefs. He ended up leaving the team to sign a three-year, $21 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. Because of that, Kansas City needed to go after a new starting safety.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, they signed Mike Edwards to a one-year, $3 million contract. Up until this point, he had spent his entire NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 2022 was his first year as a full-time starter, having 11 total starts combined in his first four seasons in the league. He started in 12 out of the 13 games he appeared in this past season.
In 2022, he recorded a career-best 82 tackles with 52 being solo, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a sack. Most importantly, he had two interceptions, totaling 68 yards, plus three pass breakups.
Even though he does not have much experience as a starter, Edwards is coming off his strongest year so far. Additionally, he has a Super Bowl ring under his belt, playing in all four postseason games in that campaign, including a start against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
Signing a potential starting defensive back to a $3 million deal could become a steal for the Chiefs. Also, they managed to bring him in after nearly a week of the free-agency opening. All things considered, this makes Mike Edwards Kansas City's sneakiest signing in the 2023 off-season.
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