Kansas City Chiefs Make Surprising Move: Mike Edwards Is Released

One of the first surprise NFL cuts was reported Tuesday morning, as the Kansas City Chiefs released veteran Safety Mike Edwards.  This was not the typical Tuesday morning transaction you expect from a defending Super Bowl champion.

After a full season with the Chiefs back in 2023, the 29-year-old safety inked a one-year, $2.8 million deal this past April, expecting to serve as the reliable fourth safety behind Bryan Cook, Jaden Hicks, and Chamarri Conner. He brought veteran leadership and intimate knowledge of Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s system.

An Injury Might Have Cost Mike Edwards His Job  

Edwards looked solid in the preseason opener against Arizona on August 9, showing flashes of the versatility that made him valuable. Then, on August 15 in Seattle, a hamstring injury forced him off the field, and he never returned for the preseason finale against Chicago. The severity of that hamstring issue remains unclear. Every snap matters when you’re fighting for a spot, and it appears  Edwards simply ran out of opportunities to prove his worth.

This release saves Kansas City just $500,000 in dead money, according to OvertheCap.com. That is pocket change in NFL terms. But the real story here is depth chart mathematics and the emergence of Chris Roland-Wallace as a safety option. Roland-Wallace has been working with the safeties throughout training camp, giving Kansas City the versatility they thought they were getting with Edwards. Sometimes in this league, redundancy becomes a luxury teams cannot afford.

There’s also buzz that undrafted rookie Kevin Knowles, who blocked an extra point in Friday’s preseason finale, might have earned a roster spot. That is the harsh reality of the NFL. One player’s dream ending often means another’s is just beginning.

Edwards’ Chiefs Legacy

Edwards had some big plays with the Chiefs in 2023. His 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown against the Chargers in Week 18 was the kind of play that gets replayed on highlight reels for years. During that 2023 championship season, Edwards started five games and played 57% of the defensive snaps. His 51 total tackles, 5 passes defended, and 1 interception helped Kansas City capture Super Bowl LVIII.

Over his six-year NFL career spanning 83 games, Edwards has proven he belongs at the highest level. Eight career interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns, tell the story of a playmaker who can change games in an instant.

What Is Next?

This has to sting for Edwards. He may have thought he had found stability in Kansas City. Now Edwards finds himself on waivers again, hoping another team sees value in a veteran safety. At 29, he still has football left in him. 

The Chiefs move forward without Edwards, trusting that their secondary depth can handle whatever the regular season throws at them. But you cannot help but feel for a player who has given everything to this game, only to see it slip away due to circumstances largely beyond his control.