An Important Decision the Chiefs Must Come To

Thomas Valentine writes for Pro Football Focus , and he wrote an article predicting whether each team will pick up its fifth-year option on the player they drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft. For the Chiefs, that player is Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and he predicts they will decline it.

"Anudike-Uzomah missed the entire 2025 NFL season with a hamstring injury, but his performances up until that point hadn’t done much to justify the Chiefs' picking him that high. Anudike-Uzomah totaled 26 pressures and five sacks in his first two seasons with 28 total stops. His 57.6 PFF grade from 2023-24 was 101st out of 130 edge rushers", said Valentine.

This was one of the Chiefs' attempts to pair Chris Jones with a star, or draft his heir, and they did neither. They selected the local talent after winning their second Super Bowl in the Andy Reid era, when it felt like the Chiefs were inevitable.

Those drafting mistakes were fine when the Chiefs' dynasty was in full effect, but now that they're a year removed from the playoffs, the Chiefs' future would've looked different if they used this pick in a better way. Joey Porter Jr., Brian Branch, or even Zach Charbonnet were all available in the second round and would've been better selections than Anudike-Uzomah.

It's unfortunate that Anudike-Uzomah missed last season, because it could've been the turning point of his career. In a season where the Chiefs weren't competitive, he could've shown Steve Spagnuolo and the rest of the Chiefs staff that he's worth keeping around after his rookie contract.

However, as things stand now, I don't think they should pick it up. Their cap space situation is just beginning to get better; they can't afford to get set back by a player who has 41 total tackles and just three sacks in two seasons.