George Karlaftis cashes in as Chiefs lock up another young defensive star

George Karlaftis came into the National Football League as a hopeful bright light for the Kansas City Chiefs' pass rush. On Sunday, the Chiefs rewarded Karlaftis for following through on his promise with a long-term commitment.

The Chiefs have officially signed Karlaftis to a four-year contract extension worth up to a reported $93 million, per NFL reporter Adam Schefter.

The Chiefs are taking care of long-term financial concerns before training camp gets underway. The team already made Trey Smith the highest-paid guard in the NFL in recent days, and an extension could be forthcoming for cornerback Trent McDuffie as well.

The Chiefs were hoping Karlaftis would be a bright light on the front line and they rewarded him for his efforts on Sunday.

Through three NFL seasons, Karlaftis has proven to be both productive and reliable up front for a team that had not invested a first round pick in a defensive lineman since Dontari Poe. (Say what you will about the Frank Clark trade and Dee Ford investment, at linebacker, in 2014.)

Karlaftis made all 17 starts during his rookie campaign in 2022 and has continued to play in every game in the regular season and postseason, save for the moments when Andy Reid pulls his starters in meaningless games at season's end. In that span of time, he's had 24.5 sacks, 24 tackles for a loss, 15 pass deflections, and 56 quarterback pressures.

Last season, Karlaftis had a career-high 28 pressures and had 4 postseason sacks, providing even further evidence that he's growing his craft. Karlaftis's improved technique and body of experience is allowing him to elevate his game to new levels, which is a scary proposition for opponents. Even his Pro Football Focus scores were all career marks in '24.

The good news for the Chiefs is that the best of Karlaftis is yet to come, so the Chiefs should feel quite safe making such a sizable financial commitment. Karlaftis just turned 24 years old this spring and was barely able to legally drink when the Chiefs first submitted his draft card in '22. If he remains healthy, Karlaftis will be looking at more than one long-term extension in his future.

Now the Chiefs have Karlaftis and Chris Jones locked up for the next few years to anchor the team's pass-rushing efforts as they hope younger players blossom around them. Steve Spagnuolo has to be pleased knowing Karlaftis will be a part of his plans for years to come.