Familiar faces along the defensive interior of the Kansas City Chiefs are beginning to fade, one by one. First, it was Derrick Nnadi walking away. Then came a new addition in Khyiris Tonga, hinting at a different direction. And now, the latest departure comes with the news of Jerry Tillery’s new home: an AFC South powerhouse.

“The Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday signed free agent defensive tackle Jerry Tillery,” the team website confirmed.

The deal comes up after Tillery spent the 2025 season with the Chiefs and played in every game while starting thrice to record 20 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Furthermore, Tillery’s career has seen the veteran defensive tackle take up more of a journeyman role with the former Notre Dame star arriving in Indianapolis following one-year stints in Kansas City (2025) and Minnesota (2024), along with two years in Las Vegas (2022-23).

However, before these short stints, Jerry Tillery played four years with the Los Angeles Chargers after being drafted No. 28 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Before leaving LA in 2022, he appeared in 54 games (29 starts) and recorded 10.5 sacks, 106 tackles, 33 quarterback hits, and 12 tackles for loss.

Looking at overall numbers, Tillery has played in 117 games (53 starts), with career totals of 14 sacks, 195 tackles, four passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, 46 quarterback hits, and 17 tackles for loss. Despite an overall average performance and being a reliable depth defensive tackle, the Chiefs decided to part ways with him.

It never quite clicked for Jerry Tillery in Kansas City, and by the time the Chiefs began reshaping their defensive front this offseason, his exit felt like the natural next step. The unit had already taken a few hits in free agency, and for role players like Tillery, those shifts often mean looking elsewhere for a better fit. That next chapter now takes him to the Colts, a team that had its own gaps to fill along the interior line.

A one-year deal gives them flexibility, but more importantly, it adds a player who has starting experience and understands how to contribute within a rotation. He may not have stood out as a difference-maker with the Chiefs, but he showed he can step in, do his job, and keep things steady when called upon. That kind of reliability matters more than ever in a league where injuries can flip a depth chart overnight.

For Andy Reid’s team, moving on from Tillery could be a major setback, considering he served as a reliable rotational option capable of stepping in during games. However, his exit is now just one part of a larger effort to rebuild depth up front. The Chiefs can still address it through a budget-friendly veteran or by bringing in fresh talent through the 2026 draft. Either way, the goal stays the same: keep the roster strong enough to compete deep into the season, especially with Patrick Mahomes leading the charge.

Meanwhile, on the back of Jerry Tillery’s solid career, the Colts are expected to use his experience and versatility to add depth to the position.

“Tillery’s experience–both in age, seasons, and rosters he’s been on–will be an asset for a position with three players still in their rookie deals and two others in Stewart and Buckner entering the final year of their contracts, while on the other side of 30 years old,” IndyStar’s Colts insider Nathan Brown wrote.

As per Brown, the Colts have 2023 fourth-round pick Adetomiwa Adebawore, who made seven starts last season, with 2025 sixth-round pick Tim Smith, as youngsters vying for this role alongside veterans like longtime starters Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. Furthermore, the Indy front office also acquired former Green Bay Packers star Colby Wooden in a trade and signed Derrick Nnadi.

With this plethora of options, the Colts will hope to improve on a defense that finished as a bottom-tier unit, largely ranking around 23rd in total yards allowed (349.8 per game). They also struggled to defend the pass, ranking 31st in passing yards allowed.

While Indianapolis continues to improve its defense, the Chiefs have also completed what is being called the team’s most underrated signing of the offseason after parting ways with Jerry Tillery.

Chiefs sign Patriots star after parting ways with Jerry Tillery in free agency

With the franchise losing a key defensive lineman like Jerry Tillery, the Chiefs completed a massive three-year, $21 million deal to sign New England Patriots star Khyiris Tonga. Addressing this signing, ESPN’s reporter Aaron Schatz deemed Tonga as the “Most underrated signing” throughout the offseason.

“This was a player the Patriots wanted to bring back, but they couldn’t get an extension finished during the regular season,” Schatz wrote. “Tonga was an important part of the New England run defense as a nose tackle in 2025. He had a stop rate of 83%; in other words, 83% of his run tackles prevented a successful play for the offense. The league average for interior linemen was around 71% last season.”

As the Chiefs navigate the loss of Jerry Tillery to the Colts, the signing of Khyiris Tonga signals their intent to remain competitive in 2026. With both teams reshaping their defensive lines this offseason, the AFC figures to be as fiercely contested as ever.