The Kansas City Chiefs entered this offseason much earlier than they’re used to, and now head coach Andy Reid has some serious decisions to make. Last offseason, the Chiefs’ front office chose not to be overly aggressive, and that approach clearly backfired. After a frustrating 6–11 finish in the 2025 season, the margin for error has disappeared. Now, as Reid evaluates the Chiefs’ roster ahead of the draft and free agency, he received a troubling update on the Chiefs’ secondary.

“Here are the guys who are returning,” co-host Marcus Dash said recently on his Chief Concerns podcast while talking about the Chiefs’ secondary heading into the 2026 season. “So, like I said, very, very bare in the safeties. Jaden Hicks, Chamarri Conner. I could have put CRW [Chris Rolland Wallace] over there as well. Both of those guys are pretty interchangeable as far as playing safety or corner. But yeah, Jaden Hicks and Chamarri Conner – only safeties we got going next year.”

“And then cornerbacks wise, Trent McDuffie, no Williams, Kristian Fulton, Christian Roland Wallace, Melvin Smith, and Kevin Knowles,” Dash went on to say. “Obviously, McDuffie’s been the talk as far as he’s coming up on his contract year.”

Dash’s comments highlight a real issue in the Chiefs’ secondary. Over the last few years, Andy Reid consistently refreshed the safety room without missing a beat, seamlessly transitioning from Tyrann Mathieu to Juan Thornhill and later to Bryan Cook as players departed. But this time, Dash thinks that the Chiefs’ safety room is “very bare,” with only Jaden Hicks and Chamarri Conner clearly returning in 2026. 

That doesn’t exactly scream stability, and while the Chiefs may hesitate to move on from Bryan Cook, who is set to hit free agency, the depth behind him raises real concerns. Former Chiefs tight end Jason Dunn echoed that worry when he joined Dash on his podcast.

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“So, safety-wise, I see a lot of mistakes being made by these two very talented guys physically,” Dunn said. “Very talented, but I’ve seen them blow coverages and get lost in their areas of what they’re supposed to cover. Lack of communication, too. But I think they’re two talented guys, Jaden and Chamarri.”

“They are, but just a lot of mistakes, man, that cost you with touchdowns and yards and whatnot that you just can’t give up,” Dunn went on to say. “And I don’t know if I trust those two guys where they are, what I’ve seen in the past to just be the guys.”

According to Dunn, the problem isn’t talent; it’s consistency with the two safeties. Conner actually led the team in defensive snaps, even edging out Nick Bolton. He played everywhere – in the box, at nickel, and occasionally deep. Hicks, meanwhile, primarily operated near the line of scrimmage in limited action. So, what the Chiefs really need in 2026 is a true free safety – someone who can support the run but also patrol the deep middle with range and discipline.

Bryan Cook fits that description perfectly as he finished the 2025 season with an 83.5 PFF grade among qualifiers and became the only safety with 80.0-plus grades against both the pass and the run. PFF even graded him as the Chiefs’ top free agent this offseason. So, shouldn’t re-signing him sit at the top of Andy Reid’s to-do list?

But the secondary questions for the Chiefs don’t stop at safety. Back in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams. That group became a foundational piece of the defense and helped deliver back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 2023 and 2024. 

Now, however, Watson and Williams are set to become free agents, while McDuffie is entering the final year of his rookie deal. So, Andy Reid must decide: pay to keep the core together or start reshaping the room? Jason Dunn believes the answer may lie with a possible trade involving McDuffie.

Will Andy Reid choose to trade Trent McDuffie before the 2026 season?

For years, the Chiefs have avoided handing massive extensions to homegrown cornerbacks, but it was expected that Trent McDuffie might finally break that trend. Despite the Chiefs’ disappointing 2025 campaign, he delivered a strong individual season – recording 63 tackles, seven passes defended, one sack, and one interception. And while a new deal for McDuffie can’t be ruled out, former Chief Jason Dunn suggested trading him now for more draft capital.

“I think we probably trade Trent,” Jason Dunn said. “I think we will try to get draft capital, save you some money as far as what you’d have to spend to get him. It’s just going to go longer your way to try to do it that way. And the thing is, man, there are certain positions that you’re just priced out of the market, okay.”

“We got some heavy names money that we’re spending right now on the O-line, the D-line, linebacker, and so we’re kind of stuck a little bit as far as what we can do,” Dunn continued. “Sorry, I would love to have Trent here, but as far as like trying to afford, pay that ticket, oh man, I don’t think we can afford that.”

Dunn’s reasoning centers on the salary cap – and it’s hard to ignore. The Chiefs signed McDuffie to a four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract worth roughly $13.99 million, including a $7.35 million signing bonus. While McDuffie’s deal runs through 2025 and includes a fifth-year option for 2026, he is set to earn $13.6 million in guaranteed salary next season. For a player of his caliber, that figure is fair, but as the Chiefs are deep in cap trouble, even reasonable numbers become difficult.

Complicating matters, the Chiefs currently sit more than $54 million over the cap. If he decides to trade McDuffie, the Chiefs could potentially land another first-round pick. Combined with their current top-10 selection, that scenario could allow the Chiefs to add three impact players within the top 40 – all while already having a franchise quarterback in place. 

But here’s the counterpoint: if the Chiefs’ secondary already looks like the weakest unit heading into 2026, can Andy Reid afford to subtract his best corner? That’s the dilemma Reid faces in one of the toughest offseasons of his tenure with the Chiefs.