For years, Alohi Gilman lined up against Patrick Mahomes twice a season and walked off the field frustrated. As a former Los Angeles Chargers safety in the AFC West, he watched Mahomes conjure late-game magic that made even airtight coverage schemes look ordinary. Now, that frustration has a new purpose.

The safety signed a three-year, $24.75 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. With $15 million guaranteed, this was one of the franchise’s most significant defensive additions this offseason. And at his introductory press conference, he addressed what playing against Mahomes all those times feels like.

“He’s obviously talented physically… he finds ways to do some magician stuff at the end,” Alohi Gilman admitted. “But the competitor – the warrior he is out there – you’ve got to appreciate it and respect it. When you’re around greatness like that, he’ll only make me better.”

Those words carry very real weight. Back in 2021, Gilman intercepted Mahomes with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter, sparking a dramatic 59-yard, game-winning drive that ended KC’s day in a 30-24 loss. Gilman did it again in the 2023 season, when he picked off Blaine Gabbert late in the second quarter of Week 18. But those remain his only two picks against KC and only one against Mahomes.

Across 17 regular-season games last season, split between the Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens after a mid-season trade, Gilman posted 90 total tackles, nine pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown. His chess-match safety style reads quarterbacks, disguises coverages, and impacts games beyond the box score. Now KC’s brand-new system awaits him, and he’s excited to grow under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“Obviously, with Coach Spags and his defense, he’s a mastermind, a guru,” Alohi Gilman said. “I’ve watched all the clips, I’ve watched him, I’ve been in the division, so I’m excited to learn and get better myself, you know, it’s a constant evolution as a player.”

What’s more, the veteran safety is all in for Kansas City’s championship culture.

“Winning cures all things, and playing this game, you want to play to win,” Alohi Gilman declared. “I want to be financially taken care of, all that stuff, but as a competitor, I want to win. So, being a part of this and joining up and teaming up to grow and get better and win games is something I’m really attracted to.”

Gilman’s arrival came at a critical moment. In less than a week, KC lost cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and safety Bryan Cook to free agency. Their secondary desperately needed veteran stability, fast. But true to form, the Chiefs didn’t just plug a hole. They’ve already started building toward another ring.

Kansas City reloading around Patrick Mahomes

Locking in Alohi Gilman was just one of the big moves the Chiefs made. Franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be returning from an ACL/MCL injury in the 2026 season and will need all the weapons he can get. And the Chiefs have already started working toward that.

The biggest offensive splash comes through Kenneth Walker III, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. The Chiefs have signed the former Seattle Seahawks running back to a three-year, $43 million deal, with $28.7 million guaranteed (maximum value: $45 million).

Last season, Isaiah Pacheco didn’t record a single rush of 20 or more yards. Meanwhile, Walker forced missed tackles on 30.2% of his touches, the third highest in the league among backs with 150-plus touches. That explosiveness is exactly what Kansas City was missing.

Star tight end Travis Kelce also returned: one year, $12 million (up to $15 million) for a 14th season alongside Patrick Mahomes. Last season, Kelce led the team in targets (108), receptions (76), yards (851), touchdowns (5), and receiving first downs (45). There were definitely some miscues that cost the Chiefs trouble last season, but Kelce’s chemistry with Mahomes simply can’t be ignored.

On the defensive line, Khyiris Tonga agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal ($14 million guaranteed) to provide interior depth behind Chris Jones. With second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott lost to a torn ACL in October, the void was urgent. Tonga posted 24 tackles, two for loss, two QB hits, and two pass deflections in 14 games with the New England Patriots last season.

Additionally, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton re-signed on a two-year, 11 million deal. Thornton posted a career-high 438 receiving yards on 19 receptions and three touchdowns in 14 games. Thornton has already proven himself as reliable depth when the team struggled without Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy last season. 

Kansas City didn’t wait to see how Patrick Mahomes would hold up. They went and got Walker’s explosiveness, Kelce’s continuity, Tonga’s grit, and Thornton’s reliability. Then Alohi Gilman came in to anchor a secondary that badly needed a veteran voice. When Mahomes steps back on that field in 2026, the machine will be ready. Just another championship run waits to be written.