The signings just won’t seem to stop for the Kansas City Chiefs. On Thursday, the Chiefs made yet another move: signing defensive edge rusher Charles Omenihu to a one-year contract that could be worth up to $7 million.
The Chiefs keep on filling their positions of need, and this time they focused on the defensive line. With the recent loss of budding defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, bringing back a force like Omenihu makes perfect sense.
Omenihu did the most damage for Kansas City in the 2023 season, two years ago. In 11 games played, he amassed an impressive 28 total tackles and 7 sacks as well. Unfortunately, a season-ending ACL injury sustained in last year’s AFC Championship win over the Baltimore Ravens led Omenihu to miss a 2nd consecutive Super Bowl and a good chunk of the 2024 season.
However, Omenihu was able to recover in time to play 6 games in the regular season and to make an impact in KC’s Playoff run, where he notched a sack against the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.
A 5th-round pick in 2019 by the Texans, Omenihu has moved from team to team. After three years in Houston, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in the middle of the 2021 season, where he played until he signed a two-year deal with the Chiefs in 2023.
Now heading into his 8th season, Omenihu (27) is still young enough to reach a new peak in his career, but also has the necessary experience to mentor any new defender that steps foot in KC. A combination of Chris Jones and Omenihu is perfect for teaching any new lineman that the Chiefs may draft if the organization does decide to go in that direction.
Now fully recovered from his injury, Omenihu should be given a full chance to shine and showcase his skills. With no Wharton in the equation inside, the Chiefs will have to lean on Jones and George Karlaftis more than ever, and Omenihu will be right there by their sides. Omenihu wasn’t able to play his best last season, but 2025 is a new year.
