Chargers may have to face yet another All-Pro twice a year on Chiefs
By Jason Reed
The AFC West has loaded up with talent this offseason. The LA Chargers traded for Khalil Mack, signed J.C. Jackson, bolstered the defensive line and brought in Gerald Everett to replace Jared Cook. Russell Wilson and Davante Adams are two new additions, being traded to the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively. The one team that has not yet made a significant improvement is the Kansas City Chiefs.
In fact, the Chiefs lost arguably the second-most important player on the entire roster. After failing to agree to a contract extension, the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a slew of draft picks. This was music to every Charger fans' ears.
The Chiefs signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling after trading Hill but he comes nowhere close to the All-Pro receiver. Kansas City also signed Juju Smith-Schuster, who has not had a great season since 2018. While those additions may not be massive, the Chiefs could be signing a former All-Pro.
The Chargers may have to see Stephon Gilmore on the Kansas City Chiefs twice a year.
A source told FanSided's Matt Verderame that the Kansas City Chiefs are interesting in signing Stephon Gilmore this offseason. Gilmore was previously tied to the Las Vegas Raider before Josh McDaniels dispelled those rumors, saying the team has had no substantial contact with the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Kansas City's secondary is in a potentially rough spot heading into the 2022 season if they are not able to replenish some of the losses they will have this offseason. Tyrann Mathieu — who has not signed yet — leaving would be a massive loss for the Chiefs. Kansas City has already lost Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes, significantly depleting the secondary.
Gilmore is no longer in his prime but he is still a talented cornerback who is coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. However, Gilmore is entering his age 32 season, which should be concerning for whatever team signs.
The best-case scenario for the Chargers is that the Chiefs commit a large portion of salary-cap space to Gilmore only for him to have the sudden regression that corners over 30 tend to have in the league. If Gilmore ends up being 80% of what he was in New England then the Chiefs' secondary is going to get a massive boost.
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The AFC West has been wild this offseason and this would be yet another huge addition to division.