Patrick Mahomes stood on the Super Bowl sideline, helmet off, eyes locked on the scoreboard. Zero points. Forty-three minutes of frustration. The Chiefs dynasty wasn’t just losing; they were unraveling — outmuscled, outpaced, and outcoached by the Eagles. For a team (and a QB) built on fireworks, the silence was deafening. In moments like that, Mahomes doesn’t think about his dazzling no-look passes or Travis Kelce’s end-zone theatrics. He thinks about the grinders — the unsung guys who show up early, hit hard, and fill the gaps no one notices until they’re gone.

Four days after missing out on a three-peat at Super Bowl LIX, HC Andy Reid‘s Chiefs made a move. They rued the absence of outstanding defensive players. So, to free up some space for fresh talent, they released many players. One among them was the Army Knights player and 2-time Super Bowl winner Cole Christiansen. Now, on the first day of the free agency on March 10, they have made another move.

The Chiefs have re-signed the linebacker to a 1-year contract. It’s a unique deal for the NFL player. The Chargers signed him as a free agent in 2020. But he moved to the Chiefs in 2022. He has been a part of back-to-back Super Bowl winning teams with the franchise. After his NFL career comes to an end, he will begin his Army career.

“I never really thought I’d be in the NFL as long as I have. Very thankful and fortunate, but we’ll see. We’re just kind of playing it year-by-year right now.” These were his words when uncertainty prevailed over the 2025 season. But Patrick Mahomes & co. have got him covered. As a player, he has been in and out of the 53-men roster on many occasions.

Having never been a starter in his 5-year football career, the linebacker has played 22 games and has 6 tackles (5 solo). He played 3 games in the 2023 postseason, with 2 tackles (1 solo). But things changed this year. The Eagles didn’t only defeat them. They just overpowered them in every area of the game. The Chiefs couldn’t even score a point in the first 43 minutes of the SB LIX in New Orleans. So they want to keep experience around the locker room.

Andy Reid still wants some empty space in his roster so that he can bring in new talent. It starts with trading other players.

Patrick Mahomes congratulates his teammate on trade-out

As the players shuffle across the league, the Panthers, led by Dave Canales, sorted out a long-standing problem. Adding a defensive tackle! In 5 years with the Chiefs, DT Tershawn Wharton has been huge. Starting 13 games (72 total played), he has 1 interception, 13.5 sacks and 114 tackles (56 solo). So, the Panthers have made a good addition to their D-line for the 2025 season. That’s one less worry.

However, Patrick Mahomes wasn’t worried about the trade out of a defensive player. Instead, he responded positively to the news with his caption, “Happy for my dawg! 💪🏽” That could primarily be because ‘Turk’ is signing a 3-year $54 million deal with the Panthers. As far as DTs go, that’s a crazy good deal. Even if the numbers are starting to look a bit inflated across the board this year. Also considering the fact that he was an undrafted free agent to begin his NFL career, that’s quite the payout! He joins a franchise methodically building their DL to match the OL they assembled last offseason.

Back to the Chiefs. As Kansas City resets for another title run, Andy Reid’s squad is walking a tightrope—balancing fresh talent with trusted warriors. Christiansen’s return may not trend on social media, but for Mahomes, it’s another brick in the wall — the kind you remember when the game’s on the line and the scoreboard’s staring back at you. But they have made no major signings… yet. Will they follow their traditional method of drafting an inexperienced player? Will we see another rags-to-riches story emerge?