The Kansas City Chiefs focused on renovating their tattered offensive line this offseason, but there may be significant changes on the horizon for the team’s secondary as well. In particular, Chiefs defensive back Nazeeh Johnson could be battling to retain a meaningful role on defense as he heads into his fourth training camp.
The Chiefs selected the Marshall product with the No. 259 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, just three picks ahead of Mr. Irrelevant. As a late seventh-round pick, Johnson didn’t enter his rookie training camp with high expectations, but he proved himself worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster by contributing to special teams.
Johnson was competing for a defensive role entering the 2023 season, but his sophomore campaign came to an abrupt end when he suffered a torn ACL injury in training camp. It marked a significant setback in his development, and the 26-year-old struggled when he returned to action last season.
Nazeeh Johnson may not find a role on Chiefs defense
As Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo looks to get his unit back to their dominant defensive performance in 2023, Williams may struggle to find a role.
A slew of injuries forced Johnson into a starting role starting role at cornerback for six games during the 2024 season, but his performances were mired by inconsistency. He finished the season with a PFF coverage grade of 51.2, which ranked No. 171 out of 222 eligible cornerbacks.
Williams worst performance came against the Buffalo Bills, who routinely picked on the inexperienced cornerback during the Week 11 matchup. Johnson allowed nine receptions on 12 targets for 103 yards and a touchdown, per KC Kingdom. That was the only game Kansas City lost while playing their starters during the regular season.
The Chiefs tendered Johnson as a restricted free agent for $3.4 million this offseason. Since his salary wasn’t guaranteed, the tender put him at risk of becoming a salary cap casualty. Johnson accepted a pay cut, which dropped his contract to a one-year, $1.9 million deal in exchange for $1.2 million in guaranteed money. While the guaranteed salary may make it more likely for Johnson to land a spot on the 53-man roster, it will likely be solely as a special teams player.
Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie is poised to be the team’s top cornerback once again, and the Chiefs signed veteran cornerback Kristian Fulton in free agency to line up opposite McDuffie. Along with the return of cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, Kansas City also selected cornerback Nohl Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That pushes Johnson down to the team’s sixth cornerback option on the depth chart.
The Chiefs lost safety Justin Reid in free agency this offseason, but that was offset by the addition of veteran safety Mike Edwards. Chiefs safeties Bryan Cook and Jayden Hicks are expected to be the starters, which would leave Johnson as the team’s fourth safety at best.