Chiefs reunion to help Steve Spagnuolo back on table after surprise release

The Kansas City Chiefs are certainly a bit lucky to be going into their Week 11 rivalry matchup with the Buffalo Bills still undefeated. Yes, the blocked field goal as time expired to triumph over the rival Broncos is part of that but both Denver and Tampa Bay the week prior have begun to heavily exploit the biggest weakness of Steve Spagnuolo's defense — namely, the lack of depth in the secondary.

After trading L'Jarius Sneed this past offseason, the Chiefs have seen Trent McDuffie live up to star expectations. However, it's been a bit less certain opposite him with Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams on the outside. As mentioned, the Broncos and Bucs seemed to target opposite McDuffie and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could only do but so much to stop it.

There's no mistaking that cornerback should and almost surely will be a priority for the Chiefs in the 2025 NFL Draft. But what about this year and the run at a Super Bowl three-peat? Well, a potential solution might lie with a familiar face and a second chance.

Mike Edwards, who spent the 2023 season in Kansas City, was waived by the aforementioned Bills at the trade deadline and, though many suspected the Chiefs to be interested, he landed with the Tennessee Titans. But fast-forward just a week and now the Titans have released the 28-year-old safety.

And while Edwards himself may not be able to line up outside at cornerback, bringing him back into the fold could give Spags the pieces he needs to properly cook.

Mike Edwards reunion wouldn't solve Chiefs CB issue, but it could help

Again, Edwards isn't going to line up at corner, nor would the Chiefs want him to. Throughout his career and even at his best, the former Bucs safety has never been an overly strong player in coverage. At the same time, however, he has been a versatile move piece on the back end of a defense, which is where his value could lie for Kansas City.

Being able to shuffle players like Chamarri Conner, Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks around in the secondary could set the Chiefs up better to mitigate the issue of opposing offenses targeting essentially anyone but McDuffie. That's not a foolproof plan, sure, and maybe still pursuing another free agent like Xavien Howard would make more sense.

Then again, if there's any defensive coordinator in the league you'd trust to be able to move the pieces around properly on the chessboard, it's Spagnuolo. His ability to maneuver, adjust and scheme the defense to the Chiefs' advantage is second to none. And having a piece familiar with him and his scheme like Edwards only makes that more likely.

Maybe Kansas City misses on Edwards again. However, as the unbeaten record begins to become more in jeopardy with each passing week, it's a reunion that could open the doors the Chiefs need ajar, especially with the Super Bowl still in mind.