Chiefs assert their dominance over rival with ruthless UDFA signing

Particularly since the arrival of Patrick Mahomes (or even more specifically, Andy Reid) with the Kansas City Chiefs, there aren't many rivalries for the now back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champions that haven't been one-sided in their favor. But that has perhaps been felt most keenly in the AFC West and, even more pointedly, with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Despite having Justin Herbert, despite having Philip Rivers before him, and despite the franchise's overall history of success, the Chiefs have absolutely dominated the Bolts in recent memory. Since 2020, Kansas City holds a commanding 6-2 advantage over their division rivals. Going back to 2010 even, that mark improves to 19-9 in favor of the Chiefs.

But hey, it's the offseason with the 2024 NFL Draft just recently coming to a close. Let's let the Chargers lie without the Chiefs causing them any pain, right?

Wrong.

Chiefs poach UDFA Luquay Washington, further torture rival Chargers

As the post-draft frenzy to sign undrafted free agents got underway, the Chargers agreed to a deal with former Central Connecticut linebacker Luquay Washington, giving an explosive young player an opportunity in offseason workouts and perhaps training camp. The only problem is that's when the Chiefs also came calling, which led to Washington flipping his decision and ultimately signing with Kansas City, as noted by Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

Now, let's be clear: There's a very real world where this ends up being inconsequential for both teams. But even then, the optics of the Chiefs simply taking a UDFA signing from their rivals like an older brother stealing a younger brother's Halloween candy are undeniably rich.

Washington, for his part, is an interesting player. His level of competition leaves questions, but at the UConn pro day where he tested, he showed up sub-4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash while jumping 35 inches in the vertical and showing overall nice explosiveness. And for the Chiefs, he now will show up to compete with an increasingly deep group at linebacker, including two other UDFA signings: Curtis Jacobs and Swayze Bozeman. He could also vie for a special teams role.

Having said that, the Chargers had a bit more of a need, even after using a third-round pick to reunite new head coach Jim Harbaugh with former Michigan linebacker Junior Colson. This defense has major holes in LA and is also scary thin, particularly at this position. So adding a competitive piece like Washington could've been valuable.

Being the Super Bowl champions has its perks, though, and apparently one of those perks is being able to have your pick of the UDFA litter -- even if a player had already agreed to a deal with a rival.