The Kansas City Chiefs formed an all-time class in the 2022 NFL Draft. Cornerback Trent McDuffie, defensive end George Karlaftis, safety Bryan Cook, linebacker Leo Chenal, cornerback Joshua Williams, cornerback Jaylen Watson, and running back Isiah Pacheco made an immediate impact as rookies. That group was crucial to the Chiefs winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023.
Now, only Karlaftis remains in Kansas City. He signed an extension last July. So far this offseason, there has been a mass exodus in Kansas City. The Chiefs agreed to trade All-Pro McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams last week, and Watson agreed to terms with the Rams when the legal tampering window opened on Monday. Impending free agents Cook agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals, Williams agreed to join the Tennessee Titans, and Pacheco is on his way to Detroit.
Chenal completed the pattern on Tuesday evening. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Chenal will sign a three-year, $24.75 million contract with the Washington Commanders. Chenal emerged as a stalwart in Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. The 25-year-old consistently shot gaps and helped shut down the running game. He also came up huge in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII and LVIII wins.
Against Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVI, Chenal recorded six tackles (four solo), one sack, and one tackle for loss. Against San Francisco in Super Bowl LVIII, Chenal forced 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey to fumble on the opening drive, and he blocked an extra point that would have put San Francisco up 20-16 in the fourth quarter. Chenal will also be remembered for blocking a last-second field goal to cement a 16-14 win over Denver in November 2024.
As for the Commanders’ perspective, Chenal injects youth into what was the league’s oldest roster last season. So far during the legal tampering window, Washington has made a concerted effort to remake the oft-injured group that ranked at the bottom of the league across the board in 2025.
Before Chenal, the Commanders agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal with former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh and welcomed back defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. They’ve also agreed to a two-year pact with cornerback Amik Robertson.
