Chiefs make two under-the-radar roster moves to bolster defensive depth with right-of-first-refusal RFA tenders
The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping a pair of their own defensive players, who were restricted free agents heading into the new league year. According to multiple reports, the Chiefs have tendered restricted free agent LB Jack Cochrane and CB Nazeeh Johnson with the right-of-first-refusal tender. The right of first refusal tender still allows those players […]
The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping a pair of their own defensive players, who were restricted free agents heading into the new league year.
According to multiple reports, the Chiefs have tendered restricted free agent LB Jack Cochrane and CB Nazeeh Johnson with the right-of-first-refusal tender. The right of first refusal tender still allows those players to sign offer sheets with other teams, but it gives Kansas City the right to match any contract other teams offer. If they don't get offered, sign with another team, or re-sign with the Chiefs, they'll earn a $3.263M salary for the 2025 NFL season.
Johnson, a former seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, has proven good depth for Kansas City. The only reason he's a restricted free agent is because he was waived and signed to the practice squad as a rookie. He missed the entire 2023 NFL season with a season-ending knee injury suffered in training camp. He appeared in 16 regular season games this past season and started six, recording 56 total tackles, three passes defended, and one sack.
Cochrane, an undrafted free agent signing out of South Dakota in 2022, is an interesting decision for Kansas City. The Chiefs placed LB Jack Cochrane on injured reserve after he fractured his left ankle in Week 16. He was a multi-phase special-teamer and key depth for Kansas City, so the decision to lock him into a $3.263M salary for 2025 shows some measure of faith that he'll be ready to return from the injury in short order.
Chiefs don't tender three restricted free agents
Chiefs TE Peyton Hendershot, whom they traded for ahead of the 2024 NFL season, DE Malik Herring, and CB Keith Taylor were not offered restricted free agent tenders. As a result, they're now unrestricted free agents. They're free to sign with any team and could still sign back with Kansas City, but you can expect those deals to be for much less than the ROFR tender amount.
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