'We'll just see what kind of talents we can use in him' – Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo on utilizing Josh Uche
The Kansas City Chiefs have added another pass rushing weapon for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, acquiring Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. Uche is in his fifth NFL season after being a second-round pick by New England in 2020. He had a breakout season in 2022, recording 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 25 quarterback pressures […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have added another pass rushing weapon for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, acquiring Josh Uche from the New England Patriots.
Uche is in his fifth NFL season after being a second-round pick by New England in 2020. He had a breakout season in 2022, recording 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 25 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles. He got lost in the shuffle a bit in 2023 and became more of a situational pass rusher than an every down player.
He should have a similar role in Kansas City. The Chiefs are deep at defensive line, especially with Charles Omenihu's return on the horizon. Having a pass rushing specialist coming fresh off the bench will be a huge luxury for the defense. When asked how exactly Uche will be utilized, Spagnulo preached patience.
"I'm not sure I have a real good beat on the exact skill set," Spagnuolo said. "I mean, I know what I see, right? So, maybe after I have a little feel for it. But, you know, he's built like all those good football players up there in New England. And you know he was well coached, you know, Bill (Belichick) having him for those number of years. So, I think that's a plus. And then we'll just see what kind of talents we can use in him and mixing them with the rest of the guys."
Defensive line coach Joe Cullen commented on Uche's opportunity to revitalize his career with the Chiefs.
"When you come to a place like this, you know, from our owner, to coach (Andy) Reid, (general manager) Brett Veach, Spags (Spagnuolo), Nags (offensive coordinator Matt Nagy), and (Special teams) coach (Dave) Toub, it's an unbelievable environment," Cullen said. "And the record speaks for itself. So, when you come here, you know, maybe it's a breath of fresh air from where you've been. I don't know. And it's an opportunity with a guy like Pat Mahomes as your quarterback, and Spags as your defensive coordinator, whatever it may be. And so, I think he's excited to have an opportunity to play with a guy like Chris Jones (and) Mike Danna, who was his college teammate, and just the room that we have, and obviously playing for Coach Spags."
Uche has two golden opportunities ahead of him with the Chiefs. The first being a chance to win the Super Bowl and potentially being a part of the only team in NFL history to three-peat. The second is a chance to play well and secure the best contract possible as he enters free agency in the offseason.
Who knows, perhaps Uche performs so well in Spagnuolo's system that K.C. retains him beyond 2024. A team can never have too many good pass rushers, especially in the Chiefs' case, having a number of young defensive backs in the secondary. Uche should get a limited amount of snaps during Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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