The Kansas City Chiefs struggled defensively last season and if they don't bring safety Bryan Cook back in free agency, the struggles may get worse.
The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2025 season with their worst record since 2012 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
It was an off year for the Chiefs, plain and simple. There were some personnel changes in important areas, but for the most part, this team was similar to the ones in years past and should have been even better in some areas like the receiver room.
The defense was pretty much the same but not nearly as effective as last season, especially when it came to pressuring the quarterback. The Chiefs just weren’t able to sustain consistent pressure on opposing QBs, and their sack totals show it. Kansas City was tied for the fifth-fewest sacks in the league (35) and had a league-worst 158 sack yards lost.
It’s extremely telling how ineffective this unit was at getting to the quarterback when your defensive coordinator is Steve Spagnuolo, one of the craftiest defensive play-callers in the National Football League. Spagnuolo loves to blitz; the Chiefs had the fourth-highest blitz rate, and the defensive line still couldn’t get home often and efficiently.
While this player wasn’t always tasked with getting home to the QB and didn’t record a sack last season, he was incredibly effective as a tackler and was a pivotal member of Kansas City’s defense. Safety Bryan Cook will be a free agent this offseason and ESPN’s Nate Taylor believes his status moving forward will shape the Chiefs’ offseason the most.
“As a three-year starter, Cook was by far the Chiefs' best safety. In defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's complex scheme, the safety is one of the most critical positions, given the player's need for versatility,” Taylor wrote Wednesday.
“Cook played 83% of the defensive snaps this season and recorded a career-high six pass breakups and 85 tackles, often limiting big plays. If Cook joins another team in free agency, the Chiefs will have just Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks, who Spagnuolo said made more mistakes as a second-year player than he expected.”
Cook had a breakout season in his fourth with the Chiefs and got a lot of love from Pro Football Focus (PFF). PFF ranked Cook as the fourth-best safety in the NFL. He is great at stopping the run as well as in coverage, leading to the fourth-most pass breakups.
Kansas City can’t really afford to lose Cook. He does so much for this unit and with no great backup options, the Chiefs will likely try to bring Cook back. If they can’t, this unit could take a massive step back next season.