So far, on March 13, the Kansas City Chiefs have had a total of three free agent departures compared to one new addition — tight end Irv Smith Jr. — and several re-signings.
There are always losses when you win a championship, let alone two straight titles, and the most recent exits were offensive lineman Nick Allegretti and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II said goodbye to the pair of teammates publicly on March 13.
“One of the best teammates i ever had! Congrats on everything brotha! 💪🏽” Mahomes replied to Allegretti’s farewell post on X. The former seventh-round selection had been with the organization since 2019.
In a similar quote post, Mahomes also told Gay that he is “going to miss you brotha! 💪🏽” Gay was drafted one year behind Allegretti in 2020.
Ex-Chiefs OL Nick Allegretti Bids Kansas City Farewell
After the season was over, Allegretti made it clear that he would like to pursue a starting position in 2024. With Joe Thuney and Trey Smith in front of him in Kansas City, that meant the reliable backup would be leaving in free agency.
In the end, it was the Washington Commanders that offered the interior blocker what he desired, awarding him $16 million over three years. The well-earned payday came with over $9 million in guaranteed money.
Upon accepting the deal and signing his contract on March 13, Allegretti took a moment to address Chiefs Kingdom on X.
“Kansas City! From the bottom of my heart, Thank You!” The fan favorite wrote. “You will always be a second home to my family and I. For the rest of my life you will be the place I became a Husband, the place I became a Father, and the place I became a 3x SB Champ! Love you KC!”
Kansas City! From the bottom of my heart, Thank You! You will always be a second home to my family and I. For the rest of my life you will be the place I became a Husband, the place I became a Father, and the place I became a 3x SB Champ! Love you KC!
Allegretti included a photo of his memorable touchdown catch, one with his family after an AFC Championship win, a picture from one of the parades and a celebratory shot after winning the Super Bowl. He’s one of the only players that was a part of all three championship rosters with Mahomes and Andy Reid.
Chiefs Re-Sign 2-Time Super Bowl Champ Mike Pennel at Defensive Tackle
KC may have lost one key backup in the trenches, but they retained another. The team confirmed reports that veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel would be returning on March 13.
Keeping another two-time champ in the Kingdom!
Let’s go, @TheBeastPennel 😤
Along with the massive Chris Jones extension, Pennel provides some much-needed insurance on the interior of the defensive line.
Pennel first joined Kansas City in 2019 — the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl run under Reid. After leaving in 2021, the 32-year-old reunited with KC last season. He only appeared in seven games on the year, but the nose tackle’s impact was key.
Four of Pennel’s seven outings came in the playoffs, and the Chiefs also went 6-1 in games that the big man suited up for. His main job was to shore up the run defense, and he did it well. Pro Football Focus graded Pennel as a 67.3 against the ground game, with a superb average depth of tackle of 1.3 yards and a team-leading run-stop percentage of 12.0%.
For reference, Jones’ average depth of tackle was also 1.3 yards, and his stop percentage was only 3.3%. The best run-stop percentage from a Chiefs starter was linebacker Nick Bolton, who scored an 8.5% in that area.
Earlier in the week on March 11, Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick also reported that four exclusive rights free agents had re-signed, including cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, linebacker/special teamer Cole Christiansen, guard/center Mike Caliendo and defensive end Malik Herring.
Safety/special teamer Deon Bush was the last remaining re-signing from the first three days of free agency, with punter Tommy Townsend as the third departure thus far.
