Chiefs' focused on Felix Anudike-Uzomah's health, not potential fifth-year option
Anudike-Uzomah spent last season on injured reserve
INDIANAPOLIS – Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah spent the 2025 season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
With the lost season in the books, Anudike-Uzomah now enters the final year of his rookie contract after joining the Chiefs in 2023 as a first-round pick.
And the Chiefs could elect to exercise a fifth-year option on the Kansas State product.
As of now, however, the decision hasn’t been made.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team prefers to focus on Anudike-Uzomah’s road to recovery.
“I think our focus right now is getting him out there and having a healthy season, and showing the league what he can do,” Veach said. “That’s our focus right now.”
The Chiefs have time to decide on Anudike-Uzomah, as the league-wide deadline for teams to declare the option is May 1.
Whether he’s playing the upcoming season on the fifth-year option or in a bonafide contract year, Anudike-Uzomah’s performance in 2026 will go a long way in determining his future in Kansas City.
Anudike-Uzomah was enjoying a good training camp last summer before suffering a hamstring injury in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, resulting in the Chiefs ending his season before it even began.
He has appeared in appeared in 34 career games with three starts since joining the Chiefs, totaling 41 tackles (24 solo), three sacks, 14 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
Let's be real here; there is no way the Chiefs are giving him the fifth year option. There is no reason for the front office to be rude about it and proclaim that to the world. I hope the contract year remains undefeated and he has a great year and gets himself a bag from the Chiefs or elsewhere. But there is nothing he could do between now and May 1 that would make it the right decision to guarantee him that much money.