Gilman aiming to help lead Chiefs rebuilt secondary

Kansas City begins rebuilding its secondary with a veteran presence at safety. The former division rival brings versatility and leadership to the Chiefs’ retooled defensive back room.

The Kansas City Chiefs are undergoing a significant overhaul in their secondary, and the addition of veteran safety Alohi Gilman is expected to play a central role in that transition.

Gilman, 28, brings six years of NFL experience and positional versatility that should allow defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to maintain flexibility within his defensive scheme. Primarily a free safety, Gilman has spent much of his career patrolling the deep portion of the field.

That is an area where Kansas City lacked a true specialist among its returning secondary players. He has, however, logged significant career snaps in the box and in the slot (846 and 354, respectively), giving the Chiefs the ability to be multiple, which is one of Spagnuolo’s calling cards.

“I’ve been in a bunch of different systems. I’ve watched Coach Spags (Spagnuolo) from afar (being in the) same division,” Gilman said. “Been trying to figure out what he’s been doing for a while now, on my own. I feel comfortable playing both positions, any positions.”

Gilman, who agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal, arrives as one of the first key pieces in what has quickly become a full-scale rebuild of the defensive backfield. The Chiefs lost starting cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, along with safety Bryan Cook, in free agency.

The trio combined for more than 2,400 defensive snaps last season and signed lucrative deals on the open market, leaving behind both production and leadership voids. Just those three signed deals totaled over $64 million with their new teams, and they had four years of starting experience each across parts of four seasons.

Additional departures have further thinned the group, with cornerback Joshua Williams signing with the Tennessee Titans and Nazeeh Johnson still remaining a free agent.

In response, Kansas City has begun reshaping the room with the signings of Gilman and former Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou, signaling confidence in Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt to develop a new-look unit at a bargain price.

Gilman is expected to share the safety room with younger players such as Jaden Hicks and Chamarri Conner, neither of whom has established himself as a full-time deep-field defender. His presence could help define roles within the group while also providing a veteran voice on the back end of the defense.

Safeties are often responsible for communication and organization in the secondary, a role that became available following Cook’s departure. Gilman said he understands the responsibility but emphasized the importance of earning trust within a new locker room.

“Obviously, I’ve been there before,” Gilman said. “I’ve had some good vets in my career. I also feel like, for me as a player, just being a glue guy coming in. Building my trust with them, first and foremost, so you don’t come into a building and just take over and think you’re, you have to build it. That trust is earned, it’s respected.”

Gilman does bring some familiarity to Kansas City. He previously played alongside linebacker Drue Tranquill at both Notre Dame and with the Los Angeles Chargers, a connection that helped facilitate his move. The former Fighting Irish and Chargers have spent five seasons together.

“Drue’s (Tranquill) my guy,” Gilman said. “He’s been recruiting me hard here. That’s my third agent, so Drue’s been doing his thing. I’ve had good conversations with him over the years… Excited to strap it up with him.”

He also spent time with cornerback Kristian Fulton during a stint in Los Angeles, though much of the defensive back room will be new to him.

“I don’t have a lot of experience with the guys in this room,” Gilman said. “Kristian Fulton, I played with him for a year in LA, but I think the young crew, I’m excited to meet them and be around them, but I have to earn that respect as an older guy.”

For the Chiefs, the signing of Gilman, and even Kohou, who has 38 starts in his own right, represents more than a depth addition. It is an early step in reconstructing a secondary that has undergone one of the most dramatic roster changes this offseason.

With several new faces expected to take on prominent roles, Kansas City will rely on experienced players like Gilman to help bring cohesion to a unit that will need to come together quickly. That role is key with the room’s youth, which will surely get even younger after the 2026 NFL Draft.