George Karlaftis Is Receiving Rave Reviews for Chiefs Debut
Despite ultimately losing to the Chicago Bears in their initial preseason game of 2022, the Kansas City Chiefs had a fantastic first half on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end George Karlaftis was a major part of that.
Karlaftis, playing in his first game as a professional, was arguably Kansas City's most productive defensive lineman during his allotted playing time on Saturday. The former Purdue standout and 2022 first-round draft pick recorded just one tackle on the afternoon, but it was a 10-yard sack that served as a major splash play early on. His power up front was glaringly obvious, and it helped Steve Spagnuolo's unit tremendously.
After the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on the heels of a disappointing loss. The tone of his presser was anything but sad, however, as he had plenty to be proud of. Karlaftis slotted right into that category, and Reid glowed when asked about the 21-year-old's first game as a Chief.
"Yeah, he's a sharp kid," Reid said. "He wants to do the right things. He talks to everybody. All those veteran players, he asks questions. He's not afraid to learn. He's got a good defensive line coach that can teach him. He's a sponge right now with all that."
Andy wasn't the only Reid to speak highly of Karlaftis, though. Safety Justin Reid also took notice of Karlaftis's motor during the game, and for good reason. That motor was one of the main selling points that many draft analysts and college football fans alike noticed during the pass-rusher's time with the Boilermakers in college. Karlaftis doesn't quit on plays, and he worked extremely hard against the Bears. While it didn't result in multiple sacks, it was present on the field. Reid admires that quality.
"The best thing that I love to see about him is he just has a motor," Reid said. "I mean, the kid was just going all-out. One of the plays, [if] the quarterback held it for a half-second longer, he would have had a strip sack. He's had an impressive debut. He's the type of guy, smart player, that he's going to keep that motor going and he's going to help us this year."
Last, but certainly not least, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was also asked about Karlaftis and his ability to be relentless when he's on the field. He, too, gave a rave review of his teammate's willingness to go the extra mile.
"He's going to go hard the entire time," Mahomes said. "That's just who he is. That's what's got him here. I think he'll keep crafting his skills every single week and get better and better. And he's a guy that works extremely hard, so I know he can keep getting better and better. The only thing we have to work on is his celebration."
As the Chiefs continue their training camp slate and prepare for their second preseason game of the year (next week against the Washington Commanders), Karlaftis will keep being featured on defense. He's a rookie who should make a pretty serious impact in year one, and he showed on Saturday that he can win without being the most polished player. He has a ton of room to grow, which could be a scary thing for opposing offensive tackles in the future. For the Chiefs, however, it's a good thing that's off to one heck of a start in the present.
