Sunday’s Unsung Hero Was This Chiefs Rookie

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid said Monday that he trusts every player he puts in the game, and he wasn’t kidding. In Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the reigning world champion Eagles, the Chiefs trusted a rookie to defend two of the league’s most prolific wide receivers.

And Nohl Williams didn’t disappoint.

A third-round selection (85th overall) in April’s draft, Williams played a starring role in a Chiefs’ secondary that held Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts to just 101 passing yards, lowest of his career in a game he started and played all four quarters.

Nohl Williams, DeVonta Smit — Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) is unable to make a reception defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams (20) during the third quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Scored four touchdowns and led nation in interceptions

Williams, who led the nation with seven interceptions in 2024 at Cal, played only eight of 60 defensive snaps on Sunday, but he still managed to break up two passes. One of those came early in the second half. In a 10-10 game with the Eagles facing a third-and-8 from the Chiefs’ 33-yard line, Steve Spagnuolo sent both Chamarri Conner and Nick Bolton on a blitz through the heart of the Eagles’ line.

Hurts knew he had Smith one-on-one with the rookie on the left side, so with Bolton and Conner in Hurts’ lap, the quarterback went straight to Smith.

The Chiefs left Nohl Williams one-on-one with DeVonta Smith. And Williams won.
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) September 14, 2025

Williams broke up the pass, forcing the Eagles to settle for a 51-yard Jake Elliott field goal.

A.J. Brown, too

The rookie broke up another deep pass, this one intended for A.J. Brown, on a first-quarter drive. Facing third-and-10 from his own 22-yard line, Hurts had good protection and threw deep down the left sideline. Williams actually lost Brown in coverage, but showed good recovery to bat the pass into the Eagles’ sideline and Braden Mann punted the ball away on the next snap.

All of Nohl Williams coverage snaps were either against AJ Brown or Devonta Smith.

Pretty nice outing for him. Ironically his pass break up against AJ Brown might have been his worst rep lost the ball in the air but was still able to recover. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/y750TA6dhK
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) September 16, 2025

Rest assured, had Hurts completed either of those passes to his top receivers, Sunday’s game would’ve been a different story than a narrow loss. And rest assured that before Brett Veach traded up in the third round to take Williams, he consulted with Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo.

Nov 30, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Nohl Williams (3) in action during the game between the SMU Mustangs and the California Golden Bears at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“I think Brett, he's the best in the business,” Reid said last month. “I think you ask around the league and you probably get a lot of, ‘Yes, he's really good at what he does.’ And I think the best thing he does, he communicates with everybody.

“Not only does he have a good eye for talent, but then he talks to the coaches. He utilizes his staff and trusts them, and you end up with a product there. He has to make that final decision, but still he's using people making sure he covers all the bases that way.”

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