Report: Chiefs, Daniel Sorensen Finalizing One-Year Deal
The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly closing in on a one-year deal to bring safety Daniel Sorensen back for another year in KC, according to Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star.
Sorensen, 31, has spent his entire seven-year NFL career in Kansas City and will now likely return for his eighth as a recurring member of the Chiefs' defense.
In the 2020 regular season, Sorensen recorded three interceptions, five passes defended and a career-high 91 tackles. Sorensen led the team in tackles by a large margin, with 91 topping second-place Anthony Hitchens's total by 13.
Sorensen's biggest highlight of the 2020 season came in the playoffs — which should come as no surprise, given Sorensen's postseason playmaking proclivities — forcing a fumble that turned into a touchback against the Cleveland Browns.
Sorensen's biggest play in Kansas City came in the divisional round of the Chiefs' eventual Super Bowl LIV-winning run, snuffing out a fake punt from the Houston Texans.
That fake-punt stop gave the Chiefs the ball with great field position, down 24-7 halfway through the second quarter against Houston. The rest is Lombardi-winning history.
Sorensen's usage in Kansas City has been varied over the years, playing 90% of the Chiefs' defensive snaps in 2017 before dropping to just 30% in 2018. Under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Sorensen played 50% of snaps in 2019 and 82% of snaps in 2020. Sorensen's spike back up in 2020 coincided with a fluctuating role for fellow safety Juan Thornhill, who was returning from a season-ending ACL injury suffered in Week 17 of the 2019 season.
What does this mean for the 2021 Chiefs?
Since Thornhill seemed to hit his stride again in the playoffs, Sorensen should see more of a limited role again in 2021, with Thornhill and Tyrann Mathieu as the Chiefs' top two safeties. Sorensen's versatility also gives Spagnuolo flexibility in sub-packages, as Sorensen has seen quite a bit of success as a safety-linebacker pseudo-hybrid when the Chiefs' linebackers have struggled.
This move doesn't prevent the Chiefs from potentially drafting a safety in the upcoming NFL Draft, as Spagnuolo would likely love to add another young defensive back to the rotation, but Sorensen's experience in the defense should be a welcome sight for Spagnuolo and the Chiefs' defense as a whole.
March 23 Update: Teope has tweeted that the deal is done, paying Sorensen a one-year, $2.46 million deal, fully guaranteed.
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