Chiefs Reportedly Re-Sign Deon Bush to One-Year Contract
The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost Juan Thornhill to the Cleveland Browns this offseason, but the team is working to partially offset that by bringing back one of its other free agent defensive backs from the 2022 season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the team is re-signing safety Deon Bush to another one-year deal:
Free-agent safety Deon Bush has agreed to return to the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year deal, per source. - Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) on Friday, March 31, 2023 at 4:36 p.m. CT
Bush, who was a fourth-round selection by the Chicago Bears back in 2016, is back in Kansas City for the second year in a row. The former University of Miami standout played in 16 regular-season games for the Chiefs this past season, recording 11 tackles and also adding a pass broken up. Bush played 71 defensive snaps — good for 7% — but was a valuable special teams ace all season long (317 snaps, which was 73% of those available).
Bush played in all three of the Chiefs' playoff games in January and February, logging just a single defensive snap but playing just under 70% of special teams reps in the Divisional Round, AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl alike. Pro Football Focus gave the veteran an 82.6 composite defensive grade for his efforts last season, with 81.8 and 79.6 grades in tackling and coverage also casting some positive light on his performance in limited action.
With Bush back in the fold, Steve Spagnuolo's safety room is still projected to have the likes of Justin Reid and 2022 draft pick Bryan Cook leading the way at the top. Behind them, newly-signed Mike Edwards and Bush will serve as good depth pieces. Losing a starting safety such as Thornhill is never easy but before the calendar even turned to April, general manager Brett Veach rebuilt the group and has it looking respectable as the offseason continues.
