Meet the Executive Who Helped Acquire Brownlee, Other Key Chiefs

No one knows better than Tim Terry that football often presents a significant choice. When knocked down, a person chooses whether to get up or to remain on the ground.

Terry chose to rise.

Signed as an undrafted linebacker out of Temple, Terry played in 43 NFL games for the Bengals and Seahawks – sandwiched around a few failed attempts to make the Chiefs' regular-season roster. Then, he got knocked on his back. It was Aug. 25, 2003 – 22 years ago this month.

An emotional memento

“I still have in my office the laminated sheet from the last time I got cut,” said Terry, now the Chiefs’ vice president of player personnel. “Back in the day, they would send you a letter, and they would have different boxes they would check and say, either weren't in condition, you failed the medical, physical, whatever. The box they checked for me said you weren't good enough.

“I remember getting that letter and crying. It was the last time I got cut, but I kept that as a motivation. I keep that as a motivation in my office to know that this opportunity that we have, whether as a player, as a personnel executive, it's not guaranteed.”

Soon after Terry got that fateful letter, Terry got a call inviting him to intern with the Green Bay Packers. Painfully realizing his playing career was ending earlier than he’d hoped, Terry was grateful for that opportunity. He moved to Lambeau Field and worked his way up the organization as the Packers transitioned from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, eventually winning a Super Bowl in 2010.

Patrick Mahomes, Brett Veach — Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass as general manager Brett Veach watches in the background during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

A bright NFL future

Now a hot interview candidate for general manager roles that will come open after this season, Terry then joined the Chiefs in 2017, the same year Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes. Getting knocked down and rising through a different type of NFL path, one he didn’t originally envision, has taught him important lessons he’ll carry forward when he’s running his own front office.

“You can't get comfortable or complacent and think that you've got it figured out,” Terry told Ari Meirov last week on the NFL Spotlight podcast. “You always got to maximize each opportunity each day.”

Three Chiefs players maximized their opportunities in the preseason opener Saturday night at Arizona. Jason Brownlee, Tyquan Thornton and Chris Roland-Wallace presented strong cases for Terry, Brett Veach and the coaching staff toward reserving their own roster spots after final cuts on Aug. 26. Like Terry, none were drafted by the Chiefs, but they didn’t randomly appear in Kansas City last season, either.

Terry, one of the few active NFL executives with four Super Bowl rings, said the Chiefs place one specific quality above others when evaluating players.

“One of the bigger things is, do you love football?” Terry said. “Because a lot of people can love what football can bring to them, can love the Sunday night lights or Monday night lights and the fanfare that comes along with it, but do you actually love the game?

“I think our best players that we've had here are our hardest workers,” he explained. “They are diligent about their craft and really take everything to heart. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Trent McDuffie, those types of players who are your core-type guys … They love the process, they love the sport, they love what it takes to get to the field on Sunday, and that preparation is what separates them from others.”

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) warms up before their preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Aug. 9, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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