Gillotte, Karlaftis Break Down Rookie’s First Lifetime Interception

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Most will remember Sunday’s loss as the day the Chiefs officially ended their historic playoff run and lost Patrick Mahomes in brutal fashion.

But forgive Ashton Gillotte if he wants to remember it differently. He’ll recall Sunday as the date of his first interception since youth football.

“It was definitely a special moment,” the rookie said Wednesday. “Just to be able to actually do it on the high stage now.”

An even higher stage is where the Chiefs would love to see Gillotte ascend as he closes his first NFL chapter. And despite the loss, they got a fantastic play from their athletic big man. Gillotte even got one of Kevin Harlan’s best calls.

“And those are the balls that are actually harder,” the defensive end explained, “because you have too much time to think. And that ball kind of floated up. So, it's just like, you're sitting there looking at it, just like, ‘Oh, okay.’ Like, I drop it and everyone's gonna be very, very mad at me. So, you just got to make the play.”

Watch Gillotte discuss below...

A missed block

He made the play and George Karlaftis said he missed a block. With the Chargers facing third-and-long early in the second quarter, safety Mike Edwards pressured Justin Herbert, Drue Tranquill hit Herbert’s arm and Gillotte secured the pass before returning it 14 yards. Karlaftis said it should’ve been a 33-yard touchdown.

“Ashton and I were both dropping,” Karlaftis recalled, “and I just remember I was watching because I didn't really have a responsibility. I knew I was kind of an area dropper, if you will. I was watching the ball. I look over, saw Ashton, and I was trying to lead block for him.

“If you go watch, I just kind of missed the guy. It's probably on me why we didn't have six points there. But yeah, so happy for him and his success. He deserves it.”

george karlafti — Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) sack Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

Gillotte wasn’t so fast to blame Karlaftis, who’s mentored the rookie since the Chiefs drafted him in the third round. After all, Gillotte had a stiff critique for himself – especially if Andy Reid envisions using him as a fullback in his NFL future.

“Yeah,” Gillotte explained, “I'm just disappointed on my tape that I didn't switch the hand, back to my outside hand, so I could actually do stuff with it. Instead, I kept it in my left hand, so I looked a little down, but it's fine.”

A fine future

What’s fine is the future Gillotte has. So far through 14 games, he has 1½ sacks and 27 tackles (11 solo). While Karlaftis signed an extension prior to the season, the other starter at defensive end, Mike Danna, could be a cap casualty with a year remaining on his contract. It’s one of many difficult decisions facing the Chiefs.

But regardless of what they decide, Karlaftis wants to help the rookie, and Gillotte appreciates that tutelage.

“He's obviously been like a big brother,” Gillotte said. “Just trying to watch over, make sure I stay on the right path, not trying to do too much. And I'm okay with that. Like, I'm perfectly fine with that kind of mentorship. Just steer you when you need to be recorrected, and then just pour into you when you're doing the right thing. I've appreciated a lot.”

Chiefs Kingdom, don’t fall behind the chains. Catch every second of your team’s journey with OnSI. Register for a FREE newsletter, sent with the latest information every morning. SIGN UP HERE NOW.