Why Chiefs Must Bring Back Bryan Cook in Free Agency

The Kansas City Chiefs have had an early start to their offseason because of the disappointing season that they had in 2025. The Chiefs did not make the playoffs for the first time in a long time. The Chiefs are now looking for ways to improve their team this offseason, and when it comes to next season, this could be a blessing, getting knocked out this early.

Not only will it give the locking room some extra motivation, but it will also be a sign to the front office that this time this offseason, they did a good job in getting the team in position to be better.

Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach walks down the hill to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The one thing the front office has to make sure they do, to make that right, is execute. It has been hard for the Chiefs to bring in the right free agents over the last few seasons, but this offseason, they will get a better picture of the landscape of a full NFL offseason. The Chiefs, from top to bottom, have to make sure they take full advantage of it. Usually, the Chiefs are making their deep playoff runs and winning Super Bowls, but last season, that all got put to a stop.

They have never had this much time in the offseason in the Patrick Mahomes ERA. They usually get a very late start to their offseason plans, but not this offseason. The Chiefs have some areas they want to get better in. They also need to make sure they bring back their key free agents because they know what happened last offseason, when they let some key free agents walk for nothing. They cannot make that mistake two years in a row.

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) takes the field against the Indianapolis Colts for warm ups prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The biggest free agent the Chiefs must bring back is defensive back Bryan Cook. Cook had a good season in 2025. He was one of the top defensive backs in the league, and for the Chiefs, he did a great job. The secondary is an important group for the Chiefs, and bringing back Cook has to be at the top of the Chiefs' offseason list.

PFF graded Cook as the highest Chiefs free agent this offseason.

Kansas City Chiefs: S Bryan Cook

"Kansas City’s 2025 campaign proved to be arguably the most disappointing in the league, with the franchise missing the postseason for the first time in 10 years," said Bradley Locker of PFF.

knlk — Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) celebrates after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"However, Cook was a silver lining. The safety finished the year as the fourth-highest-graded safety (83.5) among qualifiers and was the only player at the position with 80.0-plus grades against both the pass and run. The 26-year-old could be an underrated pickup, although the Chiefs will likely try hard to keep him."

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