Steve Spagnuolo Not Closing Door on Chamarri Conner in Slot Role

Of all the changes the Kansas City Chiefs made during the offseason, a huge chunk of them came on the defensive side of the ball. General manager Brett Veach opted against adding talent to the linebacker room, instead focusing heavily on the defensive line and secondary positions.

The 90-man roster features newcomers galore, but the new-look defense also contains some players who should be fulfilling different roles in the 2026-27 season. Chamarri Conner, coming off a pair of alarming seasons as more of a nickel defensive back, is widely expected to return to the safety spot he played as a rookie.

Don't shut the door on him getting any reps in the slot, however, says defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Speaking to the media following Thursday's training camp practice at Missouri Western State University, the legendary mind emphasized leaving this option on the table.

"If you've watched OTAs, he hasn't played as much nickel," Spagnuolo said. "He's played more safety, but that's really to get some of the other guys ready. I think we can always put him back there in a pinch, but this gives him a little bit more time deep that he didn't have last year. I think we'll still have some flexibility with him at both positions."

Don't worry too much, Chiefs fans. It's this writer's take that Spagnuolo is treating Conner as far more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency nickel stopper than an every-down player there. After all, he's been working in at safety during camp thus far.

On top of that, Veach gave the team multiple choices for the slot job in 2026. That list consists of veteran L'Jarius Sneed, free agent signing Kader Kohou and 2026 NFL Draft pickup Jadon Canady. Conner lining up opposite an opposing inside receiver with any sort of regularity this season would require either a slew of injuries or a very conscious choice by Spagnuolo.

Being a safety again should aid Conner in what's a contract year for him. According to Pro Football Focus, the club's leading defensive snap-getter from 2025 (1,022, 98.3% of those available) has logged 740 slot snaps in his last two seasons. For reference, his combined free safety total in that span was 205.

It's safe to say the returns on those reps were less than ideal. Conner's been targeted 131 times in coverage in those two campaigns, surrendering 100 completions to the tune of a 100.2 passer rating. That production came with 592 yards after catch ceded; that figure was just 72 in Conner's debut season.

It's a big year for everyone on the Kansas City defense, with Conner at or near the top of the list. He's got his first non-rookie deal to play for, and there's optimism that being at a more natural place in the secondary can help both him and the team.

But until he actually sees time in the slot again aside from occasional spot snaps, there's no reason to slam the panic button.

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