With the playoffs about to begin, the Kansas City Chiefs already have one foot in the future. While Patrick Mahomes and company are set to take another step towards the coveted three-peat next week, the front office is already looking for reinforcements for the 2025 season, starting with the defense.
Although the regular season has just ended and the postseason is about to start, the NFL year does not officially begin until March with free agency. However, that doesn’t mean that teams have to sit and wait.
The Chiefs, for example, have taken advantage of reserve/future contracts to sign two players who will have the opportunity to compete for a spot on the main roster next offseason: linebacker Shaun Bradley and defensive back Jason Taylor II.
Who are Bradley and Taylor?
Shaun Bradley is a four-year veteran from Temple University. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and played 45 games with the team, primarily on special teams.
Jason Taylor II was a seventh-round pick, 234th overall, in the 2023 draft by the Los Angeles Rams and was part of the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad in 2024. The Oklahoma State graduate was an honorary All-Big 12 selection in 2018.
Reserve/future contracts mean that players will join the team when the league year begins in March. This means that neither Taylor nor Bradley will be able to play in the playoffs with the team, but they are guaranteed a spot in the 2025 training camp.
Chiefs free agency
The Chiefs’ main concerns for free agency in 2025 are receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown. Both signed one-year contracts but have proven to be invaluable weapons for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. So surely the front office is looking for some way to open up cap space to retain them.
On defense, linebackers Joshua Uche and Nick Bolton, and cornerback Nazeeh Johnson are also out of contract. This is where Bradley and Taylor could have a chance to stay on the team. The doors are open; now it’s up to them whether they use the opportunity to enter or leave.
