The Kansas City Chiefs are currently counting down the days until the 2026 NFL Draft, which is slated to get underway on Thursday. The Chiefs have some big questions to answer as the offseason continues, despite some of the key free agency signings they’ve made, including Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III.
On Monday morning, another key free agency signing was announced for the Chiefs.
“Punter news: Matt Araiza is signing back to the #Chiefs on a 1-year deal, per Nick and TJ Linta of (JL Sports),” reported NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network on X, formerly Twitter.
Araiza has been a solid weapon for the Chiefs over the last couple of seasons, finding ways to pin opponents back deep in their own territory and giving the Kansas City defense some big advantages in the field positional department.
Speaking of the defense, many fans expect that that side of the ball is where Kansas City will look to draft with their first round pick this year. At one point, some were projecting that Notre Dame running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love could be a candidate for the Chiefs’ pick, but the Walker III signing likely renders that thought obsolete.
The Chiefs still have some holes to plug on defense, including in the secondary, especially after they traded star cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier this offseason, and they could also use some more help in the wide receiver room on offense.
In any case, the NFL Draft is slated to get underway on Thursday evening from Pittsburgh.
The Kansas City Chiefs are currently counting down the days until the 2026 NFL Draft, which is slated to get underway on Thursday. The Chiefs have some big questions to answer as the offseason continues, despite some of the key free agency signings they’ve made, including Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III.