Returning safety Mike Edwards is ready to step into a leadership role

The Chiefs signed their former safety on Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the Kansas City Chiefs announced they had reunited with free-agent safety Mike Edwards, who was with the team in 2023 when the Chiefs last won the Super Bowl.

It should come as no surprise that with fellow safety Justin Reid leaving via free agency, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would want another veteran safety to pair with his younger guys on the defense’s back end.

Despite playing with the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024, Edwards said that he and Spagnuolo remained in contact with one another, and then came the moment when the Chiefs reached out to Edwards’ agent.

“[They] talked about how I could fit in and things like that,” said Edwards. “So, just thought it’d be a good idea to join the crew again and do that reunion.”

Aside from Spagnuolo, Edwards mentioned Chiefs senior defensive assistant Matt House and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt as two of his favorite coaches. But the bigger driver for Edwards seemed to be his previous knowledge of the Chiefs’ defense and his faith in Spagnuolo to maximize his gifts and get the most out of him.

“Spags is a real creative guy,” he said. “He’s a mastermind of how all this works… Offenses don’t really know what we’re doing, and we can have guys all over the place doing different things and being interchangeable… With his defense, I think I fit in well just because I feel I can play all over the field, and Spags is one of those guys who like to use his players to their strengths.”

Edwards said that his first time around with Kansas City, there were growing pains and a period of acclimation while he learned the system and got his feet wet, but this time around, he said that he is prepared to hit the ground running.

“I kind of know everything about them, all the players and the coaches and you know, the playbook, and so it won’t be too hard,” he said.

Edwards closed his press conference by reflecting on what playing last year outside of Kansas City meant to him and the privilege of playing in the National Football League.

“It’s only a select few guys that are on the roster,” stated Edwards. “You got a 53-man roster on 32 teams. It’s a select few guys in the world to play at the highest level.”

Because of that, Edwards said that he will not take anything for granted.

“That really just made me work even harder, and definitely this year… I’m the hardest worker this year for sure.”

Now that Edwards is entering the seventh season of his NFL career, he said he is ready to step up and fill the leadership role on the team that Justin Reid vacated.

“I feel like I can do that just because I feel like I have the respect from the coaches and my fellow teammates and knowing the playbook.”