KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Chiefs just found their replacement for Bryan Cook, and they didn’t have to look far for the scouting report. Safety Alohi Gilman officially joined the roster this week on a three-year, $24.75 million deal, but the ink wasn’t dried by a suit in a front office. Instead, the heavy lifting came from the locker room.
Gilman, who split his 2025 campaign between the Chargers and Ravens, credited linebacker Drue Tranquill for relentlessly recruiting him to Missouri. After a disappointing 6-11 season that saw the Chiefs’ secondary bleed out in free agency, Gilman’s arrival marks the first major stabilizing force in a unit that essentially hit the reset button.
The ‘Third Agent’ in the Room
The connection between Gilman and Tranquill runs deep. They shared the field at Notre Dame before spending three years together in the powder blue of the Los Angeles Chargers. When the legal tampering window opened, Tranquill didn’t just wait for the Chiefs to make a move; he took the lead. Gilman jokingly labeled the linebacker his “third agent” during his introductory press conference.
The recruitment effort was a full-court press. While the Ravens tried to retain the safety who helped them finish the 2025 season strong, the lure of reuniting with a “warrior” like Tranquill proved too much to ignore. Kansas City is betting $15 million in guarantees that this chemistry translates to a defense desperate for a bounce-back year.
“Drue’s my guy; he’s been recruiting me hard here. That’s my third agent. Drue’s been doing his thing. I’ve had good conversations with him over the years… So much respect for him as a warrior, as a player, as a teammate, just as a friend. That’s my guy, I’ll go to war with him any day. Excited to strap it up with him.”
— Alohi Gilman, Chiefs Safety
Rebuilding a Decimated Secondary
Brett Veach had no choice but to be aggressive. The 2026 offseason has been a revolving door for the Chiefs’ defensive backs. With Bryan Cook heading to Cincinnati and cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams finding new homes, the secondary was a skeleton crew. The team also took a massive gamble on former Dolphins corner Kader Kohou, who is returning from a torn ACL.
Gilman brings a high floor and reliable tackling to the deep third. In 2025, he racked up 90 tackles, nine pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. His most electric moment came in Baltimore—an 84-yard interception return for a touchdown that capped off a shutout against the Bengals. He isn’t just a placeholder; he is the projected starter from Day 1.
What’s Next for the Chiefs
This move isn’t just about Gilman. It signals that the Chiefs are prioritizing players with existing ties to their core. By reworking his own contract to save $2.5 million in cap space, Tranquill literally cleared the path for this signing. With the draft approaching, expect Kansas City to look for boundary cornerbacks to pair with the Gilman-Tranquill-Hicks spine. The defense that once anchored a dynasty is gone—the new era in KC is being built on familiar friendships and high-IQ playmaking.
