After a career year with the Kansas City Chiefs, Drue Tranquill has locked down a new contract. The linebacker agreed to a new deal with the Chiefs less than a week before he was scheduled to hit free agency.
A Look at Drue Tranquill’s Contract Details
It was first reported Thursday night by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Tranquill and the Chiefs had reached an agreement on a new contract. However, it was NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport who had the contract details.
At just 28 years old, the deal locks Tranquill up for three seasons, when he will be 31 years old. Here are the specifics of the deal:
- $19 million ($6.3 million per year)
- $13 million fully guaranteed
Tranquill joined the Chiefs in 2023 after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was a fourth-round pick for the Chargers in 2019.
Earlier this offseason, after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Tranquill had opened up about what made him join the Chiefs. It turns out, head coach Andy Reid’s text and personal push for Tranquill was what got it done. “See Red and think Super Bowls,” said Reid in a text, as shown on Tranquill’s X account (formerly known as Twitter).
Significance of Tranquill Returning to the Chiefs?
While the Chargers didn’t see Tranquill’s value, the Chiefs definitely did. In his one season with the Chiefs, Tranquill played in 16 games, starting eight of them. He had 78 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass deflection.
PFN ranked Tranquill as the league’s sixth-best free agent linebacker going into the 2024 free agency period. He was behind Frankie Luvu, Patrick Queen, Lavonte David, Jordyn Brooks, and Willie Gay Jr. Contrarily, he was ahead of Bobby Wagner, Tyrel Dodson, Blake Cashman, and Devin White.
According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, “Tranquill loved his time in Kansas City, and both sides made it a priority to get a deal done.”
KEEP READING: Salary Cap Space by Team
In his five-year NFL career, Tranquill has 376 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, seven pass deflections, and one interception. He’s a one-time Super Bowl champion and was a part of the PFWA All-Rookie Team. He recorded two tackles in the Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Tranquill is the first of potentially multiple key signings by the Chiefs. The team still has defensive tackle Chris Jones as an impending free agent as well as standout cornerback L’Jarius Sneed having been franchise-tagged. Both could require major money and play major roles on the Chiefs’ defense.
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