Chiefs' HC Andy Reid Gives Parting Words to Josh Uche

Over the course of free agency, the Kansas City Chiefs made some critical, high-profile re-signings. This meant bringing back offensive guard Trey Smith, linebacker Nick Bolton, and wide receiver Marquise Brown for tens of millions of dollars each. This also meant that some sacrifices had to be made.

Linebacker Josh Uche came to the Chiefs franchise as part of a midseason trade with the New England Patriots. In exchange, Kansas City gave up a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Uche was phenomenal for the Patriots in 2022, recording 11.5 sacks through the regular season. However, Uche was never able to replicate his dominant year as he notched just five sacks in the next 22 games for the Pats. Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2024, this was a way for the Chiefs to get a young, proven pass rusher for a hefty discount.

Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid's vision for Uche never came to fruition, however, as Uche only appeared in six of the remaining 10 games in the regular season, while not even seeing the field in the playoffs. When asked about Uche at the NFL Owners Meeting, Reid offered some parting words for the now former Chief.

"Probably wasn't a great fit for what we do," said Reid, according to ALLPHYLY's Zach Berman. "And we got him late, and we were trying to work him in. That's a tougher deal to do. Would have liked to see him throughout training camp so we have time to get him in there and go. By the time we got him, we were rolling. I'm not sure the fit was exactly what our defense (needed). ...He's a great kid."

As part of free agency this offseason, Uche was signed by the Chiefs' NFC rivals , the Philadelphia Eagles. As Uche is only 26 years old at this time, there's still a chance that he will find his way back to his old form. Yet, if he couldn't do it with the Chiefs, it would be surprising if it works out with the Eagles, as they already have one of the best pass rush talents in the league.