Chiefs extend home-grown defensive end George Karlaftis

Jesse Newell, The Kansas City Star on Jul 20, 2025

Published in Football

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a four-year extension with defensive end George Karlaftis, a source confirmed to The Kansas City Star.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the deal, stating that it includes an additional $93 million in compensation, with $62 million of that guaranteed.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz later reported that Karlaftis’ deal will have an average annual value of $22 million, with incentives that could increase his yearly compensation to $23.25 million if he reaches those benchmarks.

Karlaftis, 24, has been a steady three-year contributor for the Chiefs after they selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

In three seasons, Karlaftis has 24 1/2 combined regular-season sacks, which included a 10 1/2-sack campaign in 2023.

Late last year, though, Karlaftis flashed even more potential with encouraging underlying numbers. He put up some of his best career performances in the NFL Next Gen Stat “Pass Rush Get Off,” which computes the average time it takes for a pass rusher to cross the line of scrimmage.

A 2021 FiveThirtyEight study shows that “Pass Rush Get Off” is a valuable trait; speedy times correlated strongly with pass-rush win rates and quarterback pressures.

Karlaftis finished last year’s regular season with 8 1/2 sacks but was among the elite at creating pressures. His 61 regular-season pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, tied for 15th among all NFL players. In addition, he ranked second in the NFL with 21 QB hits.

One reason it might have been easier for the Chiefs to extend Karlaftis was his age. At 24, Karlaftis remains super-young for a fourth-year player; in fact, he’s eight months younger than New York Giants rookie defensive end Darius Alexander, who was selected in the third round of the most recent draft.

Karlaftis’ agreement continues a recent trend of Chiefs general manager Brett Veach locking in home-grown players. On Tuesday, Kansas City just beat the league deadline to keep right guard Trey Smith — a 2021 sixth-round pick — on a four-year contract extension worth $94 million with $70 million guaranteed.

The other leading name available for extension is cornerback Trent McDuffie. The Chiefs exercised their fifth-year option on McDuffie (along with Karlaftis) for the 2026 season in April; however, this move still means both sides are eligible to discuss a longer-term deal.

Kansas City opens training camp practices Tuesday in St. Joseph, Missouri. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was scheduled to speak with reporters Sunday night.

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