Steve Spagnuolo Is a Big Fan of KC Chiefs Safety Mike Edwards

Kansas City's defensive coordinator is a big-time believer in the franchise's defensive back signing from earlier this year.

Once the franchise decided it was allocating a hefty four-year, $80 million contract to right tackle Jawaan Taylor, the Kansas City Chiefs didn't have a ton of money to work with in the spring. General manager Brett Veach had to be smart in finding cost-effective contributors on both sides of the ball, which is exactly what he did.

Five weeks into the 2023 season, safety Mike Edwards is proving to be one of those shrewd pickups by Veach. The fifth-year veteran is back in a more suitable tertiary role at the position and is thriving in it, currently being the only player on the team to log an interception. Additionally, his three passes broken up rank second for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit and his two tackles for loss are tied for third. 

Edwards has seen his playing time increase over the past three weeks, going from 21 snaps in Week 3 to 26 snaps in Week 4. This past Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, the former third-round pick played a season-high 39 snaps, which was good for 54% of those available. Speaking to the media on Monday afternoon, Spagnuolo said Edwards may be earning even more in-game reps.

“I’m really glad you brought Mike up," Spagnuolo said. "He’s really – we’ve given him a little bit more playing time if you notice, and he went in I think on the third series, the second or third series, and he’s earned that. He’s got a really good feel for the game. He’d tell you he’d like to have made the catch over there on the sideline, kind of had it in his hands. He's a ballhawk, I mean he goes after the football, he’s had interceptions when he’s down there in Tampa Bay playing. 

"I thought he did some really nice things for us in the red zone, (assistant head coach/special teams coordinator) Dave (Toub) and I were talking about that this morning. I mean he deserves to be out there; we have him in certain packages, maybe we’ll get him in a couple others but really glad we got Mike. You know guys like Mike and Drue (Tranquill) coming in here and adding to the guys we have has been really really important.”

Edwards isn't just playing well for Kansas City — he's playing well for league-wide standards, too. Among all safeties with at least 100 snaps played this season (83), his Pro Football Focus defense grade of 73.1 ranks 20th. His four "stops" rank third among players with his number of snaps played (122) or fewer. Edwards's versatility is also shining through a bit, as he has interesting snap splits between alignments like box (32), traditional free safety (60) and slot (20). His combination of natural instincts, play recognition and an aggressive mindset have him turning in some terrific complementary football along the back end of Spagnuolo's defense.

As the Chiefs' schedule continues, there will be plenty of matchups against quarterbacks enjoying productive seasons. In fact, all four of Kansas City's next opposing signal-callers (Russell Wilson twice, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts) rank in the top 10 in EPA per play through the conclusion of Week 5. Edwards's best will be needed, which is good news considering he's just recently starting to round into form. With obvious on-field confidence from himself and Spagnuolo beaming with confidence as well, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer is having a tremendous start to his first season as a Chief.

Read More: Chiefs Rookie WR Rashee Rice ‘Absolutely’ Earning a Bigger Role on Offense