Who is the Chiefs' Most Underrated Player? Another Linebacker Earns the Nomination

Two different linebackers have been named as the Chiefs' most underrated or underappreciated player ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Who deserves the nod?

Nov 20, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal (54) takes the field prior to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' defense flew under the radar for much of the 2023 NFL season. Ahead of KC's 2024 campaign, Chiefs defenders have spent plenty of time in the spotlight.

Earlier this offseason, Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill was named as the Chiefs' "most underappreciated player," a fitting nomination for one of KC's less-praised defenders. Now, it's one of Tranquill's fellow linebackers earning a similar accolade.

Conor Orr of SI chose his "most underrated player" from each AFC team ahead of the 2024 season, and Orr picked linebacker Leo Chenal for Kansas City as the former third-round pick enters his third NFL season.

"The man who stripped Christian McCaffrey in the Super Bowl already has his place cemented in Chiefs history," Orr wrote. "But the third-round pick in 2022 also cut his missed tackle percentage from 12.5% to 4.4% in his second season and became a much larger part of Kansas City’s pressure package. Chenal also cut his yards per completion allowed total from 15.4 to 7.9, despite facing a much higher volume of targets. There were a couple of times in Super Bowl LVIII when his speed was enough to force Brock Purdy to pass up a checkdown option and allow the Chiefs’ pass rush time to get into the backfield. With that speed, he was also able to get into the backfield and stop some of the 49ers’ quick game from establishing itself. We’ve seen so often how the range of an interior off-ball linebacker can give good defenses some breathing room when they’re forced into base looks. Chenal is certainly developing into one of those players who shouldn’t have to leave the field as much."

Chenal was also recently named KC's "nonstarter to know" for 2024 by Aaron Schatz of ESPN. With Tranquill under contract for at least the next two seasons, Willie Gay Jr. now in New Orleans, and starting middle linebacker Nick Bolton entering the final year of his rookie contract, Chenal should see plenty of opportunities to justify his offseason hype as the Chiefs make their run at the NFL's first-ever three-peat.

Read More: Nick Bolton on Contract Situation: 'Don't Want to Talk Extension' Yet, Not Looking to Sign Before 2024 Season