Why Chiefs Are 'Glad' Charles Omenihu is Back for Final Stretch of Season

The Kansas City Chiefs' defense will need its pass rush down the stretch, and Charles Omenihu potentially rounding into form would be a big-time boost.

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu (90) is introduced prior to a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

While the team boasts a 13-1 record, it's still been a tumultuous season for the Kansas City Chiefs' defense. The reigning Super Bowl champions got off to a nice start but right around the time cornerback Jaylen Watson went down with a serious ankle injury, things began to taper off in a major way. Week 15's win over the Cleveland Browns was the best performance to date, though, setting the table for the rest of the year.

The secondary play remains critical, but some of that can be helped by those up front. Steve Spagnuolo and Joe Cullen's pass rush, an underwhelming unit at times, entered Week 16's play tied for 20th with 32 sacks and 16th in overall pressure rate. How does the recent return of defensive lineman Charles Omenihu impact that?

According to Spagnuolo, the veteran pass rusher is improving on the fly and looks more like himself as the season rolls on.

“Well listen, you guys know how I feel about Charles," Spagnuolo said. "It’s good to get him back, and it was going to take a little while to kind of ramp him up. He’s playing a little bit more and more – a little bit more on first and second down now, which is a good thing for us when they decide to throw it. He’s getting better in the run game, [and] that takes a little while. I mean, remember, he steps into this thing with really no padded practices since the Baltimore game a year ago, so that’s taken a little while, but I think he’s getting there and I’m glad we got him. We just need everybody up front to kind of play like we did last week to help everybody else on the back end.”

It's been a lengthy road to recovery for Omenihu, who suffered a torn ACL in January's AFC Championship Game win over the Baltimore Ravens. After months of rehab, he finally got activated in late November and has played 89 combined defensive snaps in three subsequent games of action. Last Sunday's contest in Ohio was his best one yet, seeing him play half of the available defensive reps and notch his first sack of the season in the process. He added a pair of pressures, setting a season-high mark.

The Kansas City defense sure needs it, as their ability to generate pressure with just four rushers oftentimes isn't there. Under Spagnuolo, the 2024-25 Chiefs are fourth in blitz rate (36.5%) and generate pressure on 45.1% of those tries but are at 27.4% when not blitzing. That near-18% difference is the third-largest in the sport, according to NFL Pro data. Having someone like Omenihu, a versatile chess piece who can win with power and explosiveness, should help on passing downs. Look no further than a third-and-5 in the second half of the Browns game, when he strip-sacked quarterback Jameis Winston and forced a punt.

This weekend's game versus the Houston Texans could see Spagnuolo marry his proclivity for bringing extra pressure with Kansas City's hopeful improvement from its normal rushers. Houston's pass protectors surrender more unblocked pressures than any team in the sport, and the Chiefs' defense ranks second in creating them. Given second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud's struggles against the blitz this year, Saturday seems like an appropriate time to rely on a pass rush-heavy afternoon.

On late downs, there aren't many better package-specific options to have than a healthy and motivated Omenihu. As he begins to flash that level of play again, the defense will be that much better for it.

Read More: Chiefs 'Plan to' Activate Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown for Week 16 vs. Texans