Chiefs Trade for Patriots Pass Rusher Josh Uche – What Did KC Give Up?

The Kansas City Chiefs have traded for New England Patriots pass rusher Josh Uche, bolstering an already excellent defense ahead of the NFL's trade deadline.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles as New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (55) chases him during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have made another move ahead of the NFL's trade deadline, now adding to the defensive side of the ball.

According to multiple reports, the Chiefs are acquiring New England Patriots pass rusher Josh Uche in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

On October 24, Jordan Foote of Kansas City Chiefs On SI analyzed a potential Uche-to-KC trade and supported the pitch (with numbers from before Week 8) made by Seth Walder of ESPN:

"It's hard to argue with Walder's logic here," Foote wrote. "While Uche has failed to replicate his 11.5 sacks from 2022 (three last year in 15 games, two this year in seven games), he remains an intriguing pass rush threat. There are other – and sometimes better – ways to measure that. Although he's logged just one pressure in his last two contests and has 13 on the year, his Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 72.7 ranks 31st among 183 edge players. That, combined with the aforementioned pass rush win rate, gives him a nice complementary profile along a defensive front. There are also the matters of Uche's age and contract to consider. The former second-round pick is still just 26 years old, having celebrated his birthday shortly after the start of this season. He's on a very affordable one-year contract that contains some incentives but only $1.3M in base salary. With the Tennessee Titans reportedly absorbing $2.5M in the Hopkins trade, it'd make the cash-strapped Chiefs able to consider getting Uche on the books."

In a corresponding roster move, the Chiefs will reportedly place tight end Jody Fortson (knee) on injured reserve, according to Pete Sweeney.

Why did the Chiefs trade for Josh Uche?

Uche, a 2020 second-round pick, bolsters a pass rush rotation that has been inconsistent in 2024. With Mike Danna having now missed three games due to injuries, second-year defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah has seen a sizable workload while Cameron Thomas, acquired for a seventh-round pick in August, has taken just six total defensive snaps in the three games he's been active.

While Danna's health could be in question, Charles Omenihu should remain on track for a late-season return from his January ACL tear. Meanwhile, George Karlaftis has played nearly 86% of the defensive snaps this season, a hefty workload for an edge rusher. Even while being built around defensive tackle Chris Jones, the Chiefs' pass rush has been forgettable for long stretches of the season. If Uche can bring some quick wins to the defense, life should get a bit easier for KC's secondary as it battles injuries of its own.

For context, 17.2 pass rush win rate would be second for the Chiefs pass rushers this season to Chris Jones, who is at 18.5%. Also, 2.81 seconds time to pressure would the fastest for any KC edge rusher this season. https://t.co/GKmgyRWa75

— Zack Eisen (@zackeisen21) October 28, 2024

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