Jaden Hicks: Everything you need to know

Hicks saw snaps at strong safety and slot cornerback as he worked to amass 42 tackles (29 solo), including 0.5 sacks, and four passes defensed over 17 regular-season games in 2025. Hicks saw an uptick in defensive snaps during his sophomore campaign, jumping from 312 as a rookie to 445 in the 2025 season. While the defensive back was utilized as a Swiss Army knife in multiple areas of the secondary, he maintained his role as a special-teams contributor throughout the season as well. Hicks will head into his third year with a shot to take over at slot cornerback full-time if the Chiefs do not sign or move someone to replace Mike Edwards, whose one-year deal is up.

Hicks finished Friday's 27-21 loss to the Chargers with four tackles (three solo). The 2024 fourth-rounder saw just one start in his rookie season, though he got the start at strong safety in Friday's game while also seeing work out of the slot and on special teams. The Chiefs' secondary got carved up by Justin Herbert, and they'll look to bounce back in their Week 2 matchup against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX.

Hicks recorded 29 tackles (23 solo) and five pass breakups, including three interceptions, in 17 regular-season games this season. The rookie saw his defensive snap count increase as the season went on, and he also recorded 13 tackles (10 solo) in Kansas City's three playoff games. Hicks played on 312 defensive snaps and 305 special-teams snaps during the regular season, and he will look to continue increasing that defensive workload in 2025.