Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has made it publicly known via social media that he wants his old teammate, defensive end Frank Clark, to rejoin the team as it attempts another championship run. So when Jones ended his January 9 press conference with a three-word statement about Clark, it wasn’t all that surprising but proved yet again that Jones wants his friend back in town.
“Bring fifty-five back,” Jones said.
Clark, who wore the No. 55 jersey during his time in Kansas City, was released by the Seattle Seahawks on December 30. He signed with the Seahawks on October 26 and over the following two months made a minimal impact on the field. In six games played with Seattle, Clark registered 6 tackles, according to Pro Football Reference. Before joining Seattle, Clark played in 2 games for the Denver Broncos and recorded 2 tackles.
Before ending his Tuesday presser, Jones was asked about the Twitter/X post he made just before entering the press conference room, which was a picture of Clark with the caption, “It’s blood in the water.”
“I love my dog, Frank Clark,” Jones said. “They (the Chiefs) need to bring him back. Imma keep harping it until we get my dog back in the building.”
Frank Clark’s Time in KC Ended Due to Finances
In April 2019, the Chiefs traded a 2019 first-round pick, a 2020 second-round pick, and a swap of 2019 third-round picks to the Seahawks in exchange for Clark.
During his four seasons with the Chiefs, Clark, 30, registered 263 tackles, 131 QB hits, 67 tackles for loss, 58.5 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions during the regular season. Yet his impact during the postseason is where he was most valuable; in 12 playoff games with the Chiefs, Clark gathered 40 total QB pressures (26 hurries, 11 sacks, 3 hits) and 23 stops, according to PFF. Clark was named a Pro Bowler three times during his time with the defending Super Bowl champions.
During the 2022 regular season, Clark registered 45 total pressures (30 QB hurries, 9 QB hits, 6 sacks) in 15 games played, which was the third-lowest total of his eight-year career according to PFF. He also had 8 tackles for loss, 1 safety, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
Clark did rise to the occasion during Kansas City’s recent Super Bowl run yet again, though. In three playoff games earlier this year, he registered 11 total pressures (7 QB hurries, 3 sacks, 1 QB hit) and 3 tackles for loss. His playoff efforts thrust him into third all-time for sacks in postseason history (13.5), just 1.5 sacks behind the leader (Willie McGinest, 16) per StatMuse.
What ultimately put an end to Clark’s time in Chiefs Kingdom was the finances. He had a $28.6 million cap hit in 2023, which is why the Chiefs opted to cut ties with the veteran on March 7. The move freed up $21 million in cap space for the team to spend last offseason.
Would a Frank Clark-Chiefs Reunion Make Sense?
According to the NFLPA’s Public Salary Cap Report, the Chiefs currently have $2.82 million in salary cap space. If Kansas City believes Clark has enough juice in the tank to provide a situational spark for the Chiefs’ offense during the playoffs, and if Clark is willing to sign a one-year deal that the Chiefs can afford, then they should pull the trigger.
Clark has a strong history of playing well in meaningful games for Kansas City, so signing him and plugging him into an already strong defensive end rotation can’t hurt. If he plays well, then the Chiefs’ defense gets a boost. If he doesn’t play well, then he sits on the bench while the rotation reverts to what it previously was.
What we do know for sure is that Kansas City’s defense has been carrying the team to many wins during the back stretch of the regular season. So making a strength even stronger would be a wise strategy for the Chiefs, especially when they are set to face some of the best teams the league has to offer during the postseason. Plus, creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks with a four-man rush is very important when you are facing some of the best passing games in the NFL.
Kansas City’s current defensive ends on the active roster are George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Malik Herring, and B.J. Thompson.