The Kansas City Chiefs are down yet another defensive lineman after losing defensive end Charles Omenihu to a torn ACL, which he suffered during Kansas City’s 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship.
Luckily for KC, there’s a veteran free agent who has a lot of familiarity with the team that could quickly be inserted as a partial replacement for Omenihu just in time for the 2024 Super Bowl:
Frank Clark.
What to Know About Frank Clark
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 Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Clark.
During his four seasons with the Chiefs, Clark registered 263 tackles, 131 QB hits, 67 tackles for loss, 58.5 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions during the regular season.
But where Clark’s impact was felt most during his time in Kansas City was in the playoffs; in 12 postseason games with the Chiefs, Clark gathered 40 total QB pressures (26 hurries, 11 sacks, 3 hits) and 23 stops, according to PFF.
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, who was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Chiefs, rose to the occasion yet again during Kansas City’s Super Bowl run last season. In three playoff games, 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 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.
Does Clark Fit With Revamped Chiefs?
The question that remains is how Clark, 30, fits with Kansas City’s revamped defense, which has improved since Clark was last with the team.
As a pure edge rusher, Clark won’t completely fill the void left by Omenihu. Along with not being as explosive as he once was, Clark does not provide the position flexibility that Omenihu does.
Omenihu can play each position along the defensive line — and does so at a high level — whereas Clark does not. That part of Omenihu’s game will be missed a lot in the 2024 Super Bowl, especially with defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi landing on injured reserve before the AFC Championship.
However, a defense — especially one that’s making a Super Bowl run — can never have too many talented pass rushers, which makes Clark a real option for Kansas City this late in the season.
A reunion between Clark and the Chiefs will only happen, though, if the two sides can agree on contract terms.
Agreeing to a deal with Clark for him to play just one game shouldn’t cost Kansas City all that much. On the flip side, Clark signing a contract for a chance to win a third Super Bowl before hitting free agency again this offseason should be enticing from his perspective.
According to the NFLPA’s Public Salary Cap Report, the Chiefs have $1.52 in available cap space.
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Chiefs Should Sign 2-Time Champion as Replacment for DE Charles Omenihu