The Kansas City Chiefs have completely moved on from the defensive back group formerly known as “The Fab Five” this offseason, with news before and after the start of NFL free agency that four of the five ex-draft picks would not be returning.
This major overhaul of the secondary began with the Trent McDuffie trade. Then, before long, cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, as well as safety Bryan Cook, all left on the open market.
There is one remaining member of “The Fab Five” who’s still available, however, and that’s cornerback Nazeeh Johnson.
Johnson was a seventh-round pick in 2022. He was a draftmate of McDuffie, Watson, Williams, and Cook, and he may soon join them as an offseason departure.
On May 4, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Johnson had received interest from an NFC contender and recent Super Bowl rival.
“Former Chiefs free agent CB and special teamer Nazeeh Johnson is visiting with the Philadelphia Eagles today, source says,” Rapoport informed.
Johnson is an older first-time free agent. He turns 28 years old in July, and that’s likely affected his market.
Now that the NFL draft is behind us, second-tier free agents like Johnson will get more attention. Johnson has yet to sign with the Eagles, but this visit could be the first of many. Injury history could be another factor as the ex-seventh-rounder looks for a new home.
Nazeeh Johnson Dealt With Injuries With the Chiefs
GettyFormer Kansas City Chiefs draft pick Nazeeh Johnson could be the latest DB to leave town.
Johnson had a couple of summers where he shot up the depth chart in KC, but those camp performances often ended in injuries.
After being used sparingly in 2022 and missing the entire 2023 campaign, Johnson was a notable contributor in 2024, logging 56 tackles and 3 pass defenses over 16 games. He was also credited with 1 sack and 2 run stuffs, per ESPN.
Unfortunately, that was Johnson’s only year that included significant playing time. He only appeared in 2 games last season, a hint that the Chiefs could move on in NFL free agency.
Chiefs Feature Revamped Secondary in 2026 After Fab Five News
It remains to be seen if the Chiefs’ secondary will be better or worse in 2026, but it will certainly be different.
Veteran Alohi Gilman replaces Cook at safety, with first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane taking over for McDuffie. Kansas City also added Kader Kohou and Kaiir Elam as cornerback depth, with 2025 additions Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams presumably taking on larger roles.
There are a few holdovers that go beyond the 2025 offseason. Safeties Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks will return in 2026, as will the versatile Christian Roland-Wallace.
Along with those recent draft picks and UDFAs, 2025 rookie Kevin Knowles should also be in the mix. But Johnson and the rest of “The Fab Five” will not be.
Although Johnson is still available for now, he is unlikely to re-sign in KC. The Chiefs have already brought in a lot of depth at defensive back, and that pretty much guarantees that Johnson will try to latch on elsewhere.
Perhaps, his next NFL opportunity will end up being with the Eagles. Or, perhaps Johnson has yet to find his new team.
Chiefs Draft Pick Visits NFC Contender as NFL Free Agency Ramps Back Up