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What can the Chiefs expect from Joshua Uche, their new pass rusher?

1 November 2024Last Update :
What can the Chiefs expect from Joshua Uche, their new pass rusher?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One day after he was held out of the New England Patriots’ Week 8 game, Joshua Uche was informed Monday that he was being traded to the Chiefs.

Uche, a fifth-year defensive end, went from one of the NFL’s worst teams to the back-to-back defending champions. The Chiefs acquired him for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

“They told me I was a healthy scratch, so that kind of was a telltale sign that something was up,” Uche said Thursday of the Patriots. “From there, things picked up really fast. I’m playing with (quarterback) Patrick Mahomes, (pass rusher) Chris Jones, (coach) Andy Reid and (tight end) Travis Kelce. I’m playing with some of the greatest guys in the league right now. I’m just trying to help keep this thing rolling.”

Similar to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last week, the Chiefs are optimistic that Uche can play a limited role in Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We’ve had the benefit of having played against him, so we know he’s very aggressive and a good pass rusher,” Reid said of Uche. “We’ll work him in with the defensive line rotation. As long as he can handle everything, I think there’s a good chance” he’ll play Monday night.

In seven games with the Patriots, Uche recorded two sacks, three quarterback hits and 13 tackles.

Uche participated in his first practice with his new teammates on Thursday. He joins a defensive unit that is one of the best in the league. Entering Monday’s game, the Chiefs have allowed just 17.6 points per game, ranking fifth. Despite their 7-0 record, the Chiefs have recorded just the seventh-fewest sacks (15) this season. Acquiring Uche could be a key move as the Chiefs seek to enhance their pass-rushing production in the final 10 games of the regular season and into the postseason.

What will Uche do for the Chiefs defense? What are his skills as a player? And what does his arrival mean for the Chiefs’ future?

Based on watching all of Uche’s snaps this season, here’s what the Chiefs are getting in their new pass rusher.

Why did the Chiefs need to make a move?

The simple answer is this: The Chiefs are seeking an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory.

Here’s another reason: You can never have enough quality pass rushers.

“Obviously, a great pass rusher and someone who can really get to the QB, especially in those pass-rush situations,” Mahomes said of Uche. “He does a great job of playing hard the entire time, too. Sometimes you get guys that take their chances in their spot, but he’s a guy that gets after it every single snap he gets. It’s a great addition to an already great defense. His specialty will really be emphasized in this defense.”

The Chiefs acquiring Uche further solidifies that they are all in as they seek a third straight Lombardi Trophy. Uche joins quite a list of players — Hopkins, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running backs Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine — who became members of the Chiefs after training camp. In the prime of his career at age 26, Uche could be an ascending player in one-on-one matchups alongside fellow pass rushers Jones, George Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu.

“He hasn’t had a chance to rush much this year for the Patriots because they’ve been behind a lot,” analyst Bill Belichick, the former coach of the Patriots, said of Uche during Monday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.” “The situation hasn’t been good. He had a big year two years ago. He had (edge rusher Matt) Judon on the other side of him, so it was two good pass rushers.

“But he’ll have a lot of opportunities to rush in Kansas City. I think that he’ll really help them. He’s got surprising power for his size, he’s got excellent quickness and a good get-off and he has some flexibility in coverage.”

What does the film show from Uche’s first seven games?

At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Uche’s skills are quite different from the rest of the Chiefs’ defensive ends. He can use his burst of speed to gain a quick advantage against a tackle. When the tackle attempts to engage him in a one-on-one matchup, Uche has the flexibility to bend his body to dip under the tackle to continue to pressure the opposing quarterback.

Although he didn’t record the sack, Uche did exactly that in the Patriots’ season-opening win over the Bengals. He dipped under Trent Brown to generate pressure on quarterback Joe Burrow, who was sacked by defensive end Keion White.

The Chiefs would love to see similar production from Uche working the opposite side of Karlaftis, who is known as a powerful pass rusher who can help collapse the pocket alongside Jones.

“They just want me to do what I do best — applying pressure,” Uche said. “Just operating within the framework of the defense, I’m just trying to get in where I fit it. Chris Jones is a problem. That’s one thing I think we can all unanimously agree on. With Karlaftis, (defensive end Mike) Danna and Omenihu, everyone plays so well together. I’m excited to be here.”

One of Uche’s best pass-rushing snaps came against the Jets when he used an in-and-out move to get by left tackle Tyron Smith to sack quarterback Aaron Rodgers for an 8-yard loss.

“Being in New England for five years, I didn’t have the results and outcomes that I wanted,” Uche said. “When I heard I was getting traded here, I was excited because I feel this scheme, this team and this organization is definitely going to help me maximize my potential.”

The Chiefs hope Uche can be the pass rusher he was two seasons ago when he collected a career-high 11 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles. Uche still ranks 21st in pressure rate (14.9 percent) among defenders with at least 80 pass-rush snaps.

Uche, though, doesn’t always have to go forward at the snap of the ball. He is a very capable defender when asked to drop into a particular zone coverage, so defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could use him that way often on zone blitzes. The Patriots sacked the opposing quarterback three times in the 25 snaps they had Uche drop into coverage.

How does Uche fit the Chiefs in 2024?

The Chiefs have already endured several injuries, which is one reason general manager Brett Veach has been motivated to acquire more players than usual during the season. Acquiring Uche could be a critical move for the Chiefs because Danna has missed three of the last four games with injuries to his calf and pectoral muscle and Omenihu is yet to return from a torn ACL suffered in January during the AFC Championship Game.

Without Danna or Omenihu last week, Spagnuolo started linebacker Leo Chenal at defensive end against the Raiders. Until Omenihu returns, which could be in a month, Uche is expected to be in a three-man rotation with former 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Malik Herring. Danna returned to the practice fields for the first time in two weeks as a limited participant.

If Omenihu returns to form, Uche could be used to rush from the interior next to Jones on certain third-down snaps.

“We know how important that position is, so adding him into the mix there is something that helps us as a team,” Reid said of Uche. “That’s why we did that (trade).”

Why the deal made sense

Uche will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and the Chiefs acquired him without having to give up a pick in next year’s draft. The Chiefs will be thrilled if Uche can produce in the postseason like Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap, defensive ends who helped the team win Super Bowl LVII. Uche’s presence also should help Karlaftis.

If Uche succeeds with the Chiefs, the two parties could agree in the offseason to continue their partnership with a one- or two-year deal similar to linebacker Drue Tranquill last season.

“Honestly, they didn’t give up anything in my mind,” Belichick said of the Chiefs on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “If you like the player and re-sign him, then you re-sign him. Josh Uche’s a really good rusher.”

(Photo: Chris Unger / Getty Images)

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