Chiefs decline fifth-year option for former first-round pass-rusher

According to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, the Kansas City Chiefs have declined the fifth-year option on pass-rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah's rookie contract. A former first-round pick, Anudike-Uzomah is still looking to find his niche in Kansas City's defense and has only taken the field in veteran coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's system in sporadic spurts. While Anudike-Uzomah will still be under contract with the Chiefs for the coming season, his rookie contract will expire at the conclusion of Kansas City's 2026 campaign.

Now set to become a free agent in 2027, Anudike-Uzomah has an opportunity to earn his first major NFL payday if he can elevate his level of production later this year. Chiefs decline Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s fifth-year option. https://t.

co/ti0rMxMItc — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 1, 2026 Several other first-round picks from the 2023 NFL Draft have also had their fifth-year options declined, and Kansas City's decision not to exercise this quirk in Anudike-Uzomah's rookie contract isn't necessarily a sign that the Chiefs are definitively disinterested in a long-term partnership with the young pass-rusher. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs roster: KC declines 5th round option for Felix Anudike-Uzomah