Tasked with some tough decisions last offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs prioritized guard Trey Smith and traded away veteran offensive lineman Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears for a future pick, as they looked to shed salary.
Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs may have landed the most athletic UDFA ever — and the rest of the NFL could regret passing on him
The Kansas City Chiefs landed perhaps the most athletic undrafted free agent ever in Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell. If he can unlock his game under new WRs coach Chad O’Shea, the rest of the NFL is going to be kicking themselves.
© Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Kansas City Chiefs have already begun finalizing the first iteration of their 90-man offseason roster with multiple undrafted free agent deals following the 2026 NFL Draft. They managed quite the haul during the draft, but they’re now in the process of supplementing it and filling gaps on the roster.
One of the players they brought in, Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell, is a prospect that I would’ve been ready to take at pick No. 109 based on the sheer athletic upside. At 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds, he’s one of the freakiest athletes in this class. The fact that he didn’t get drafted and landed with the Chiefs should keep opposing NFL teams up at night.
Chiefs WR Jeff Caldwell might be the most athletic UDFA of all time
It’s not hyperbole when I say that Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell may be the most athletic undrafted free agent in NFL history. His performance at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine resulted in a 98.9 A to Z Sports Athletic Composite. He recorded 97th percentile scores in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump.
To contextualize just how athletic Caldwell is, look at the 23-year-old’s measurables next to those of all-time greats like Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. Andy Reid might say, “This man is a couple of cheeseburgers away from greatness.”
Caldwell is underdeveloped physically, but only slightly. His size and length, combined with his speed and explosiveness, are incredibly rare. His 1.48s 10-yard split at the combine was faster than Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy’s (1.49s).
Chad O’Shea has to help Caldwell put it all together in Kansas City
Caldwell is still unlocking new layers to his game. He was a player on the rise during his four-year career at Lindenwood, which ultimately led to his transfer to the Bearcats. Caldwell recorded 32 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns with Cincinnati in 2025. Some elements of his game were elevated, while others fell a bit flat.
The details of being a polished NFL receiver need work. He struggled with drops in 2025. Play strength and contact were problems, which isn’t something you’d expect at his size. His release packages were sometimes flat. Receiver coaches will tell you that he takes too many steps to get in and out of his breaks. They’ll also get on him when it comes to letting the ball into his frame.
Ultimately, this is the exact type of player that the Chiefs brought O’Shea in to develop. And if they can manage that over the next few seasons, the NFL will have a whole lot of regrets.
Thuney was looking for an extension, and the Chiefs had quite a few that they’d recently handed out or were looking to, leading to a departure after two straight first-team All-Pro seasons.
With the 2026 NFL Draft upon us, let’s revisit the Thuney trade and what the Chiefs got in return.
Original terms of the Joe Thuney trade
- Kansas City Chiefs receive: 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 125)
- Chicago Bears receive: LG Joe Thuney
What did the Chiefs do with the pick from the Joe Thuney trade?
Kansas City ultimately used the fourth-round pick it acquired to trade up with the New England Patriots from No. 95 to No. 85 in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, taking cornerback Nohl Williams at the spot.
The Patriots now have the No. 125 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
How did the Chiefs fare in the Joe Thuney trade?
The loss of Thuney came after some questionable moves from the Chiefs, which included paying Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore significant money at tackle to fix their problems there.
So far, neither has panned out, with Taylor heading elsewhere this offseason. The Chiefs were already in a tough position financially after recent extensions for Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Nick Bolton, and others, and had to make a decision.
They ultimately picked the younger Smith over Thuney, who fetched only a fourth-round pick on the open market. But, the reality is, Kansas City gave up quite a productive and durable player, and now it is still figuring out its offensive line.
Was the trade a poor move on its own? Maybe not with the financial situation Kansas City was in. But then again, they’re the ones who put themselves in that situation, costing them a quality player who had another strong season in 2025.
How did Joe Thuney play in 2025 for the Chicago Bears?
Thuney was huge for the Bears last season, earning first-team All-Pro honors for the third-straight year, while making his fourth-straight Pro Bowl appearance.
He remained durable for the entire year, playing 17 games for the third straight year. That’s been a key part of his entire career, be it in New England, with Kansas City, or in Chicago.
With a strong interior offensive line, the Bears saw their run game take key steps, while their offense as a whole matured into one of the better groups in the NFL.
He’s set to be on the second year of a two-year, $35 million extension that he signed with Chicago after the trade happened last offseason.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — One person died in a traffic crash Thursday night on southbound Interstate 35 at Antioch Road in Johnson County.
The wreck forced the closure of exit ramps at Lamar Avenue, Interstate 635 and Metcalf Avenue, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Overland Park police investigators are working to determine what caused the wreck.
The Kansas Highway Patrol and other agencies also are on the scene.
An overhead road sign could be seen on the interstate.
Ryan Gamboa/KSHB 41
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — From 25,000 parking spots to 19,000 within a 10-minute walk to the stadium, that’s how many Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says will be available near the new Royals ballpark in Crown Center, with 9,000 of those spots on the actual campus.
While there will be less parking, Royals fan Roger Nickell says he believes this move is good for Kansas City.
“I think anything that makes Kansas City an exciting place to come to, and a good destination, the parking itself is not going to be the issue,” Nickell said “We’d rather have good things in our city, and if you go to other cities, Kansas City is actually really, really easy right now.”
While it might not be ideal for some, downtown stadiums and parking is the normal for a number of teams and cities throughout Major League Baseball. Upwards of 20 teams have a stadium in the downtown area, including the Twins, Cardinals and Tigers.
“I think every new stadium in the MLB is being built downtown, so I kind of expected it,” Royals fan Jackson Fort said. “I think parking will be kind of, they’ll have to figure out something because there’s going to be a big building and not a lot of space to put it. I think you’ll see a lot more Ubers and less of that tailgating scene that the chiefs and the royals are so known for.”
While tailgating as we know it will look different, walking to the stadium won’t actually look that bad if you use the streetcar. From the stop at the World War I Museum, you’re looking at a nine-minute walk to Crown Center, and four-minute walk if you get off at Union Station.
“I think it would be a good thing for the city, for the baseball park and for everybody,” avid streetcar user Gary Henderson said. “Especially for the people who use the trolley would get a chance to see how comfortable it is and maybe it’ll increase their business too.”
With hopes of the new stadium to be ready for opening day in 2030, the Royals, Kansas City, and fans have time to figure out any potential obstacles.
“I think we’ll get to figure it out,” Royals fan Caden Tucker said. “I think that they have plenty of time to be able to figure everything out and make sure everything’s not going to be packed in here and just kind of slowed down in the process.”
While a lot of parking will be taken away in the near future, if one thing is for certain, the Royals will not. The current lease for Kauffman stadium is set to expire in 2031.
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