When linebacker Drue Tranquill signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs before the 2023 season, his best-case scenario was likely winning Super Bowl LVIII and earning a long-term contract offer this offseason.
That’s exactly how it played out, but he probably didn’t anticipate that coming from Kansas City.
It’s happened many times throughout NFL history: a veteran joining a team for one year, proving himself by helping win a title, then getting compensated for that newfound value elsewhere. Tranquill left such a mark on 2023 that the Chiefs — who have drafted and developed much of their championship core — were willing to offer him a three-year deal to become a more cemented part of the defense.