George

Karlaftis

Fowler is unconvinced that Hutchinson will beat the four-year, $186 million deal signed by Packers EDGE Micah Parsons, but it should be plenty lucrative and on par with “quarterback money.” The Lions’ 25-year-old pass rusher currently ties for a positional high in quarterback pressures (31) and ties for second in sacks (six). The Lions face off against the Chiefs in Week 6’s Sunday Night Football game on NBC, and Chiefs EDGE George Karlaftis is the player with whom Hutchinson is tied in the former category. Karlaftis signed a four-year, $93 million extension through 2030 in July.

Gillotte’s progress is notable for fantasy football D/ST purposes. The Chiefs’ defense totaled just 41 sacks last season, tying for 18th among NFL teams, with EDGE George Karlaftis (eight) and DT Chris Jones (six) accounting for 14. The unit lacked a reliable secondary EDGE rusher who could command offensive attention opposite Karlaftis. Should Gillotte meaningfully outperform incumbent EDGE Mike Danna and seize the starting role, his presence could help push the Chiefs’ D/ST unit into the D/ST1 tier.

The deal includes $62 million in fully guaranteed money. The Chiefs exercised Karlaftis’ fifth-year extension this offseason, keeping him under contract through 2026. Watching Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt sign record-setting extensions may have prompted the Chiefs to smartly get this one done ahead of schedule—and more importantly, ahead of more market resets. Karlaftis has racked up 173 quarterback pressures, 26 sacks and 67 tackles through three NFL seasons, sufficiently returning value on his first-round draft capital from the 2022 NFL Draft.

Karlaftis will receive a $15.1 million salary for 2026, indicating that he is a core piece for the Chiefs and someone who they may have extension talks with as the season draws near. Karlaftis has 18.5 sacks in 32 games over the past two seasons. We’d classify him as more good than great, as he posted a career-high 69.8 PFF grade in 2024, but he clearly wins enough to be part of the reason the Chiefs defense is stout.

The deal will be fully guaranteed and includes a fifth-year option. Karlaftis should immediately slot into the Kansas City starting lineup a year after posting 41 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, three fumbles, and two pass break ups while earning second-team All-American recognition at Purdue. Pro Football Focus in 2021 graded KC’s pass rush as the 19th best in the NFL.

In another age, Karlaftis (6’4/266) would have been guarding Mount Olympus, as the Purdue star was born in Athens, Greece before moving to Indiana, where he developed into a four-star recruit. He was a foundational player for the program, logging 843 snaps while generating 54 tackles, 17.0 TFL, 7.5 sacks, two PBUs, and an interception and earning first-team Freshman All-American and second-team. Last year, Karlaftis posted 41 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, five sacks, three fumbles, and two PBUs while earning second-team All-American recognition. The five sacks weren’t eye-popping, but those numbers don’t show just how destructive he was on an every-down basis, as the Greek strongman posted the second-highest pressure rate in the nation when lining up against left tackles and ranked seventh in quarterback hits with 14. He backed up the on-field performance with a strong set of testing numbers, ranking as the 120th most athletic edge defender out of 1,455 that have tested for the NFL since 1987. Karlaftis has a frenetic first step, rushes with a plan, and displays exceptional hand technique to go with a relentless motor while his stout base makes him hard to move in the run game. Though he gets critiqued for lack of elite bend, Karlaftis has the power, work ethic, and talent to be a quality starter in the league for years to come.