Even if this offseason’s free agent pool isn’t the deepest or most exciting the NFL world has seen, it offers plenty of opportunity for Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane to retool his roster for another attempt at the Lombardi Trophy.
To that end, there’s value in acquiring players who’ve hoisted the trophy themselves. No doubt, Beane has scoured the pending free agents from the top teams around the NFL to see who can help his team win a championship instead.
There, he’ll find a potential answer at inside linebacker, where the Bills have a bit of a void in Jim Leonhard’s new 3-4 scheme as 32-year-old veterans Shaq Thompson and Matt Milano see their contracts expire. And even better, he’d be poaching a young stud from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Affordable Chiefs defender a plausible candidate for Bills to fill void at inside linebacker
A 2022 third-round pick by the Chiefs, linebacker Leo Chenal is set to become a free agent, and the Bills could be an intriguing landing spot for the 25-year-old. He didn’t quite stick in Kansas City, playing just 53% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2025 before his season ended due to a shoulder injury.
Chenal was more of a part-time starter for the Chiefs, a reliable figure in the middle of the defense, particularly against the run. At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, he’s built like a classic thumping linebacker, and he can fill that role well. But that’s not to say he’s a total liability in coverage; the Chiefs simply didn’t need to use him there.
As for Buffalo, Chenal would be a strong candidate to slide into the spot Thompson and Milano may be vacating next to Terrel Bernard. The money makes sense, too, as Sports Illustrated projected Chenal to sign a three-year, $25 million deal, with the Bills listed as a potential fit for his services. The guys at Arrowhead Addict think he could be had for much cheaper, possibly in the $6–6.25 million per year range.
That’s more than doable for the Bills as Beane looks to reshape the defense in Leonhard’s vision. Chenal can step in alongside Bernard and concede reps to a younger player, potentially someone selected in the mid-rounds of the draft. That would give the linebacker room some stability in the coming years, allowing Beane to pour resources into other areas along the defense.
Beyond that, again, Chenal has Super Bowl experience, winning two rings with the Chiefs and playing in three Super Bowls. That's invaluable experience the Bills' defense completely lacks heading into 2026. While Chenal may not have made the biggest impact in reaching and winning those championships, he still witnessed the magic and can help bring some of it to Buffalo in free agency.
That said, Chenal is likely looking for a home where he can see plenty of reps. In four seasons with Kansas City, he never played more than 445 snaps on defense in a single season, and his season-high in tackles is just 60. If Buffalo can’t offer him more on-field opportunities than Kansas City, he may opt for greener pastures elsewhere.
Nonetheless, he’s an intriguing name to watch for the Bills as free agency gets started.