The Kansas City Chiefs are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff picture heading into their week 18 tilt against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Because the Chiefs have nothing to play for, the coaching staff is using this week to give more opportunities to players who have not seen that much game action this season.
One of those players is rookie pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft this past Spring.
While speaking to the media on Thursday, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Dave Cullen expressed their confidence in Anudike-Uzomah ahead of this week’s game.
“I think he’s [Felix Anudike-Uzomah] developed well. He’s still very young,” Spagnuolo explained. “I’ve seen him mature and grow in meetings. It will be nice to see him get some plays this week, see where he’s at.”
Cullen echoed the same message, stating that Anudike-Uzomah’s continual development throughout the season will pay dividends.
“Felix [Anudike-Uzomah] got thrown into the fire early – he was getting about 20-25 snaps a game because we went into the first game without Chris [Jones] and Charles [Omenihu] was limited with the six games we didn’t have him,” Cullen said of the promising rookie. “It was an opportunity for him to show who he was, and he did a really good job, he was getting better. He’s doing a great job and he’s only going to get better.”
Anudike-Uzomah has had a quiet rookie campaign, but this week will be a monumental opportunity for the former Kansas State edge rusher to display his growth and development in live game action.