The Kansas City Chiefs have some new pieces in the secondary for a second consecutive year. This time, it’s the safety position getting an influx of new talent with veteran Mike Edwards joining in free agency and Chamarri Conner being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
After spending the past four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Edwards says that learning a new system has him feeling “like a rookie again” in some ways. Even as he’s tried to learn and soak everything up himself, he’s quickly become a mentor for the rookie Conner. And the veteran, Edwards, likes what he’s seen from the rookie, even likening Conner to himself when he first entered the NFL back in 2019.
“Chamarri (Conner) is a phenomenal player,” Edwards said. “I mean, he’s a rookie. He’s kind of like me when I was a rookie. He learns very well. You can see that he’s got some things that you can’t teach as far as like instincts and everything. He just has that and some people can’t have that. You see that from him. He can play all over, he can play dime, safety. He’ll be used all over. I really like how he’s played.”
That is especially high praise from a veteran player like Edwards, who has a penchant for being a ballhawk himself. His three interceptions returned for touchdowns since 2019 are among the most in the NFL during that span. Edwards hasn’t been on the field much with Conner this offseason due to a hamstring injury, but he’s done plenty of observation.
Asked about what he’s learned from Edwards so far, the rookie Conner explained that he’s comfortable asking questions and getting feedback from his new teammate. He knows that Edwards has a lot of knowledge and insight to offer from his four years in the league.
“I’m learning a lot,” Conner said. “I can always ask Mike (Edwards) questions or you know get some feedback from him. It’s been great just to see a guy that has been in the league for a while and being able to learn from him. It has been good.”
