Although the New England Patriots were able to land some premier names in free agency, such as wide receiver Romeo Doubs and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, they also saw some key departures. One of whom was defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga, who signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tonga had carved out a rotational role behind defensive lineman Christian Barmore and Milton Williams. He proved to be a valuable contributor even though he was a backup, logging 24 total tackles and a career-high 12 hurries across 14 regular-season games.
On the surface level, it makes sense why Tonga would join Kansas City. He’ll have an expanded role while also playing alongside star defensive tackle Chris Jones. But with this opportunity comes bigger responsibilities, as Tonga will be tasked with elevating Kansas City’s defense back to its championship form.
With these heightened expectations, Tonga may soon be hit with a harsh reality.
Khyiris Tonga’s Limitations Will Be Exposed in Kansas City
Given the lack of depth behind him, one of the biggest challenges Tonga faces is to transform into a starting-caliber defensive tackle. Unlike in New England, where Tonga was backing up Barmore and Williams, the Chiefs lack quality, experienced interior defenders beyond star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Currently, the Chiefs’ backups consist of Zacch Pickens, Omarr Norman-Lott, and Marcus Harris. Last season, Pickens and Norman-Lott combined for 131 snaps, and although both are young players, they didn’t prove to be reliable. Meanwhile, Harris has yet to play a defensive snap in his two-year career.
While they’ll likely add to the position through the draft, Tonga will face immediate pressure to provide high-level contributions–and that’s something he hasn’t done in his career.
In New England, Tonga was primarily used to bolster their interior depth and strengthen their run defense. He played a key part in the Patriots' ranking sixth in rushing yards allowed per game (101.7), displaying the skill set of an elite run-stopper, which they must replace.
The Warning Signs Are There
Despite these contributions, Tonga appeared in just 33% of New England’s defensive snaps, and has only had two seasons where he saw more snaps rushing the passer than defending the run. Outside of contributing on the early downs against the run, Tonga doesn’t offer much upside as a pass-rusher.
Over his career, Tonga posted only a half-sack across 67 regular-season games, with his lone full-sack coming in the postseason. While he posted a career-high in pressures last season, which helped him earn a solid 74.3 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus, much of that production can be attributed to lining up alongside Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson.
Moving to Kansas City, Tonga will see more snaps, and he'll be expected to generate pressure. The problem is the Chiefs don’t have the same supporting cast as the Patriots.
While Jones and edge rusher George Karlaftis are their premier pass rushers, they didn’t get much contribution from the duo last season, combining for 13 sacks. Outside of them, their pass rush was almost non-existent, as the rest of the team combined for 20 sacks.
Tonga has demonstrated throughout his career that he’s great in a rotational role. With increased responsibility and high expectations, Tonga may struggle to build upon his success in New England.
Although deserving of the opportunity, the mounting pressure and thinner supporting cast place extreme weight on Tonga's shoulders, and he may learn sooner or later that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.