Six-Year Veteran Safety Inks Deal with the Kansas City Chiefs
Veteran safety Alohi Gilman entered the offseason as an intriguing free agent after splitting last year between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, offering a physical, assignment-sound presence on the back end for teams seeking stability at safety. His midseason arrival in Baltimore via the Odafe Oweh trade helped solidify a unit that had struggled early, freeing up star safety Kyle Hamilton to roam more and attack the football while Gilman handled a larger share of the deep and alley responsibilities. Though he was not the fastest defensive back on the market and did have some missed tackles, he has steadily built a reputation as a reliable, high-IQ defender who can plug into multiple roles in modern split-safety schemes. As several contenders looked to stretch their dollars on defense, it has been announced that the Kansas City Chiefs have signed Gilman to a three-year deal worth $24.75 million.
Gilman’s football journey began in Hawaii and took off when he enrolled at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he started 12 games as a freshman in 2016 and posted 76 tackles on his way to honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference honors and ECAC Rookie of the Year recognition. After deciding he didn’t see a future as a Naval officer, he transferred to Notre Dame, sat out 2017 per NCAA rules, then emerged as a high-impact starter, setting a program bowl record with 19 tackles against Clemson and adding a 10-tackle performance versus USC while earning praise as a tough, “run-and-hit” safety. That physical, instinctive style carried him into the NFL, where he carved out a role with the Chargers and, later, the Ravens, starting 30 games over the last three seasons and compiling over 200 solo tackles, nearly 120 assists, multiple interceptions, and several fumble recoveries as a core piece of both defensive and special teams units. Along the way, he also showed resilience through injuries, including a late-season hamstring issue in Los Angeles that landed him on injured reserve before he returned to log every defensive snap in a playoff game and finish with double-digit tackles, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble.
In 2025, Gilman opened the year as a starter for the Chargers, logging heavy snaps on defense and contributing 22 tackles and three pass breakups over their first five games before being dealt to Baltimore on October 7th in a move that helped the Ravens rebalance their secondary during a turbulent season. Once in Baltimore, he operated primarily as a steadying presence who allowed Hamilton and first-round rookie Malaki Starks to be deployed more creatively, even as some tackling issues and speed limitations kept him from emerging as an unquestioned long-term answer at the position. As he heads into next season with the Chiefs, Gilman aims to continue showcasing his veteran playmaking ability and leadership as Kansas City eyes a deep playoff run. With Gilman’s versatility, toughness, and experience in both single-high and split-safety structures, the Chiefs have a highly valuable defensive asset they can deploy at key points throughout each game in hopes of getting the most out of him next season and beyond.
