George Karlaftis' $15.2M Contract Option Reportedly Exercised by Chiefs

George Karlaftis is sticking around in Kansas City.

The Chiefs exercised Karlaftis' fifth-year option, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, meaning he'll be under contract through the 2026 season unless the two sides agree to a long-term extension before then. 

Karlaftis will earn $15.2 million in 2026 on his fifth-year option. 

The former 30th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Karlaftis has had a strong start to his career. He had a solid rookie year with 33 tackles, six sacks, four passes defended and four tackles for loss before posting 47 tackles, 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defended in 2023.

He played a big role in the Chiefs' Super Bowl run, posting 19 tackles and three sacks in Kansas City's four playoff games. He also had a crucial fumble recovery in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers.

In 2024, Karlaftis recorded 35 tackles, eight sacks, five passes defended and nine tackles for loss. He posted a strong playoff performance with 13 tackles and four sacks across Kansas City's three games.

The Chiefs were able to add more help on their defensive line in the draft, bringing in Omarr Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte in rounds two and three. This should help take some of the burden off Karlaftis, who has been easily their most productive edge player over the past two seasons.

Karlaftis, still just 24 years old, has shown early in his career that he can be a force on the defensive line, and the Chiefs want to keep him around for at least one more year.