Kansas City Chiefs: Anthony Hitchens is a star in the making

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 02: Anthony Hitchens (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 02: Anthony Hitchens (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs had to pay a lot of money for linebacker Anthony Hitchens in free agency, but he’s a star in the making and will be well worth it

One of the less-discussed signings in free agency this offseason was when the Kansas City Chiefs gave linebacker Anthony Hitchens a five-year deal worth $45 million. While it’s true that the cash involved to lure him was a lot, that’s what happens in free agency. The good news for the Chiefs is that Hitchens will likely be worth every penny.

A former fourth-round pick out of Iowa, Hitchens saw the field a lot for the Dallas Cowboys early. He stepped in at all three linebacker positions during his four seasons and played them all well. He was an underrated player in an often struggling defense, but that’s something that will change now in Kansas City.

As mentioned earlier, Hitchens had to play all three positions in Dallas. As soon as he was comfortable in one area, he moved over to accommodate for an injury or poor play from a teammate. Even so, he recorded 304 tackles and one interception in his four years.

Hitch did enough in that time to get the Chiefs’ attention, and they even tried to trade for him, but to no avail. Instead, they had to chase him in the offseason to make him the leader of their defense.

As for Hitchens, it’s also a win since there’s a defined role in place for him with the Chiefs. That will result in him leaning more on his natural instincts and great tackling.

In the end, Kansas City will look very smart for this move as they found a rising star in Hitchens. For a defense that has been depleted in recent years, he could step up and keep the unit in form as he arrives.