Defensive lineman Charles Omenihu is signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
The Chiefs were in the market for a defensive end after releasing four-year starter Frank Clark. One of the other defensive ends from last season’s rotation, Carlos Dunlap, is an unrestricted free agent.
The defending Super Bowl champs return George Karlaftis and Mike Danna at the position. Karlaftis had 6 sacks in 2022 as a rookie, while Danna posted the best season of his three-year NFL career with 5 sacks.
The San Francisco 49ers acquired Omenihu from the Houston Texans in 2021 in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick. He quickly became a prominent member of the Niners’ defensive line rotation, playing on the edge and inside.
In a season and a half in San Francisco, Omenihu appeared in 26 regular-season games, posting 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks (all last season, which set a career high) and a forced fumble.
Omenihu, who turns 26 in August, was arrested for suspicion of domestic violence on Jan. 23, days before the 49ers were scheduled to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Omenihu was also issued a restraining order after his girlfriend alleged he pushed her to the ground in an argument. The case was submitted to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for possible charges.
The Texans originally spent a fifth-round pick, No. 161 overall in the 2019 draft, on Omenihu. He played 35 games with 7 sacks in his time in Houston before the trade.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher and Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.
