The Kansas City Chiefs' defensive end, George Karlaftis, spent the 2025 season recovering from the surgery that he had in the bye week.

According to a sports journalist, McKenzie Nelson tweeted via X about Karlaftis that he had surgery on Week 10 on his right hand, which defensive line coach Joe Cullen disclosed on June 3.

“ #Chiefs: Joe Cullen says George Karlaftis had a broken hand during the season, his power hand. Had surgery on it during the BYE week,” Her tweet reads.

Karlaftis recorded 25 solo tackles with 6 sacks in last season and had a PFF grade of 76.5, ranking 23rd among 115 DEs.

“One of the things — and George doesn’t say anything — but he broke his hand," Cullen said on Wednesday. "He had a broken hand and didn’t miss a game.”

Karlaftis broke his on the field during the ' Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills, where the Chiefs lost with a final score of 28-21 .

After the injury, Karlaftis' performance fell, recording one sack with a disappointing finish, but as per Cullen, he is completely healed now and has participated in OTAs.

“He’s just healthy, and he’s excited, and he’s going into his fifth year, and he knows the defense like the back of his hand," Cullen added.

With Karlaftis healthy again, the Chiefs had another reason to feel confident about their investment in him.

Why the Chiefs Have Every Reason to Feel Good About Karlaftis' Contract

The latest contract signed by Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher Nick Herbig reflected just how valuable George Karlaftis' deal looked for the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to KC Kingdom, Herbig got a four-year extension worth $100 million, the Chiefs had committed to Karlaftis on a six-year arrangement that had a lower average annual value of $18.3 million. The comparison showed why Kansas City acted early instead of waiting for the market to rise more.

Karlaftis earned that confidence through his record during his first three NFL seasons. The former first-round pick recorded 24.5 sacks and more than 100 tackles before signing his extension with the team.

But he finished the 2025 season with disappointment due to his injury. His overall body of work gave the team reason to believe he could return to a higher level of dominance in the field.

The contract gave Kansas City valuable financial flexibility. The Chiefs restructured Karlaftis' deal and created additional salary-cap space, which helped them complete rookie signings and manage other roster moves.

With Karlaftis entering his fifth year , the Chiefs appeared well-positioned to receive a strong record in the upcoming season.

How strong do you think Karlaftis' performance will be in September, considering his good health status ? Let us know!

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Written by

Shreya Mishra

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi