The Chiefs will protect their latest safety find in Daniel Sorensen. They plan to apply a second-round tender to the fourth-year safety, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).
This means Sorensen’s salary will jump from $600K to $2.74MM. The Chiefs have now made significant salary news regarding two safeties, but their 2017 cap will actually be burdened less by the position due to Eric Berry‘s extension. Berry took up nearly $11MM of Kansas City’s cap sheet in 2016 while playing on the franchise tag.
As for Sorensen, he will see a raise in advance of his contract year. Due to be a UFA in 2018, Sorensen served as a sub-package player for the Chiefs, who lost both Tyvon Branch (in free agency) and Husain Abdullah (to retirement) after the 2015 season. A 27-year-old ex-UDFA out of BYU, Sorensen played in 16 regular-season games last year for K.C. and made a steady statistical impact, recording 54 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Sorensen added a defensive touchdown as well. He joined Berry and Ron Parker on passing downs, helping the Chiefs’ young cornerback corps match up against offenses’ receiving sets.
Kansas City has continued to churn out production from its Berry complements at safety under Andy Reid and DC Bob Sutton. Quentin Demps, Kurt Coleman and Branch delivered quality work in Kansas City before moving on, and Parker earned a lucrative Chiefs extension after thriving as a converted cornerback. Sorensen figures to have a key role again on a veteran-laden 2017 K.C. defense.