Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner is quietly having a breakout year in 2024. The second-year player out of Virginia Tech has made several huge plays for the Chiefs’ defense this season. Conner hasn’t gotten a lot of recognition yet with playing in the shadows of Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie. However, the 24-year-old’s stellar play is a huge reason the Chiefs are 5-0 heading into their bye week.
Who is Chamarri Conner?
Chamarri Conner was a standout defensive back and special teamer for the Virginia Tech Hokies, playing in every game as a true freshman. He became a full-time starter in his sophomore year and was an All-ACC Honorable Mention in his junior and senior years. After returning to school for an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chiefs selected Conner in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Conner started the year behind Justin Reid, Bryan Cook and Mike Edwards on the depth chart. While he didn’t see the field much on defense, Conner was included in nearly all of the Chiefs’ special teams packages. His defensive snap count increased late in the year after Bryan Cook was placed on IR.
Stepping up for the injured Cook, Conner went from playing under 20% of defensive snaps to being on the field for half of the Chiefs’ plays on defense. He played 99% of defensive snaps in the Chiefs’ AFC Divisional playoff win over the Buffalo Bills. In his best game as a rookie, Conner recorded 10 total tackles and forced a fumble.
Taking the Leap in Year 2
Building off a strong finish to 2023, Chamarri Conner is in the running for the NFL’s Most Improved Player for 2024. Last year Conner recorded 36 total tackles and one interception in 17 games. With Mike Edwards now in Buffalo, Conner has improved rapidly with increased playing time. Through five games this season, he already has 28 total tackles, one interception, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Conner has shown a knack for making huge plays in crucial situations. In Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, he recovered a Joe Burrow fumble and took it 38 yards for a touchdown that gave the Chiefs the lead. This play ended up being the difference in a game where Patrick Mahomes and the offense struggled.
The young safety then led the Chiefs in tackles the following week against the Atlanta Falcons. He also had an interception to stall a Falcons two-minute drive and help the Chiefs set up a field goal before the half. Chamarri Conner’s playmaking has been crucial to the Chiefs’ undefeated start. There’s a chance the Chiefs would’ve lost to the Bengals and Falcons if not for his timely takeaways.
Can Chamarri Conner Continue His Strong Play?
After recording at least six tackles in each of the Chiefs’ first three games, Conner has fallen back down to Earth a bit. He has recorded just six total tackles over the past two weeks, along with no pass deflections. Fortunately, this didn’t keep the Chiefs from winning those two games against the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints.
The Chiefs are on their bye in Week 6. Conner can use the extra time to rest and regroup so he can return to his early-season form. With so many injuries on the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs will need more of Conner’s big-time playmaking on defense to help secure wins.
Following their bye week, the Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated rematch of last season’s Super Bowl.
Main Photo Courtesy of Dale Zanine – Imagn Images
