If you had told fans a year ago that the Chiefs would trade their star cornerback only to pick a rookie to replace him, skepticism would have been the least of your concerns. But the Chiefs did it anyway, and it’s paying off!
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Mansoor Delane has established himself as a solid defensive back, but from the first few weeks, it’s clear he has plenty to learn. And at the end of Week 3, one of his biggest lessons has come in an official letter from the NFL discipline committee.
The league hit Delane with a $12,537 penalty for an illegal low block late in the first quarter. The NFL filed the play under its “unnecessary roughness” rulebook section, marking a steep financial lesson for the young defensive back.
In simple terms, the NFL allows defenders to go low to tackle a ball carrier during normal running plays, but techniques like dropping full body weight onto a runner’s lower legs can cause severe knee injuries. Because player safety is a massive focus for the league, any dangerous tackle that violates safety rules is flagged on the field or penalized post-game with hefty fines and warnings to stop defenders from using dangerous techniques.
The moment came early on in the Week 3 clash against Miami. In their opening drive, the Dolphins marched 91 yards down the field to reach the Chiefs’ 15-yard line. When the Dolphins threw a quick pass to wide receiver Malik Washington, Delane went low to trip him up before he could break free toward the end zone.
While the physical stop held Washington back, Miami still finished that drive with a touchdown, making the illegal hit costly in hindsight, even though referees on the field didn’t catch the tackle in real time. The fine for a low block can go up to $18,507 for a second offense. But here’s why we’re not worried about the block, especially when you look at Delane’s history.
You see, before coming to Kansas City, Delane earned unanimous All-American honors in his final college season at LSU. He built his reputation by completely locking down receivers, giving up zero touchdowns while breaking up 13 passes. But there’s an interesting stat line that goes unnoticed, one that better defines his 2025 season as a defensive back.
As the Chiefs website put it, “Among cornerbacks with at least 350 coverage snaps last season, Delane was one of just 18 to not allow a single touchdown, and of that group, Delane was one of only two players to also not commit a penalty all year.”
That had been a part of the problem in the secondary for the Chiefs last season, and Trent McDuffie had received his share of penalties too. During the Thanksgiving game last year, McDuffie had three defensive pass interference calls in the second half of that loss alone. In Week 12, he received a $11,593 fine from the NFL for a first-quarter facemask penalty as well.
Although the problem doesn’t seem too serious, for a rookie cornerback, keeping things clean will be important, especially to keep the secondary afloat.
That’s why the Chiefs selected him No. 6 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft after all, and the rookie credited his upbringing for his success.
“There was always a standard in the household, and it didn’t have to be football; it could be anything, but we tried to be the best at what we did,” Delane said. “That was always the goal.”
That brilliance has been noticed in his game. One particular talent that he has taken from his collegiate career to the NFL is his excellence in coverage. Delane was the fourth-best coverage cornerback in the FBS according to Pro Football Focus, and he has maintained that at the most elite level of football, earning a PFF grade of 93.8, the highest-graded cornerback in man coverage in 2026 so far.
Apart from the foul he committed, Delane was pretty impressive against the Dolphins, recording 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, while also defending a pass. The rookie allowed only five catches for 24 yards against the Dolphins, playing 72 defensive snaps for the Chiefs. However, his biggest challenge is still on its way.
Going into Week 4, Delane will face the Chiefs’ toughest opponents so far: the Raiders, with a 3-0 record, the same as the Chiefs. But Delane isn’t looking at the game as somewhat difficult, but is rather unfazed by the Raiders.
“It’s a divisional game, so that always means a lot,” Delane told the media. “But to me, like I said, it’s just another opponent. I’m just going to prepare the same way. But obviously, it has a little more history to it.”
Delane has gained confidence, practicing with the faces of the league like superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, but would need to be careful of Kirk Cousins’ deadly passes to the wide receivers, as Cousins leads the league with nine touchdowns this season. Delane has attributed his game plan for having that “physical mentality” coming into this game, with which veteran L’Jarius Sneed has helped him a lot.
“Yeah, I think just the way (L’Jarius Sneed) he’s a vet, his preparation, just his mentality. I think it’s another thing Coach (Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) loves about him,” said Delane. “The thing I love about him is just the way he plays the game, forcing that fumble. It may not always be the cleanest way, but he’s going to find a way to get it done, and I just love that about that guy.”
It is definitely going to be a showdown on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, with the Chiefs hoping to secure a win and Delane willing to showcase his talent in yet another game.