Why Chiefs Veteran George Karlaftis Is Poised To Bounce Back In 2026

BusinessSportsMoneyWhy Chiefs Veteran George Karlaftis Is Poised To Bounce Back In 2026ByJeff Fedotin,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jeff Fedotin covers the Kansas City Chiefs and sports business.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 08:15am EDTKansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis gets set on the line of scrimmage during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.In 2025 Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis had his fewest sacks (six) since his rookie year and the fewest passes defended (two) of his career.But during the final week of 2026 organized team activities, Karlaftis’ position coach — defensive line coach Joe Cullen — revealed a major reason for his downturn. Karlaftis broke his right hand and then had surgery during the bye week after Week Nine before returning to play the very next game.Although Karlaftis, who is a pretty taciturn individual, was seen with a cast or extra padding on his hand, the extent of the injury was not known. As he heads into the 2026, he’s feeling much better.“It’s nice,” Karlaftis said with a laugh. “It’s nice to go into a season healthy.”Making last season’s more injury more limiting is the fact that Karlaftis emphasizes hand-to-hand combat along the line of scrimmage.“That was his power hand,” Cullen said.Karlaftis even trained in hand fighting while working out with former Chiefs Pro Bowler Tamba Hali. They worked with Hali’s martial arts instructor two-to-three times a week at 6 a.m. at Hali’s home in Overland Park, Kan. A Married ManIn addition to feeling better physically, the 25-year-old Karlaftis is probably in a good frame of mind after getting married in his native Greece during May. MORE FOR YOU“It was awesome,” Karlaftis said, “one of the best days — if not the best day — of my life.”Many of his teammates made the trip to Greece, including Chris Jon...