R Mason Thomas exploded onto the NFL scene in Week 1, bagging a sack against Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in his debut. It was a huge moment for the second-round pick out of Oklahoma, making everyone think the Chiefs found a gem. But since that initial splash, the stat sheet has been stubbornly quiet for Thomas, despite him racking up nine quarterback pressures on the year. He just hasn’t gotten home again. And honestly, it is not just Thomas, the entire Kansas City pass rush has started the 2026 season woefully slow, with only nine total sacks. That is a tough pill to swallow for any defense.
“Just Keep Swimming,” Says Karlaftis to Struggling Rookies
Defensive end George Karlaftis knows exactly what Thomas and fellow rookie, first-round defensive tackle Peter Woods, are going through. Before Wednesday’s practice, Karlaftis opened up about his own bumpy start back in 2022. He’s been there, done that, and he has got the receipts. “Look guys, I was a first round pick,” Karlaftis explained. “Whatever success I’ve had, I was a first-round pick, and I didn’t have a full sack until after Thanksgiving.” That’s a brutal reality check, even for a top draft pick. The NFL adjustmen is just flat-out daunting. Karlaftis believes it is all about perseverance, even quoting Dory from “Finding Nemo”: “Just keep swimming.”
Finding the “Little Things” After a Week 8 Wake-Up Call
Karlaftis ultimately found his stride, piling up 5.5 sacks over the last seven games of his rookie season and finishing with 21 pressures. His advice to Woods and Thomas is all about those “ebbs and flows.” He gets that they are doubting themselves, but he wants them to see the good stuff on tape, because “it makes a man of you to be honest.” For Karlaftis, the turning point came after a Week 8 bye week in his rookie year, right after a tough game against the San Francisco 49ers. He recalled missing two or three sacks in the fourth quarter of that game and being absolutely “ticked off,” even “pissed at myself.” He called his coach, Joe Cullen, like 20 times that week, just begging for help to get it right. They laid out a plan, he said, and that is when things started clicking. Time off, even for a veteran, is crucial for reflection, review, and ultimately, improvement.
These guys love football, Karlaftis emphasized, and if they “just keep at it, keep chopping wood, keep improving, keep finding those little details” in their game, those pressures will turn into sacks. That missed tackle becomes a tackle for loss. It is a long process, one that takes everything out of you, but the veteran believes Woods and Thomas can figure it out. It is going to be crucial for them to find their own bye-week moment and make those adjustments, because the Chiefs need their pass rush to click, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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