KANSAS CITY, Mo. (July 24, 2006) -- Cornerback Ty Law passed his physical and officially signed a five-year contract with Kansas City, adding an established star to a defense that could be on the rise.
Law then rushed out in search of a house, requiring the Chiefs to reschedule a news conference with the five-time Pro Bowler for July 25.
"We are very pleased to have Ty with us," Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson told The Associated Press. "I just talked with our doctors. He's fine. He came in at 208 pounds. He's been working out and it shows. He's ready to go."
The Chiefs brought in Law twice last year when he was a free agent, but were concerned about his injured foot. But he signed with the New York Jets and, coached by Herman Edwards, led the NFL with 10 interceptions.
Now he'll be reunited with Edwards, who left the Jets at the end of the season and replaced the retired Dick Vermeil in Kansas City.
A five-time Pro Bowler who played on New England's Super Bowl champions, Law is the most decorated player the Chiefs have acquired since the early '90s, when they brought in Joe Montana and Marcus Allen. Even Peterson was surprised at the reaction when word got out that he and Law had agreed on contract terms.
"I am taken aback at how this has been received by Chiefs fans all around the country," Peterson said. "In the first 15 minutes, our Web site had 50,000 hits. Our server could hardly handle it."
Law, 32, will team with another former Pro Bowler, Patrick Surtain, to form what could be a formidable defensive secondary.
"It was one of the longest negotiations I've been involved in," Peterson said. "His agent called us right after he was released from the Jets and said, 'You need to have Ty Law.' I said we sure had an interest. But when he threw up those first numbers, I said we were not that interested. It had to work for us for our (salary) cap and cash. And after five or six months, we finally came to agreement."
The Chiefs open training camp in River Falls, Wisc., on July 28.
The Patriots also showed interest in Law.
