Chiefs lose safety Tyvon Branch to Cardinals

Tyvon Branch will sign a two-year deal worth $5 million guaranteed and $10 million maximum with the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday, a source confirmed to The Star. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported the news first.

Branch, 29, thrived in a reserve-safety role for the Chiefs in 2015, recording 43 tackles and an interception in 16 games.

Branch signed a one-year “prove-it” deal with the Chiefs last offseason after he was released by Oakland, where he started 57 consecutive games from 2009 to 2012 before injuries derailed his last two seasons. During that four-year period, the 6-foot, 210-pound Branch averaged 107 combined tackles and four pass deflections per season.

In 2014, Branch had 30 combined tackles in only three games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. In 2013, Branch broke his leg and had five combined tackles in two games.

Branch signed a four-year, $26 million extension with the Raiders before the 2012 season. He was released in February 2015, creating $3 million in cap space for the Raiders.

A source told The Star at the NFL Combine that the Chiefs had interest in retaining Branch’s services. As it stands, however, he is just the latest reserve safety to leave Kansas City via free agency after posting nice seasons on one-year prove-it deals. In 2014, Quintin Demps signed with the Giants after a four-interception season in Kansas City, while Kurt Coleman signed with the Panthers in 2015 after a three-interception season with the Chiefs.

This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Chiefs lose safety Tyvon Branch to Cardinals."