KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Safety Husain Abdullah was a lot of things to the Kansas City Chiefs in his three seasons with the team. He was a part-time starter who jumped in now and then as a nickelback and he also had enough pass-rush skills that the Chiefs often felt comfortable sending him on the blitz.

The Chiefs will have difficulty finding all of that versatility in one place but that’s the challenge they’re now faced with. Abdullah announced his retirement on his Instagram account, citing his health as the main reason. He suffered what he said was the fifth concussion of his career last season.

After 7 years in the NFL, I am retiring. I would like to thank the Minnesota Vikings for giving me an opportunity to make the team after going undrafted in 2008. I experienced a great deal of growth both as a football player and as a person during my 4 years in Minnesota. Thank you. The Kansas City Chiefs will forever have a special place in my heart. After sitting out of football to fulfill my Hajj Pilgrimage in 2012, The Chiefs were the first to call. The three years I spent playing for KC may have been the most enjoyable football experience in my entire life. Thank you. There are numerous deciding factors in my decision, with personal health being foremost. Sitting for five weeks last year after suffering the fifth concussion of my career, I had a lot to contemplate. My goals moving forward are to be of benefit to my family, my community, my country and hopefully the world. Having a sound mind will be vital in accomplishing these goals. Thank you to everyone I've crossed paths with during my time as a player. You've had an impact on my life for the better. Thanks for the love and support. It's greatly appreciated. #chiefskingdom #Peace✌🏿️

A photo posted by Husain Abdullah (@habdullah39) on Mar 28, 2016 at 5:53am PDT

Five safeties played a significant amount of snaps for the Chiefs last season and two of them are gone. Tyvon Branch signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals.

So the Chiefs are left with starters Eric Berry and Ron Parker, plus Daniel Sorensen. The Chiefs have moved cornerback Jamell Fleming to safety and perhaps he can help, but the Chiefs wouldn’t be wise to count on that. The Chiefs also have Jordan Kovacs, who played in 28 games with no starts the last three years with the Miami Dolphins.

That isn’t enough for the Chiefs to get the job done, particularly considering that Parker spends some of his playing time as a nickelback. The Chiefs have done a nice job of finding veteran safeties at low cost in free agency in recent years: Abdullah, Branch and Kurt Coleman. It may be too late for them to find that type of help in free agency this year, which means it’s a good thing they have seven picks in the upcoming draft.

They may have to use one or more of them on the safety position.