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Chris Chambers tested the free agency waters for just over 72 hours before the Chiefs were able to officially bring him back for 2010. Today’s news surrounding the return of Chambers for another season is Kansas City’s biggest splash in free agency to date.

Chambers represents the Chiefs second unrestricted free agent pickup of 2010. Wide receiver/special teamer Terrance Copper was the first UFA to sign with Kansas City since open bidding began on Friday (RB Jackie Battle doesn’t have enough league tenure to get an unrestricted label to his status as a free agent).

Adam Schefter first reported the terms of Chambers’ new contract earlier this afternoon and now the Chiefs have confirmed the signing. The confirmation by Kansas City’s front office means that the deal is officially signed in ink.

Widely viewed as the most important in-house UFA to re-sign, Chambers changed the course of the Chiefs offense upon arrival via waivers in early November. Prior to Chambers landing in Kansas City, the Chiefs had turned in an abysmal total of just three completions of 30 yards or more through seven games. With Chambers in the lineup for the next nine games, the Chiefs notched 14.

Outside of Jamaal Charles, Chambers was Kansas City’s offensive savior in 2010. He and Charles came on late and literally changed the way that the Chiefs played offense.

In his first game with the club, just five days after joining the team, Chambers got loose on a 54-yard TD connection – it was that vertical speed that the team had been searching for, but not found, from players like Ashley Lelie that got him free. That play was the longest gain of the Chiefs season at the time. Chambers eventually topped that play with a 61-yard reception to help beat the Steelers in overtime, followed by a one-up from Charles and his 76-yard TD run at Denver.

Chambers’ role as vertical threat began quickly and only continued to grow. In his first two games with the team, the Chiefs connected on passes of 54, 44, 41, 36, 34 and 31 yards. Remember, there were just three such instances combined in the seven games before. Kansas City would finish the year with 17.

Chambers also provided immediate results for WR Dwayne Bowe, who logged 10 receptions for 165 yards in the two games playing alongside Chambers before going on the suspended list. Those two-game numbers represented 21.3% of Bowe’s seasonal reception total and 28.0% of his seasonal yardage total.

Chiefs fans will now get to see Chambers’ big impact grow from a man thrown head-first into the deep end, to a receiver who’s able to take time and develop a rapport with his quarterback. A full offseason in the playbook and working out with Matt Cassel can only be beneficial for both Chambers and the Chiefs offense as a whole.

Re-inking Chambers is big news for the Chiefs. Most expected that this deal would get done. Today it became official.