Kansas City Chiefs have decisions to make before free agency
The Kansas City Chiefs must make moves before we get to NFL free agency starting on Monday. Here are a few thoughts on what to expect.
Brett Veach isn’t going to be quiet this offseason. He never is.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ general manager has to be stewing after his team blew a 21-3 lead in the AFC Championship Game to the Cincinnati Bengals, falling 27-24 in overtime. Now, with an offseason of tough decisions ahead, Veach must get to work.
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Kansas City has already released veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens to save $8 million in space. They then tagged left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. at $16.5 million. The moves leave the Chiefs at $5.9 million over the cap, a threshold they must be under at the start of the new league year on March 16.
So what moves should/will Veach and the Chiefs likely make in the next week? Here’s a few:
– Cut Frank Clark
By cutting the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher, Kansas City saves $12.7 million. This move alone gets the Chiefs cap compliant and gives them enough to sign a draft class. Clark has reached the Pro Bowl in each of his campaigns in Kansas City, but he’s yet to notch double-digit sacks. With a whopping $26.3 million cap hit in 2022, he’s either getting restructured or outright released.
– Extend Tyreek Hill
This has been reported on, first by Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network and then confirmed by both Bob Fescoe of 610 KC and myself. The Chiefs are negotiating with Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on a deal that would keep the six-time Pro Bowler in Kansas City for years to come. Currently, Hill is entering the final year of his contract on a cap hit of $20.7 million. An extension with back-loaded money would potentially open up $13-14 million in space.
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– Restructure Patrick Mahomes’ deal
The Chiefs signed Mahomes to a 12-year, $450 million extension after the 2019 season, and it’s already turning out to be one of the best contracts in the league. One of the best parts from a team perspective is being able to push money without much penalty on an annual basis. If the Chiefs decide to restructure Mahomes’ deal once more by converting some base salary to bonus, Kansas City can clear roughly $22 million off its books for 2022. Not a bad lever to pull of the Chiefs want to sign a few additions this offseason.
