The Kansas City Chiefs are a little under $1 million over the 2025 salary cap, and with NFL free agency a little under one month away, the team will have to make some adjustments to its current roster to become cap compliant.
The decision star tight end Travis Kelce makes will be a big part of the team’s salary cap puzzle.
If Kelce retires – or Kansas City trades or cuts him – before March 14, the team will save $17.25 million.
If he doesn’t retire, the Chiefs can either cut him and re-sign him to a more team-friendly deal, or extend him and add around $12.79 million in cap space.
But more important to the team’s salary cap equation is the $66.258 million cap hit of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs could convert $47.745 million of Mahomes’ money into a restructuring bonus and spread that payment out over the next five seasons.
That would drop his 2025 salary down to roughly $11.8 million, and when partnered with his other bonuses, his 2025 cap hit would only be $28 million.
And while the team can lower Mahomes’ 2025 cap number by $38.996 million, which would go a long way toward retaining many of Kansas City’s 20 unrestricted free agents, it’ll only be kicking the can down the road before the QB’s enormous bill comes due.
If the Chiefs believe they’re still in their Super Bowl window, moving money around and keeping a competitive roster just makes sense.
But anytime a team moves giant chunks of money around – especially quarterback money – it has to be cognizant not digging so big a hole it can’t get out.
The Chiefs can also get creative and create cap flexibility for next season in other ways. For instance, they can save $20.69 million by restructuring star defensive tackle Chris Jones’ contract, or they can create $22.07 million in cap space by extending Jones.
Kansas City can also save $15.06 million by extend offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, or it can save $9.41 million by restructuring Taylor’s deal, or shed $20 million by trading Taylor post-June 1.
Likewise, the Chiefs can save $16 million by cutting or trading offensive lineman Joe Thuney, or it can save $11.79 million by extending him.
They can also create a combined $13 million in cap space by trading linebacker Drue Tranquill and defensive lineman Mike Danna post-June 1.
