The Kansas City Chiefs welcomed seven new players through the 2025 NFL Draft, and over a dozen undrafted free agents signed to the 90-man offseason roster.

The influx of new talent signals the next generation of stars who will contribute to the Chiefs’ winning ways, but it is also a stark reminder of the NFL lifecycle. Change is a constant in the NFL, and several veteran players could soon find themselves positioned to lose their jobs to younger players, with performance and finances at the root of the decisions.

Here’s a look at six Chiefs veteran players who should be on high alert over the next two seasons.

CB Joshua Williams:

This 2022 NFL Draft pick has a massive target on his back heading into this offseason. Not only did the Chiefs draft Nohl Williams in the third round, but some notable financial decisions are at play here. The amount of playing time he received in his first three NFL seasons has qualified Joshua Williams for a proven performance escalator in the 2025 NFL season. That means instead of what he was owed initially in 2025, he’ll earn a one-year contract worth $3.406 million or 110 percent of his prior-year base salary, whichever is greater. Jaylen Watson also earned the same level one PPE bonus, which means he’ll earn that same $3.406 million in 2025. Ultimately, that’s far too much money to pay a player (Joshua Williams) who could wind up as your No. 5 cornerback behind Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Kristian Fulton, and Nohl Williams when it’s all said and done. The Chiefs might be wise to seek a trade partner for this player after training camp and the preseason, but ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

OT Wanya Morris:

Like Williams, Morris’s playing time in his first two seasons in the league will qualify him for a proven performance escalator in the 2026 NFL season. That’s even if he doesn’t play a single snap in 2025. Instead of the $1.4M he would initially be owed on his rookie contract, he’ll earn a one-year contract worth $3.406 million or 110 percent of his prior-year base salary, whichever is greater. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he were the team’s starting right tackle in 2026 or even a key depth piece for the team, but it also could be a reason why they choose to move on from Morris as early as the 2026 season. It depends on how the competition shakes out with players like Jaylon Moore, Josh Simmons, Ethan Driskell, Chu Godrick, Esa Pole, and Dalton Cooper.

OT Jawaan Taylor:

Similarly to Morris, I don’t know if Jaylon Moore, Josh Simmons, Ethan Driskell, Chu Godrick, Esa Pole, or Dalton Cooper will replace Taylor as a starter. That piece of the puzzle remains to be seen. It could be any of those players or someone not yet on the roster. I know the Chiefs have an obvious “out year” in Taylor’s contract in 2026, meaning they can release him with minimal dead money ($7.3M) and huge cap savings ($20M). Given those numbers, there are two options with Taylor in 2026. You either extend him to spread out his $27M cap hit, or you cut him and gain $20M in cap space that you can use to extend players from the 2022 NFL Draft class. I think the decision is clear, especially knowing that Taylor leads the NFL  in penalties (31) over the past two seasons.

LB Drue Tranquill:

The Jeffrey Bassa pick makes much more sense when considering a few different things about Drue Tranquill. First, Tranquill is coming off a down season where he wasn’t quite as productive or effective as he was in his first season with Kansas City.  Secondly, his contract is one of the easier ones to move off of in 2026. If they release him, the team can save $6M against his $7.5M cap hit. Given his age, medical history, and the fact that Leo Chenal is slated for free agency following the 2025 NFL season, it’s plausible that the Chiefs cut Tranquill in 2026. They can use the funds gained to retain Chenal, while someone like Bassa steps into the role previously filled by Tranquill.

DE Mike Danna:

Danna earned a three-year contract worth $24M in 2024 after posting a career 2023 season with 6.5 sacks. He underperformed the contract in 2024, with a 3.5-sack season that saw him miss some time early in the year with calf and pec injuries. Danna has an $11.1M salary cap hit in 2026, which places him squarely in the top 10 in terms of salary cap hits for the team. The Chiefs can save $9M if they’re to cut him ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Danna is a player that the coaching staff likes a lot, but if his performance doesn’t improve in 2025, the finances trump everything for Kansas City. That’ll be an even easier decision with a player like Ashton Gillotte now in the fold.

S Chamarri Conner:

Conner will be a player the Chiefs look back on as an interesting case study. In his 2023 rookie season, he played more snaps as a free safety than at any other position. In his second year as a pro, he played over 400 snaps as a slot cornerback for Kansas City. Given that playing time in his first two seasons, he’ll also qualify for the level one proven performance escalator, which will raise his Year 4 salary to $3.406 million or 110 percent of his prior-year base salary. Right now, Conner is in a bit of no-man’s land for Kansas City. Is he a safety or a slot corner in 2025? Can he carve out a role in 2025 that saves him, or has his early playing time doomed him to be a salary cap casualty in 2026?