![\"Kansas](\"https:\/\/www.the-sun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/08\/BB-CHIEFS-MAHOMES-COMP.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
The decision star tight end Travis Kelce makes will be a big part of the team’s salary cap puzzle.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If Kelce retires – or Kansas City trades or cuts him – before March 14, the team will save $17.25 million.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But more important to the team’s salary cap equation is the $66.258 million cap hit of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.<\/p>\n
The Chiefs could convert $47.745 million of Mahomes’ money into a restructuring bonus and spread that payment out over the next five seasons.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
If the Chiefs believe they’re still in their Super Bowl window, moving money around and keeping a competitive roster just makes sense.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They can also create a combined $13 million in cap space by trading linebacker Drue Tranquill and defensive lineman Mike Danna post-June 1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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