![\"Si\u00eau](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/ZjE63BdFF54s9iqO6-Y8gJd0YEM=\/0x0:4127x2751\/1200x0\/filters:focal(0x0:4127x2751):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25919821\/2004145424.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Kansas City Chiefs got a head start on free agency, wrapping up a three-year contract for linebacker Nick Bolton just before free agency\u2019s \u201clegal tampering\u201d period began.<\/p>\n
Originally reported as a \u201cflat deal\u201d with $15 million per season, the cap specifics are a bit more complicated. Per the contract website Spotrac,<\/em> most of Bolton\u2019s 2025 money will come via a $12.8 million signing bonus to be spread over the three seasons. $4.3 million of the bonus will be charged to the salary cap in each of next three seasons.<\/p>\n For the coming season, Bolton will earn a fully guaranteed $2 million base salary plus a yearly $250,000 workout bonus \u2014 always considered likely-to-be-earned <\/em>(LTBE<\/strong>) for accounting purposes. This gives the linebacker only a $6.5 million salary cap charge for 2025, while the remaining two seasons will have cap numbers of $19.25 million.<\/p>\n Bolton\u2019s $14.75 million base salary for 2026 is also fully guaranteed.<\/p>\n The Chiefs were not done reinforcing the defense. On March 11, the team agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Kristian Fulton \u2014 last with the division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The reported contract terms were two years for $20 million. $15 million of his compensation was guaranteed at signing.<\/p>\n Spotrac <\/em>now has the breakdown of Fulton\u2019s contract, including his salary cap numbers for 2025 and 2026.<\/p>\n Fulton will earn $10 million in both seasons. For 2025, he will pair a $3.8 million guaranteed base salary with a $6 million signing bonus. The salary cap charge for the signing bonus will be split over the two seasons, with $3 million charged to each year\u2019s limit. As with Bolton, Fulton is eligible for a $250,000 workout bonus, yielding a 2025 salary cap number of $7 million.<\/p>\n Fulton\u2019s $10 million in 2026 earnings will come via a $9.8 million base salary combined with the same $250,000 workout bonus. With the remaining $3 million of his signing bonus applied to 2026, Fulton\u2019s 2026 salary cap number will be $13 million.<\/p>\n $5 million of Fulton\u2019s 2026 salary is guaranteed, meaning he will almost certainly not be a candidate to be cut for cap space a year from now. Because he only signed a two-year deal, an extension will be the only path to reducing Fulton\u2019s 2026 salary cap figure.<\/p>\n Information is also available on some of the Chiefs\u2019 minor signings.<\/p>\n Running back Elijah Mitchell agreed to terms with Kansas City almost immediately after the negotiating window opened last week. Originally reported as \u201cup to $3.5 million,\u201d Mitchell\u2019s contract includes a $1.4 million base salary (with $1.1 million guaranteed) as well as a $250,000 signing bonus and a $100,000 workout bonus.<\/p>\n Mitchell can also earn $750,000 in per-game active roster bonuses ($44,118 for each game he dresses for). An additional $1 million is available for unspecified incentives that may be tied to rushing yard benchmarks or scoring thresholds. Because Mitchell did not accumulate any stats in 2024 while managing a hamstring injury, all incentives will be considered not-likely-to-be-earned<\/em> (NLTBE). Any earned incentives will be applied to the 2026 salary cap.<\/p>\n We disagree with Spotrac<\/em>\u2019s estimated $2.2 million cap charge for Mitchell. The website includes 11 active game roster bonuses \u2014 the number of games Mitchell played in 2023 \u2014 as LTBE. Because Mitchell did not appear in any game in 2024, we believe the entire $750,000 will be categorized as NLTBE, leaving him with a salary cap charge of $1.75 million for 2025.<\/p>\n Kansas City also brought back quarterback Bailey Zappe after the Cleveland Browns declined to tender the passer as a restricted free agent. Zappe spent part of 2024 on the Chiefs\u2019 practice squad before being signed to Cleveland\u2019s active roster. Should Zappe make Kansas City\u2019s 53-man roster out of training camp, he is in line for a $1.1 million salary \u2014 the minimum for players with three credited seasons. None of his scheduled salary is guaranteed.<\/p>\n The Chiefs will also be bringing back veteran tight end Robert Tonyan for at least part of the offseason. Tonyan is signed for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million, though none of the salary is guaranteed. Because of the veteran salary benefit, his earnings are charged to the cap at only $1.0 million \u2014 the minimum salary for players with two credited seasons. Because of his veteran status, Tonyan\u2019s full salary will become guaranteed if he is on Kansas City\u2019s 53-man roster for Week 1.<\/p>\n At this moment, contract figures are not available for quarterback Gardner Minshew, running back Kareem Hunt, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and defensive linemen Jerry Tillery, Marlon Tuipulotu, and Malik Herring.<\/p>\n With these revised contract numbers (and our best guesses for the cap hits of the six players for which Spotrac has not yet accounted), we estimate the Chiefs are under the league salary cap by between $14.1 million and $15.1 million \u2014 likely $15.1 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Little by little, we\u2019re learning how much salary-cap space Kansas City has available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":45213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Chiefs\u2019](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/WxT0kSz9dtL5sV5_aPP23xOb8UM=\/0x0:6588x4392\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:6588x4392):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25919818\/2189239829.jpg)
<\/picture> <\/span> Photo by Cooper Neill\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/figure>\n![\"Chiefs\u2019](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/uTpTPBHajq_uxYuxVcRJgKsxR6U=\/0x0:4127x2751\/320x0\/filters:focal(0x0:4127x2751):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25919821\/2004145424.jpg)
<\/picture> <\/span> Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/figure>\n