The aftershock of being blown out in the Super Bowl has the Kansas City Chiefs looking at where changes could be made in the offseason and who they need to leave off the roster for 2025.
Kansas City heads into the offseason with 29 players who are pending free agency. A wave of those players may not return as the team turns their attention to retooling to get back to the Super Bowl.
There are three players who have been key contributors to the Chiefs over the last few seasons that they may not need to bring back. Here is the three players who should look for new homes next season.
3 Players Kansas City Should Not Re-Sign for 2025
WR DeAndre Hopkins
2024 Stats: 56 receptions, 610 yards, five touchdowns
At age 33, Hopkins is nearing the end of his career that has been highlighted by five Pro Bowl selections. Hopkins was traded midseason from the Titans to the Chiefs as he finished with 610 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His 10.9 yards per reception were the lowest of his 12-year career.
The numbers have continued to go down for Hopkins with only one 1,000-yard season since 2021 as it appears to be clear he’s not the number one receiver he used to be. Kansas City would be better off spending money on a receiver that is young with more upsides like Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster or Justin Watson.
EDGE Charles Omenihu
2024 Stats: six tackles, one quarterback hit, one forced fumble
Coming off the best season of his career with 7.5 sacks, Omenihu had a down season after missing most of the season to an ACL injury he suffered in the AFC Title Game against the Baltimore Ravens. He only played in six games in 2024 as he struggled to make an impact on defense.
After receiving nearly $7 million in 2024, Omenihu may not see that kind of money coming his way in free agency. The Chiefs have other positions of need so letting Omenihu walk isn’t the end of the world especially with George Karlaftis and Mike Danna performing well off the edge.
LB Nick Bolton
2024 Stats: 106 tackles, seven quarterback hits, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, six pass deflections, one interception
The selection of Bolton on this list is far from because of performance as he was one of the top defensive players on the team last year. He led the way with 106 tackles while showing his success in pass coverage with six pass deflections.
Bolton is going to be expensive this offseason as there will be a lot of teams coming after him for his services. While losing Bolton would be a loss, the Chiefs have been able to replace top players in the past few years like Tyreek Hill and still win Super Bowls. If any team could find the right replacement for Bolton, Kansas City would be able to execute that plan.
