The Kansas City Chiefs have opened up a significant amount of cap space, thanks to two room leaders and franchise cornerstones.
Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Chiefs have restructured the contracts of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones. The set of moves gives Kansas City $49.446 million in additional funds to work with toward their 2025 payroll.
Kansas City added left tackle Jalyon Moore and cornerback Kristian Fulton during the NFL’s legal tampering period, addressing two high-priority needs. But Yates notes that Mahomes and Jones’ team-friendly gestures were necessary “(plus more)” for the Chiefs to complete the transactions. Nonetheless, the three-time reigning AFC champions better hope there’s some money left to get the standout signal-caller some pass-catching help.
After losing veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins to their AFC rival, the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs receiving room is further depleted. Future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce has lost a step or two and isn’t getting any younger. Ascending talent Rashee Rice is reportedly expected to play in 2025 after tearing his LCL last season, but when and to what capacity?
Yes, the Chiefs retained Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, a proven target-earner. But can they trust him to shoulder the load as Mahomes’ top option? Do they believe 5-foot-11, 165-pound rising second-year speedster Xavier Worthy is built to handle a role as their primary weapon? Both are skilled players, yet better suited as complementary pieces.
Kelce, Rice, Brown and Worthy should be a more than viable support case, especially for someone of Mahomes’ caliber — in theory. But in practice, they’re a flawed bunch that limits Kansas City’s offensive ceiling. The Chiefs need more firepower, which became evident in their Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In four of the past five offseason, Mahomes has converted a portion of his salary into a signing bonus. The goal has been to help the Chiefs build a title-contending roster around him, which has paid dividends. Now it’s time for general manager Brett Veach and the Kansas City front office to return the favor by getting him a shiny new toy.
