Offseason In Review: Kansas City Chiefs

The close-game magic that played a central role in the Chiefs’ 2023 and 2024 Super Bowl seasons faded in 2025. Kansas City’s 1-9 record in one-score games headlined the worst season of Andy Reid‘s 13-year Chiefs tenure. While three straight season-ending losses by a half-committed version of the team (the Chris Oladokun games) produced the Chiefs’ first double-digit loss season since 2012, the struggle was apparent throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ time at the controls as well.

Being eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 gave the Chiefs an opportunity to secure a top-10 pick for the first time since 2013, as a host of IR moves opened the door to losses against the lowly Titans and Raiders in the post-Mahomes portion of the season. The Chiefs used that draft real estate to trade up, and their 2026 roster will feature many new faces — providing a test for eighth-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo — after a free agency exodus.

Extensions and restructures:

Mahomes agreed to a 10-year, $450MM extension in July 2020. Josh Allen is the only other quarterback to even agree to an extension beyond five years since that mammoth Kansas City pact surfaced, and the Chiefs continually turned to that contract for valuable restructures amid cap crunches. The Chiefs completed a fifth restructure on Mahomes’ deal this offseason, but a few months after that standard procedure, the franchise rewarded its greatest player with an updated accord.

This agreement differs from the rework the Chiefs and Mahomes agreed to in September 2023, as it added years to the passer’s deal for the first time since the landmark 2020 extension. Like the 2023 adjustment, though, a boatload of guaranteed money came the all-time great’s way.

The $150.25MM guarantee at signing bests every contract in NFL history save for the Browns’ $230MM Deshaun Watson catastrophe. Mahomes’ updated guarantee eclipses Allen’s 2025 Bills extension, when Buffalo rewarded the 2024 MVP with a bump to $55MM per year in exchange for the player adding two years to his deal. Mahomes also gave the Chiefs two additional years of control, and the timeline here is interesting for multiple reasons.

While the Bills rewarded Allen — in a deal that will also allow for restructure aid moving forward — on the heels of his best season, Mahomes secured this record-setting contract after an unremarkable 2025. The pact was also finalized when the megastar passer was rehabbing ACL and LCL tears, illustrating tremendous confidence a return to prime form will not only take place but last several years.

QBR and EPA have been kinder to Mahomes than traditional numbers during his mid-2020s fall back to the pack. Mahomes finished eighth, eighth and sixth in QBR from 2023-25 and went third-fifth-fifth in EPA in those seasons. Mahomes has put together less-than-stellar yards per attempt numbers in this span, with 7.0 (2023), 6.8 (’24) and 7.1 (’25) all south of his five-year peak — one that probably doubles as the greatest five-year stretch to open a QB1 career in NFL history. The past three seasons have also brought Mahomes’ worst three passer rating figures, and 2025 featured by far a career-low completion percentage (62.7). The Chiefs are making a big bet despite the future first-ballot Hall of Famer’s midcareer obstacle.

Mahomes’ pattern of returning quickly from injuries helped the Chiefs out in big spots earlier in his career, and he was back throwing during OTAs this offseason. Mahomes received full clearance for training camp and is on track for Week 1. The NFL schedule slotting Chiefs primetime games in Weeks 1 (Broncos) and 2 (Colts) pointed to considerable confidence in an on-time return, but it is worth wondering how quickly Mahomes can recapture his historically great improvisational ability.

Although Mahomes’ comeback ahead of his age-31 season is naturally drawing comparisons to Tom Brady‘s 2009 return from an ACL tear — at 32 — the latter did not rely on mobility to extend plays. That is perhaps the signature part of Mahomes’ game. Observing how he looks in that department this season will be critical to the Chiefs’ ability to return to their Super Bowl contender status. The 2022 playoffs provided a bit of a preview here, where Mahomes played through a high ankle sprain; though, ACL and LCL tears obviously represent a different animal.

On the surface, the Chiefs extending Mahomes through 2033 this far out could be interpreted as a move that offers assurances — again, we are too far out on this front — the biggest star in franchise history will still be with the team when it relocates to Kansas. This contract covers the first three years of that period, though given the changes in the QB market during the 2020s, it is quite reasonable Mahomes will be tied to a different contract should he still be with the Chiefs by that point. The upfront guarantees and bonus vesting dates are the more important components of this $63.1MM-per-year megadeal.

Dak Prescott‘s three-year cash payout still bests Mahomes’, but the younger QB will see a record $237.25MM over four years. The first four years of the deal are guaranteed for injury, with the 2026 and ’27 seasons — and $35.5MM of Mahomes’ 2028 money — are fully guaranteed. March 2028 also brings a key date, as Mahomes will see his 2029 roster bonus ($30MM) vest a year early. That same structure is in place for the ensuing three years. Mahomes will see $30MM roster bonuses for 2030, 2031 and 2032 paid out a year early, providing tremendous security.

The vesting dates and non-Watson-record upfront guarantee provided plenty of incentive for Mahomes to sign this latest long-term pact, and the Chiefs continue to take care of their centerpiece performer. It did not take too long for the market to catch up to Mahomes’ $45MM-AAV extension earlier this decade, and other star-level passers will assuredly target Mahomes’ $63.1MM per-year figure in the near future.

Kansas City let Leo Chenal walk in free agency but refrained from making Tranquill a cap casualty. Tranquill agreed to reduce his 2026 salary from $6MM to $3.5MM.

The Chiefs had re-signed Tranquill to a three-year, $19MM deal in 2024, choosing to move forward with him over Willie Gay that offseason. That became a smart choice, but with Tranquill entering an age-31 season in 2026, the Chiefs turned to this contract for some savings. Tranquill has worked as a full-time starter for the past two seasons, logging 79% and 85% snap shares — as Nick Bolton‘s top sidekick — in those years. The Chiefs and the ex-Chargers starter will work together for a fourth season in 2026.

Trades:

Citing this organization’s continued Reid-era pattern of moving on from starting cornerbacks rather than pay them, our Chiefs Offseason Outlook floated the possibility the club would use McDuffie’s contract as a way to create cap savings and add prime draft capital. A franchise that traded Marcus Peters (2018) and L’Jarius Sneed (2024 — while letting fellow first-string CBs Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller, Charvarius Ward and now Jaylen Watson walk in free agency — moved on from McDuffie in a March blockbuster.

Somehow, McDuffie became only the second-highest-profile defender the Rams added this year, but the two GMs that negotiated the Peters trade eight years ago — Brett Veach, Les Snead — signed off on McDuffie’s relocation. The Chiefs shipped the two-time All-Pro’s fifth-year option salary ($13.63MM) to the Rams, who quickly extended the 25-year-old defender at a then-CB-record rate. McDuffie signed a four-year, $124MM extension that included $50MM guaranteed at signing.

This is the kind of contract the Chiefs have refrained from authorizing under Reid, with Spagnuolo and DBs coach David Merritt keeping a rookie-labor assembly line going at the position. This space used to refer to the Steelers as a wide receiver development factory, but longtime Pittsburgh GM Kevin Colbert still handed Hines Ward and Antonio Brown multiple extensions. The Chiefs have been more daring, betting entirely on their CB developmental ability. This offseason represented the biggest bet yet, with Watson soon rejoining his 2022 draft classmate in Los Angeles via free agency.

A chess piece similar to the recently extended Devon Witherspoon, McDuffie has played extensively outside and in the slot. Per Pro Football Focus, McDuffie has lined up outside on 2,008 snaps and inside for 869 in his career. The Rams have Quentin Lake as an established nickel, pointing to more McDuffie boundary work. But DC Chris Shula will assuredly have “star” packages for McDuffie lined up as well.

Joining the Patriots as the only teams over the past 30 years to qualify for three straight Super Bowls, the Chiefs relied on three defensive pillars during that three-season run. Chris Jones anchored Kansas City’s front, Bolton the second level and McDuffie the secondary. The Chiefs, who drafted McDuffie with the top asset obtained in the Tyreek Hill trade (a 2022 first-round pick), saw their top corner earn first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2023 and second-team honors 2024.

Because McDuffie has never been selected to a Pro Bowl, the Chiefs carried a cheaper fifth-year option price. That CBA loophole of sorts may have factored into McDuffie’s extension talks, which began during the 2025 offseason and resumed this winter. McDuffie was believed to be targeting a position-record deal last year, and no deal came to pass by Week 1 of last season.

As was the case with Hill in 2022, the Chiefs did reengage in extension talks before flipping McDuffie for assets. But a team that traditionally does not pay CBs moved the centerpiece acquisition from the Hill trade to L.A. — the Giants showed interest as well — joining a loaded Rams team coming off a season in which cornerback play may have kept them out of Super Bowl LX.

Barely a week later, the Chiefs continued their post-Chad Henne run of backup QB one-and-dones by letting Gardner Minshew walk and replacing him with Fields. Struggling mightily with the Jets after securing a $30MM guarantee at signing, Fields is only on the Chiefs’ cap sheet at $3MM — after the AFC teams worked out a salary split. The Jets took on $20MM in dead money from that trade. A release would have occurred had the Chiefs not stepped in, and the Jets had just agreed to a similar arrangement with the Raiders in the Geno Smith trade. Smith returns to New York as a clear stopgap, while Fields is the latest in a run of veteran QBs to stop through Kansas City as Mahomes’ backup.

Henne’s 2023 retirement led the Chiefs to add Blaine Gabbert, Carson Wentz and Minshew over the past three offseasons. Fields brings a much different skillset, carrying elite run-game ability but questionable passing talent. The Jets benched the $20MM-per-year player last season, though the former Bears first-rounder has made 53 career starts.

Probably the most talented player to back up Mahomes, Fields — who has one of the NFL’s three 1,000-yard QB rushing seasons on his resume (in 2022) — will hope to use what looks like a short-term Missouri stay to create a decent 2027 free agency market. The Chiefs will see if seventh-round rookie Garrett Nussmeier can be a longer-term backup.

The 27-year-old backup could make for an interesting gadget player, but that would require Reid taking Mahomes off the field at points. If nothing else, Fields could give the Chiefs a QB-sneak weapon; Reid has avoided using Mahomes in that capacity since he suffered an injury on a sneak play in Denver seven years ago.

Morris did not impress as a Chiefs third-round pick. The team did use him as Donovan Smith‘s primary left tackle backup during their Super Bowl LVIII-winning season, but they benched him during their 2024 title defense that involved a blindside carousel.

The Chiefs demoted second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia after he beat out Morris for the LT job in training camp, giving the latter the gig in Week 3 of the 2024 season. Morris made 10 starts but was benched for in-season free agency pickup D.J. Humphries. After a Humphries hamstring injury in his Chiefs debut, the team kicked All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle. That four-tackle season ended ignominiously, with an Eagles rampage featuring Thuney looking overmatched at the LT post.

Kansas City then used its 2025 first-round pick on a hopeful long-term solution, adding Josh Simmons. The team also signed Jaylon Moore in free agency last year, using him as Simmons’ top backup. A 2026 tryout player — Kahlil Benson — impressed enough as a Simmons backup option that the team was comfortable trading Morris to a Falcons team thinner at tackle.

Free agency additions:

• Kenneth Walker, RB. Three years, $43.1MM ($28.7MM guaranteed)
• Alohi Gilman, S. Three years, $24MM ($15MM guaranteed)
• Khyiris Tonga, DT. Three years, $21MM ($14MM guaranteed)
• Kader Kohou, CB. One year, $1.81MM ($1.81MM guaranteed)
• Emari Demercado, RB. One year, $1.25MM ($550K guaranteed)
• Kaiir Elam, CB. One year, $1.81MM ($500K guaranteed)
• Emmanuel Ogbah, DE. One year, $1.3MM ($200K guaranteed)
• L’Jarius Sneed, CB. One year, $1.22MM

Similar to the Reid era’s low-cost philosophy at cornerback, the Chiefs have relied mostly on modest salaries in their offensive backfield. Reid’s second Kansas City offseason did include a four-year, $28MM Jamaal Charles extension, but since the team released the dynamic RB in 2017, a slew of cheap replacements has stopped through.

The Chiefs drafted Kareem Hunt in the 2017 third round, but his rookie-year rushing title preceded an abrupt exit after a video revealed the player assaulted a woman at a Cleveland hotel. Kansas City turned to Damien Williams after the Hunt cut, but the team’s two-year extension for its two-year starter was worth just $5.1MM. The Chiefs tried the first-round route next, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire; that became a big miss. The Chiefs then used seventh-rounder Isiah Pacheco as their primary starter, before seeing a September 2024 broken leg sidetrack his run; a less dynamic Hunt version teamed with Pacheco to form an uninspiring RB duo over the past two seasons.

In a transformative year for the running back market, the Chiefs gave Walker two fully guaranteed years. As the Seahawks started over with first-rounder Jadarian Price, the Chiefs determined their RB need to be dire enough to authorize a guarantee that was second among veteran contracts at the position at the time of signing. Breece Hall, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs outdid Walker’s $28.7MM full guarantee, but the Chiefs — who had not signed a notable FA running back starter since Priest Holmes in 2001 — prioritized an upgrade at a position they have long neglected.

Walker reaching Holmes’ heights seems highly unlikely, but like Holmes 25 years ago, Walker is coming off a Super Bowl title. Unlike Holmes, Walker finished that Super Bowl season as his team’s top back (Jamal Lewis had usurped Holmes on the 2000 Ravens); Walker’s surge concluded with a Super Bowl LX MVP effort.

Tallying 161 scrimmage yards in the Seahawks’ win over the Patriots, Walker negotiated with Seattle brass this offseason. The Jets’ decision to take Hall off the market via the franchise tag helped both Walker and Travis Etienne, and the reigning champions stood down — as they did with a few of their starters this offseason.

Walker, 26 in October, split reps with Zach Charbonnet last season. The Seahawks viewed the latter as the more reliable option around the goal line and on passing downs, outscoring Walker 12-5 — much to the chagrin of Walker fantasy GMs. But a Charbonnet ACL tear sustained in the divisional round forced the Seahawks to lean on Walker. That sequence of events keyed a big market. While a post-Super Bowl report indicated a higher likelihood of Walker re-signing, the former second-round pick began to suspect during his contract year he would soon leave town.

Despite viewing Walker as a poor pass-protecting back — an assessment the Seahawks appeared to share, based on Charbonnet’s usage — PFF ranked the former as the No. 1 overall RB in 2025. Walker has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume (2022, 2025) but has yet to tally a 300-yard receiving season. It would stand to reason the Chiefs will involve Walker more in the passing game than the Seahawks did, based on this substantial investment.

A few minor injuries plagued Walker in Seattle, leading to 10 regular-season absences from the former Wake Forest and Michigan State ballcarrier. The Chiefs ranked 25th in rushing last season — a ranking propped up by Mahomes’ 422 yards — and 22nd in 2024. This marked a great time to give Mahomes a quality back to lean on — a luxury he has not enjoyed since before Hunt’s first stint ended — due to his 2026 knee rehab odyssey.

Gilman will reunite with Tranquill as ex-Anthony Lynn/Brandon Staley-era Chargers-turned-Chiefs defensive starters. The Chiefs technically brought Gilman over from Baltimore, after an in-season agreement between the Harbaughs sent Odafe Oweh to Los Angeles in the Gilman trade, but the veteran safety spent more than five seasons in L.A.

The former sixth-round pick did not become a full-time starter until 2023, and that season earned him a two-year, $10.13MM deal in Jim Harbaugh‘s first weeks on the job. PFF’s No. 7-ranked safety in 2023, Gilman checked in 26th during his season split between California and Maryland.

Gilman’s arrival helped the Ravens better utilize Kyle Hamilton‘s versatility, after the deep safety’s presence did the same for Derwin James in L.A. A Chiefs team that also makes a habit of not giving safeties second contracts — as Bryan Cook‘s departure most recently showed — shelled out a nice guarantee ahead of Gilman’s age-29 season.

Tonga is entering his age-30 campaign, and the Chiefs are team No. 6 for the former seventh-round pick. Tonga had previously never played for more than $2.1MM in a season; that one-year Patriots deal proved career-changing, as it led to a $14MM Chiefs guarantee. Playing as a part-time starter/rotational presence on a New England D-line housing high-priced DTs Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, Tonga played well for the AFC champions. He joins a Chiefs team that (again) lost Derrick Nnadi in free agency.

The Bill Belichick-era Patriots frequently reunited with former players after they had failed to live up to big contracts elsewhere. The Chiefs will try this with Sneed, who flopped after a 2024 tag-and-trade move to Tennessee. Despite Mike Borgonzi — a Chiefs exec when Sneed was drafted — taking the GM job in 2025, the Titans cut bait before a $7.5MM guarantee vested this offseason. Sneed battled injuries and off-field issues in Nashville, not coming close to delivering on his four-year, $76.4MM extension.

Sneed, 29, played only 12 games in two Titans seasons. Prior to that, however, he was the Chiefs’ McDuffie sidekick on back-to-back Super Bowl-winning teams. Sneed started 54 games with the Chiefs, playing in three Super Bowls. Tennessee sent what became an early third-round pick for Sneed after a borderline dominant 2023 showing, when the former fourth-rounder held QBs to a 51% completion rate and 56.2 passer rating as the closest defender.

Sneed entered camp vying with 2025 third-round pick Nohl Williams and disappointing ’25 free agency pickup Kristian Fulton — who may still be a cut/trade candidate — for Kansas City’s CB2 job opposite first-round pick Mansoor Delane.

Re-signings:

• Travis Kelce, TE. One year, $12MM ($12MM guaranteed)
• Tyquan Thornton, WR. Two years, $11MM ($7.4MM guaranteed)
• James Winchester, LS. One year, $1.7MM ($1.7MM guaranteed)
• Jack Cochrane, LB. One year, $1.42MM ($650K guaranteed)
• Mike Caliendo, G. One year, $1.35MM ($650K guaranteed)
• Matt Araiza, P. One year, $1.1MM

An argument can be made the Chiefs have the NFL’s two most popular players, as Kelce’s summer wedding to Taylor Swift may well have vaulted the aging tight end past Mahomes for sheer stardom. That is a strange sentence considering what Mahomes has achieved, but Kelce was essential to the quarterback’s rise.

He holds the record for most 1,000-yard seasons by a tight end — with seven; no one else has five — and broke Jerry Rice‘s playoff reception record. Kelce, 36, is just two postseason touchdowns behind the wide receiver deity (22-20). He has authored one of the greatest careers of any pass catcher.

Firmly in the conversation for greatest tight end ever, Kelce is probably not even the most talented TE the Chiefs have rostered. Kelce enjoyed much better circumstances than Tony Gonzalez, playing in a pass-friendlier era and enjoying his prime alongside Mahomes in a Reid-run offense. He will be back for at least one more season as a Chiefs cornerstone.

Kelce exited last season as an apparent retirement candidate, but Veach said Kelce knew shortly after Week 18 he would return. Although drop trouble plagued the future Hall of Famer in 2025, he still (somewhat quietly) posted a bounce-back season statistically.

Kelce moved from a career-worst 8.5 yards per catch in 2024 to 11.2 last season, finishing fourth in TE receiving yards (851) despite Mahomes’ Week 15 injury. A Chiefs team that again has questions at wide receiver can no longer rely on Kelce to anchor its aerial corps as he did for many years, but the 11-time Pro Bowler should still fit in as a high-profile Mahomes safety valve.

A rumor circulated that Kelce would test free agency, but considering his past comments and team-friendly deals to help the Chiefs assemble strong rosters, a departure did not look like a legitimate possibility. With 42 receiving yards this season, Kelce (13,002) can move past Jason Witten for second place in TE receiving yardage. Kelce is also 23 receptions away from moving into the top five on the career list. Kelce sits eighth (1,080) presently.

Kelce counts just $4.9MM against K.C.’s cap this year; two void years are included in this deal. A $40MM guarantee for 2028 would trigger on June 8, 2027, but the Chiefs designed this contract to jettison as a post-June 1 cut next year. The Eagles used this tactic with Jason Kelce, spreading dead money over two years.

Not exactly known for making good choices at wide receiver post-Hill, the Chiefs coaxed better play from Thornton than the Patriots did. New England waived the former second-round pick midway through his third season, and after a 2024 practice squad Chiefs signing and 2025 salary of $1.1MM (with no guarantees), the Baylor product secured a decent payday.

With Marquise Brown out of the picture, Thornton is poised to be Kansas City’s No. 3 wideout. Considering Rashee Rice‘s unreliability and Xavier Worthy‘s inconsistency, Thornton — who averaged 23.1 yards per catch (on just 19 grabs) last season — looks set for a bigger role in 2026.

Notable losses:

• Marquise Brown, WR
• Shane Buechele, QB
• Deon Bush, S
• Leo Chenal, LB
• Bryan Cook, S
• Mike Danna, DE (released)
• Mike Edwards, S
• Kareem Hunt, RB
• Nazeeh Johnson, CB
• Gardner Minshew, QB
• Derrick Nnadi, DT
• Charles Omenihu, DE
• Isiah Pacheco, RB
• Mike Pennel, DT
• Zacch Pickens, DT (waived)
• Dameon Pierce, RB
• JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
• Jawaan Taylor, RT (released)
• Jerry Tillery, DT
• Robert Tonyan, TE
• Jaylen Watson, CB
• Joshua Williams, CB

The Chiefs have let a host of productive DBs walk in recent offseasons. In addition to the above-referenced CB exoduses, safeties Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill and Justin Reid did not sign second contracts with the team. Cook followed suit, but doing so in the same offseason in which McDuffie, Watson and Williams left creates a new challenge for Spagnuolo, Merritt and Co.

Our second-ranked cornerback in this free agent class (at No. 13 overall), Watson replaced Sneed as the team’s primary CB2 option and traversed a similar road to his predecessor. A strong contract campaign ballooned Watson’s price to $17MM per year, as he fetched a three-year, $51MM Rams deal to rejoin McDuffie. The Rams carried few weaknesses last season; corner was one of them. They will count on two ex-Chiefs to fix that problem. Watson received $26.5MM guaranteed at signing.

PFF graded Watson 17th among corners last season, and over his past 21 regular-season games, the 6-2 CB has allowed just one touchdown. Saying he won’t be easy to replace would be a tough argument to make, based on how Spagnuolo has continued to groom talent, but losing two CB starters in one offseason does bring new territory.

PFR’s top-ranked free agent safety this offseason, Cook (No. 21 overall) landed a three-year, $40.25MM deal from the Bengals. It is interesting Cook settled for a typical Cincinnati pay structure; like the Packers, the Bengals almost always avoid guarantees beyond Year 1 of a contract. That is the case in Cook’s, though he does see $18MM in 2026. The Bengals could escape the contract with just $7MM in dead money should they pass on picking up Cook’s $4MM roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. Cook is due a $1MM bonus on Day 5 of the ’28 league year.

PFF ranked Cook fourth among all safeties last season. The Chiefs primarily used Cook as a free safety, though he does not have great ball production (three INTs in four seasons). He did rebound from a season-ending ankle injury – one that kept him out for the Chiefs’ championship stretch run in 2023 – and has not missed a game since.

Gilman will be one Chiefs safety starter, while versatile fourth-year DB Chamarri Conner is another option. The former fourth-round pick has logged 849 slot snaps, 318 at free safety and 635 in the box. Reid held a similar roving role, though he was better in Kansas City than Conner has been. Christian Roland-Wallace has also seen time in the slot and at safety, while 2024 fourth-rounder Jaden Hicks (four career starts) remains rostered. How Kansas City’s new-look secondary is configured will be one of the top early-season storylines to follow.

The Chiefs were careful not to restructure Taylor’s contract. They left the four-year, $80MM deal alone to avoid adding more dead money for the inevitable 2026 release. To sign Taylor in 2023, the Chiefs needed to agree to a player-friendly guarantee structure that locked in the right tackle’s 2025 salary in March 2024. That tied Taylor to Kansas City for three seasons. Internal and external frustration ensued, with Taylor developing a penchant for uncalled false starts; plenty of enforced penalties occurred too. Taylor, 28, drew 40 penalties as a Chief and was predictably released.

Kansas City incurred $7.39MM in dead money from the Taylor release. As Taylor landed with the Falcons on a one-year, $5MM pact, the Chiefs appeared prepared for Jaylon Moore — given a two-year, $30MM deal in 2025 — to replace him. Moore has battled an unlikely challenger in Benson, an Indiana-produced tryout body who has impressed.

Kansas City’s RT battle has not been settled, though Benson played poorly in the team’s second preseason game. That might be enough to convince Reid to take the more stable route while the rookie UDFA develops — especially considering Suamataia’s rough LT stint in 2024. Moore’s contract expires at season’s end.

Chenal follows Gay as one-contract Chiefs linebackers in the Bolton era. The Chiefs gave Bolton a three-year, $45MM deal to stay in 2025, and rather than paying up to increase Chenal’s role, Kansas City gave Tranquill a pay cut and let the younger ‘backer walk (to Washington) in free agency.

Chenal, 25, played over 41% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in just once season (2025, when he logged a 53% snap share). PFF rated Chenal as a top-20 off-ball LB in 2024 and ’25, and the Commanders added him (three years, $24MM) on a deal the Chiefs wouldn’t in a cost-cutting offseason on defense.

Draft:

• Round 1, No. 6 (from Browns): Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU) (signed)
• Round 1, No. 29 (from Rams): Peter Woods (DT, Clemson) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 40: R Mason Thomas (DE, Oklahoma) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 109: Jadon Canady (S, Oregon) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 161 (from Steelers): Emmett Johnson (RB, Nebraska) (signed)
• Round 5, No. 176: Cyrus Allen (WR, Cincinnati) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 249 (from Colts): Garrett Nussmeier (QB, LSU) (signed)

The Chiefs had not held a top-10 pick since they chose Eric Fisher first overall in 2013. They took advantage of the draft real estate, meeting with a different caliber of prospect compared to normal K.C. draft prep. David Bailey, Arvell Reese, Carnell Tate, Kadyn Proctor and Rueben Bain Jr. took “30” visits in Kansas City. Bain had emerged as a player the Chiefs held in high regard; it later became known the Miami edge rusher was K.C.’s backup plan.

Instead, Kansas City went with a corner after losing its top two options weeks earlier. The Chiefs viewed the Saints as a threat to keep Delane in-state, and they sacrificed a third-round pick in an effort to ensure the LSU CB would be theirs. New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis did indicate the team eyed CBs earlier in the draft, and Cleveland GM Andrew Berry made Veach confirm he was taking a defender — as the Browns eyed Spencer Fano — in order to execute the trade.

While a rumor about a Chiefs trade-up effort circulated pre-draft, it was not a given Delane would have been gone by No. 9. That illustrates the team’s conviction here. The Reid-era Chiefs may not pay CBs — rent, don’t buy, Mansoor — they have been able to identify and develop rookie-deal talent.

Peters and McDuffie became key players as first-rounders; Sneed impressed from Round 4, Watson from Round 7; Charvarius Ward was undrafted. The Delane bet is more significant due to draft slot, as McDuffie and Peters were tabbed in the back half of Round 1. Delane will be expected to become Kansas City’s No. 1 corner immediately.

A Virginia Tech transfer, Delane notched a pair of interceptions and 11 pass deflections in 2025 at LSU. That production helped him earn first-team All-American honors. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slotted him ninth in this class; Dane Brugler’s The Athletic board placed him sixth. Only 5-foot-11, Delane dominated at LSU and was the only cornerback selected in the top 25 this year.

Rumors tying Chiefs to tackle interest emerged as well, but the run on blockers stopped at No. 28 (Caleb Lomu, who had made a “30” visit to Missouri). The Patriots traded in front of the Chiefs and grabbed Lomu, and Kansas City went with Woods. Ranked much higher on prospect boards before his final Clemson season, Woods is a former five-star recruit who did not quite deliver on expectations with the ACC school.

Inconsistency plagued the inside rusher at Clemson. Woods was not especially productive, never clearing three sacks in a season and eclipsing four TFLs in a campaign just once (8.5 in 2024). No. 39 on Jeremiah’s big board and 35th on Brugler’s, Woods will settle in as a rookie-year backup.

Jones is entering his 11th season, and the team also used a second-round pick on DT Omarr Norman-Lott last year. With Norman-Lott still on the PUP list after a 2025 ACL tear, Woods figures to be the Chiefs’ top rotational D-tackle. With Jones’ contract done with its guarantees next year, the future Hall of Famer may not be a lock to stay without a pay cut. Woods is an important piece through that lens.

Thomas’ production increased dramatically during his junior season, in which he totaled 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 contests. Thomas added another two FFs last year, though his TFLs (9.5) and sacks (6.5) understandably dipped during a 10-game season. Losing Omenihu in free agency and not seeing 2023 first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah pan out, the Chiefs need an edge rusher opposite Karlaftis. They will hope Thomas can pitch in quickly.

Other:

Rice testing positive for THC violated his probation agreement; that forced him to serve the deferred 30-day sentence immediately rather than on his own timetable. This meant a strange sequence in which Rice was taken to jail shortly after undergoing a cleanup knee surgery. Rice did not know he would need to serve his stint this offseason, and the knee procedure created a somewhat difficult situation for the embattled receiver.

It came out later that the incarcerated pass catcher was able to use a separate facility for part of his knee rehab. But the jail stay coming under these circumstances only steepened Rice’s uphill battle toward regaining trust from the Chiefs — admittedly a rather lenient organization when it comes to off-field trouble — and/or convincing 2027 free agency suitors he is worth betting on.

No Rice extension is on the radar, but a strong season would likely change that thinking. Rice also profiles as a 2027 franchise tag candidate, should he avoid injuries or more off-field trouble before the March deadline. We are a long way away from that point, however.

The latest Rice hiccup came after an uglier batch of headlines, as the 26-year-old wideout was accused of separate acts of domestic violence over a multiyear period by the mother of his children. Dacoda Jones displayed photos of injuries that Rice allegedly inflicted on her. While the NFL determined Rice would not be suspended in connection with those allegations, his status as an unreliable asset — especially considering other past incidents dating back to his SMU days — persists. The Chiefs are not expecting the league to hand Rice a second suspension in connection with the parole violation, but the NFL could do so under its personal conduct policy.

This uncertainty brought connections to veteran receiver help. The Chiefs were tied to Stefon Diggs, but he ended up with the Commanders on an $8MM deal. Kansas City opted against making an A.J. Brown trade push as well. The most logical fit is Tyreek Hill, though the ex-Chiefs star is not yet 100% recovered from the severe knee injury sustained last September. Hill, whose off-field trouble has partially defined his career, is also facing a potential suspension in connection with ex-wife Keeta Vaccaro alleging Hill physically abused her on several occasions.

Hill, 32, is believed to have interest in returning to the Chiefs. Kansas City also put up with the negative headlines its former top receiver caused — on draft day and then from new allegations in 2019 — but the combination of Hill coming off a major late-career injury and possibly facing a suspension makes him difficult to trust.

The team has seen positive returns from fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen. He joins Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton in K.C.’s receiver group. Will that be enough to boost the offense? Kansas City, amazingly, has not ranked higher than 15th in scoring since Mahomes’ 2022 MVP season.

A Kansas City native, Anudike-Uzomah is approaching the bust cliff. The Kansas State product missed all of last season due to injury but was not productive in the two seasons prior. Anudike-Uzomah, 24, has three career sacks. He does look to factor into the Chiefs’ defensive end rotation this year, but the R Mason Thomas second-round pick reveals minimal faith Anudike-Uzomah can submit meaningful work. A low-end 2027 “prove it” deal in free agency likely awaits.

Top 10 cap charges for 2026:

1. Chris Jones, DT: $44.85MM
2. Patrick Mahomes, QB: $34.65MM
3. Trey Smith, G: $24.5MM
4. Nick Bolton, LB: $19.25MM
5. Jaylon Moore, T: $18.69MM
6. Creed Humphrey, C: $18.1MM
7. Kristian Fulton, CB: $13MM
8. Mansoor Delane, CB: $7.62MM
9. George Karlaftis, DE: $7.4MM
10. Harrison Butker, K: $7.31MM

Ruling the AFC West for nearly a decade, the Chiefs have seen the Broncos build a top-tier roster and the Chargers restore themselves as a playoff contender under Jim Harbaugh. Climbing back to perennial division champion status will be much harder for the Chiefs than it was for the Brady-led Patriots in a weak AFC East.

The Chiefs will hope this draft class can rival what the 2021 contingent has delivered. That group — which included Bolton, Humphrey and Smith — did not involve a top-40 pick, but it played a big role in the Chiefs’ three straight AFC championships. Veach and Co. making three top-40 choices this year raises the stakes for this class.

While K.C.’s batch of rookies will be important, Mahomes’ recovery will naturally define this season. The Belichick-Brady Patriots managed 11 straight division titles after Brady’s recovery. With Reid now 68 and the Kelce-Jones tandem aging, the Chiefs — even if Mahomes regains all-world status — need to find new organizational pillars for the back half of their quarterback’s prime.