Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s enthusiasm was evident during a video conference with reporters on Jan. 26, when the team announced the hiring of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator.
“I’m fired up to get in this offseason and get going,” Reid said. “We didn’t do very well this past year, and that’s not been our M.O. there. I want to fix the problems that we had in all phases.”
After an unexpected 6-11 season, there’s certainly a lot to get to, both for Reid and for general manager Brett Veach’s front office.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five looming questions for the Chiefs ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine later this month and the NFL Draft in April.
1. How will they shuffle cap space?
No, it doesn’t look pretty for the Chiefs, salary-cap-wise, if one glances at the public accounting.
Specifically, according to Over The Cap, K.C. currently has the worst cap situation, $54 million over budget.
While the Chiefs’ circumstances there aren’t as dire as they seem, the team will still need to maneuver this offseason while making decisions that will affect its long-term future.
The top question centers on quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is set to count a whopping $78 million against the cap next season. The Chiefs will likely restructure his contract to spread out that burden — if they don’t work out a new deal altogether — but that’s an easy place to start for K.C. to get its books in order.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones, whose cap number is $44.9 million for 2026, is also a restructure candidate. For some context, the Chiefs cleared $49.4 million by reworking Mahomes’ and Jones’ contracts a year ago.
K.C. has a few obvious cut candidates, too. The Chiefs can save $20 million if they cut right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and the expected release of defensive end Mike Danna will save nearly $9 million as well.
Some other choices won’t be as simple. Linebacker Drue Tranquill could be released for a $6 million savings, though he’s been a productive player over the last three seasons. Cornerback Kristian Fulton would bring back $5 million if cut, but he also looked strong down the stretch after getting entirely comfortable with the playbook.
However the Chiefs handle these situations, they shouldn’t be among the top NFL spenders in free agency. And there’s at least a case to be made to go a bit more conservative this offseason when clearing salary-cap money to make Mahomes’ cap hits more manageable in future years.
At the very least, expect this: The Chiefs will clear some dollars to use for free agency.
2. Which unrestricted free agents might they bring back?
If we’re using history to predict whom the Chiefs might target in free agency, it makes the most sense to look in one place first: The list of players who were drafted and developed by K.C.
Perhaps more than any GM, Veach likes retaining his guys. Jones, offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, defensive lineman George Karlaftis and linebacker Nick Bolton are just a few examples of players who have signed lucrative contract extensions to remain with the team that drafted them.
The Chiefs are certainly more cap-strapped this season. Still, could they squeeze out enough in the budget to make one of their pending free agents a priority?
For instance, linebacker Leo Chenal could make sense at the right price. His social-media posts late in the season suggested an affinity for the Chiefs, and his physicality and ability to play multiple roles allowed him to thrive in K.C. over his first four pro seasons.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson has also been productive after Veach selected him as a 2022 seventh-round pick. His physicality and length suit defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme well, though his strong 2025 season could also push his price out of the budget.
Safety Bryan Cook is coming off a career season and should command top dollar, too. The Chiefs likely would be lucky to retain one of the three players above, so they’ll need to prioritize this offseason before deciding on potential offers.
K.C. will also have to determine how much it values a few others set to test free agency. That includes speedy receiver Tyquan Thornton, who had standout moments early before the Chiefs reduced his playing time as other receivers got healthy.
Running back Kareem Hunt, who will turn 31 in August, seems like a fit to return after thriving in a short-yardage role the last two seasons.
Could a veteran running back like Breece Hall make sense for the Chiefs in free agency? (Evan Bernstein / Getty Images)
3. Which positions should the Chiefs target in free agency?
Veach has spoken often about his desire to address the team’s overall needs in free agency, ensuring the front office can be more flexible in the draft without being forced to take any particular position.
If that’s the case, the Chiefs should have one glaring, no-question goal on the first day of free agency in March: sign a starting-caliber running back.
The good news? K.C. will have plenty of options to sift through in a strong running back market.
Breece Hall, Javonte Williams, Rico Dowdle, Travis Etienne and Kenneth Walker III are only a few of the names set to be available come March. And given Reid’s recent acknowledgment that the Chiefs need their running game to be more explosive in 2026, landing one of these players early would be a wise use of funds to help address one of the team’s most significant roster weaknesses.
Outside of that? K.C. could use more defensive line depth, though it might be easier to address that through the draft because of its high cost in free agency.
A running back, though, seems an obvious hole to fix while looking to shop toward the top of the market.
4. What will they do with one of their stars?
The Chiefs need to decide on cornerback Trent McDuffie, who is under contract for one more season at $13 million with a fifth-year rookie option.
Now would be the time to extend him, which could be difficult given the team’s tight cap situation. If they’re not going to do that, though, it could be beneficial to trade him — especially given the return he might bring.
McDuffie, 25, remains in his prime and is everything a team could want, both on and off the field. Other NFL teams certainly would be happy (and in a better cap position) to lock in a young franchise corner for the foreseeable future, while also perhaps giving up a first-round pick in a trade to do so.
If the Chiefs did look to trade McDuffie, they could also be looking to maximize the strength of their coaching staff. Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt have done an excellent job of developing lower-round picks and undrafted free agents into helpful starters, with Chris Roland-Wallace (undrafted) and Kevin Knowles (undrafted) serving as recent examples of players who’ve gone through that pipeline before entering the secondary rotation.
Though it wouldn’t be easy to move on from a fan favorite and young star like McDuffie, it could make logical sense to do so. Another first-round pick — or the draft equivalent — would go a long way toward the Chiefs addressing other roster needs.
Spagnuolo and Merritt also appear to be best equipped to handle this potential loss, given their history of turning less-heralded players into back-end staples.
5. How should the Chiefs use their rare draft asset?
The Chiefs have not had a top-10 draft pick since 2017, when they selected Mahomes — and even that required giving up a future first-round pick (and more) to trade up to that spot.
It’s hard to overstate, then, just how vital the No. 9 selection is for the potential rejuvenation of the franchise.
The Chiefs never get to shop in this aisle of the draft. And because of that, I think it would be difficult for them to go anywhere besides a premium position like defensive line or receiver, where they’d have a chance to land a superstar-type player.
Veach, as stated above, will try to address his team’s needs in free agency so he doesn’t feel forced to take a particular position with his first pick.
They could still go in many directions with this resource. A trade-back shouldn’t be written off, especially given other NFL teams’ tendency to overpay for a pick in this range.
If K.C. does make this selection, though, it’ll be the team’s most scrutinized one since Mahomes. The Chiefs can’t afford to whiff when getting a resource they rarely have, which will put even greater emphasis on this year’s player evaluations.
It will all serve as the backdrop for a fascinating offseason, with the Chiefs facing plenty of decisions as they look to get back to Super Bowl contention.