KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will have some tough decisions to make this offseason as they’re projected to be dead last in cap space.
According to Spotrac, The Chiefs are currently more than $57 million over the cap with 54 players signed to the roster. The 2026 NFL salary cap is expected to be between $301.2M to $305.7 million.
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Obviously and rightfully so, the bulk of that money includes cap hits from Patrick Mahomes ($78.2 million) and Chris Jones ($44.8 million).
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While those two pillars of the franchise are clear restructure candidates, there are some other potential moves could make to free up space for a roster with plenty of holes to fill.
The riskiest move would be trading All-Pro DB Trent McDuffie, who will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season. He will receive a fully guaranteed $13.6 million this season on the last year of his rookie deal.
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If the Chiefs can acquire a first round pick in this year’s draft for McDuffie, a trade can certainly gain some traction, especially since the Chiefs are already selecting in the top 10.
McDuffie has earned top of the line cornerback money in his first three seasons, but the will the Chiefs be able to pay that?
They’ve had a history of moving from defensive backs who’ve performed well in a Chiefs uniform (Charvarius Ward, L’Jarius Sneed and Marcus Peters), but McDuffie is the best of the bunch. The Chiefs have done a great job at developing cornerbacks and Nohl Williams could be next in line after a strong rookie season.
On the contrary, the move could also backfire, as they’d be giving up arguably a top three corner in the NFL, with possibly no clear-cut answer to replace him. It’s a difficult decision that could hover over the Chiefs this offseason.
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Another decision that seems more likely, would be cutting RT Jawaan Taylor. While Taylor is a more than capable blocker, his penalties have overshadowed his ability on the field.
Taylor is also expected to be a cap hit of $27.3 million, a number that’s currently third on the team behind Jones and Mahomes. The Chiefs could save $20 million by moving on from him.
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The Chiefs enter an offseason full of uncertainty following a lackluster season that saw them finish 6-11 and lose their superstar QB to a torn ACL.
They have a busy offseason ahead as they try to improve the team through free agency and the draft.
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