Report: Frank Clark Return to KC Chiefs 'Most Likely Scenario'
The Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos just recently played in their Week 6 matchup on Thursday Night Football, but this may not be the last time the two franchises are in the headlines together before their rematch in Week 8. With defensive end Frank Clark officially being released by Denver, the buzz surrounding a potential return to Kansas City is beginning to heat up.
According to a Friday afternoon report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, Clark's release will appear on the Saturday waiver wire. Of the possible outcomes on the table, his sources believe "a return to Kansas City is the most likely scenario" as of now.
Frank Clark’s release now has been turned into the NFL and his name will appear on the Saturday wire; once it does, Clark will be free to sign wherever he wants. A return to Kansas City is the most likely scenario in the eyes of league sources.
Clark is a very familiar name in Chiefs circles, as the 30-year-old defensive end was acquired via trade prior to the 2019 season and he spent four years with the organization. Helping contribute to multiple championship runs and bringing home a pair of Super Bowl titles, Clark is held in high regard within the building and emerged as a premier leader in the locker room in recent seasons. Despite that, Kansas City parted ways with him during the offseason and he proceeded to sign with another AFC West club thereafter. Now, just over a month into the 2023 season, he'll be back on the open market.
On Thursday, I wrote right here on Arrowhead Report about the pros and cons of Clark potentially returning to the Chiefs. Here's some of that reasoning:
Therein lies the most logical answer. If the Chiefs get Charles Omenihu back after Week 6 and feel that they still need to add to their depth along the defensive line, looking into a Clark reunion wouldn't hurt. It would, however, possibly eat into the chances of Anudike-Uzomah and fellow rookie BJ Thompson getting reps. Is the upside of some proven veteran leadership and playoff production worth the trade-off of some cap space, in-game development of younger players and the nonstop uncertainty surrounding Clark's readiness to play? That'll be up for the team to decide, and that's if they're even interested.
With Clark taking a pay cut in order to get out of Denver, also given his history with salary reduction and adjustment in Kansas City, it's worth concluding that winning remains a higher priority than high-end earnings at this stage of his career. If the three-time Pro Bowler is open to a Chiefs reunion and the team obliges, it will have roughly $3.6 million in salary cap space to make something happen with per the NFLPA public salary cap report. At the very least, this situation is something to keep an eye on moving forward.
