Five Chiefs Playing for Their Next Contract This Season (And What They Could Earn)

While it's important to keep your feet where you are, that isn't always the life of an NFL front office executive. It's a sure thing that Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has a plan for 2027 and beyond, even with the 2026 season on the horizon.

Every smart organization takes the future salary cap, player values and available assets into consideration when constructing a team. On the Chiefs' roster, per Spotrac, a whopping 36 players are slated to be free agents in the spring.

Some of those are exclusive rights free agents who will be easy "yes" or "no" calls to be retained. Others near the top of the totem pole, however, may have legitimate buzz regarding suitors on the open market. Who could boost or hurt their stock the most this coming campaign?

Let's dive into five Chiefs who are playing for their next contract, as well as an estimate on what they could earn.

Safety Chamarri Conner

Chamarri Conner's situation is a strange one, as he produced with volume a year ago en route to starting a career-best 17 games and amassing 117 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. On the other hand, he struggled once again with coverage in the slot to the tune of a 71.2% completion rate and a 95.4 passer rating allowed.

Now heading into a contract year, a switch back to his more natural position of safety is in store. He flashed legitimate upside there as a rookie, making multiple plays in the defensive backfield. Proving to be a formidable starter there would help matters, but is he too far gone?

Over The Cap values Conner at a mark of $3.7 million per season. Barring him turning into a star in year No. 4, it's hard to see him landing too much more than that.

Projected Contract: Two years, $8M

Cornerback Kader Kohou

The Chiefs losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson in the same offseason required Veach and company to get creative at cornerback. The slot solution earlier this year appeared to be Kader Kohou, who spent all of 2025 on the shelf following an ACL tear.

The former Miami Dolphins standout last played in the 2024 campaign, breaking up eight passes and picking off two in 15 games while also ceding just 6.1 yards per target. A summer wrinkle that must be factored in here is L'Jarius Sneed's reunion with the Chiefs. How does that impact the depth chart at training camp?

If Kohou plays all year, that likely means he's doing so at a high level and has rebuilt most of his stock. He'll hit free agency again as a 28-year-old, which could keep him on several teams' radars. He must first show that he's the same player he was pre-injury, though.

Splitting the difference and going with a median projection similar to Conner's seems wise.

Projected Contract: One year, $4M

Linebacker Drue Tranquill

Believe it or not, this is setting up to be the fourth year of Drue Tranquill in Kansas City. After a strong debut in 2023, it's been a mixed bag for the lifelong AFC West linebacker. In the same vein as Conner, he logged plenty of box score production in 2025 (103 tackles, 10 for loss, two sacks) but the on-tape quality of his play left some to be desired.

Coverage was a huge issue for the veteran 'backer, evidenced by his 91.7% completion clip and career-worst 10.3 yards per target allowed. He was routinely picked on in the short area of the field. On the flip side, he emerged as a force in run support, recording a sparkling 89.5 Pro Football Focus run defense grade with 39 stops — his most as a Chief.

Tranquill already took a pay cut to stay in K.C. for one more year. Now on the wrong side of 30, he won't break the bank for anyone, but another solid effort in 2026 could see him get one more respectable payday nonetheless.

Projected Contract: Two years, $11M

Right Tackle Jaylon Moore

Kansas City lucking into Josh Simmons at the end of the first round in last year's NFL Draft pushed Jaylon Moore to the bench, but he didn't stay there for the entire season. The 2025 signing wound up playing 427 offensive snaps for a 6-11 team, surrendering 27 pressures with a career-low 57.1 PFF pass blocking grade.

Now, Jawaan Taylor has moved on to the Atlanta Falcons, leaving the door wide open for Moore to become a full-time starter. Some have pitched a potential right tackle battle with Esa Pole, but that seems like an unfounded rumor more than anything else. It's Moore's job for now, serving as one of the biggest opportunities of his NFL tenure.

Following a similar trend as some of those before him on this list, delivering a season of starter-level play would be a splendid thing for Moore. That may help him shed the dreaded swing tackle label and set him up for a serious deal on another team.

Moore signed with the Chiefs for an average of $15M last offseason. Let's give him a slight raise and a longer term in this scenario.

Projected Contract: Three years, $54M

Wide Receiver Rashee Rice

The Chiefs absolutely need Rashee Rice to be on top of his game, and he'd greatly benefit from the same. The former second-round pick has played just 12 games in the last two seasons combined, but his 17-game pace (109 receptions for 1,217 yards and 10 touchdowns) is blistering in that span. Staying on the field is critical for the SMU product.

Rice likely is who he is at this stage: a tremendous second wideout for plenty of teams but not a true alpha. He lacks the field-stretching ability to be a true X receiver, although his ability to command volume and generate yards after the catch is hard to find.

Narrowing down Rice's value might be the trickiest task yet. Not only are there durability concerns, but he's a walking wild card off the field and also isn't quite good enough to make teams look past that combination.

But all it takes is one desperate franchise to pony up on a long-term deal and take a chance on Rice's skill set. While this writer believes it's hard to justify shelling out a multi-year pact to him, something incentive-laden at a discounted price could work.

The top of the receiver market is $42M annually right now. Is a bit less than half of that for a wideout-needy team possible?

Projected Contract: Two years, $38M

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