Three More Moves Chiefs Could Make to Create Cap Space

The Kansas City Chiefs' offseason is well underway as they have made their first big move ahead of free agency. General manager Brett Veach kicked the can down the road once more with quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract, restructuring his 2026 portion of his deal from salary to a signing bonus, freeing up $43.56 million in salary-cap space.

While Veach made one of the most obvious moves of the offseason for Kansas City, he still must find a way to create more cap space to help quicken the retooling process for his roster. With that in mind, here are three more moves the Chiefs could make to free up more space.

Releasing right tackle Jawaan Taylor

Taylor Chiefs — Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

This is likely one of the clearest cuts made for the Chiefs this offseason. Jawaan Taylor has been a solid player at right tackle in Kansas City for the past few seasons, but hasn't played to a level high enough to warrant keeping up with his cap number.

By saving $20 million, the Chiefs will put themselves just under the salary cap, providing some breathing room to sign, at best, their 2026 rookie class from the upcoming NFL Draft. However, additional moves should be made to grant freedom to sign free agents of interest.

Trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to establish roster retooling

McDuffie Chiefs — Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) tackles Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

While McDuffie is a quality nickelback in the NFL, the Chiefs need to establish that they are retooling their roster to commit to more long-term foundational establishment. In a league that is showing nickel defenders to become more valuable (see: Devon Witherspoon), teams will be vying for all the help they can get, especially in "win-now" modes.

McDuffie would garner more draft capital for the Chiefs, specifically in Day Two or Three of the NFL Draft. Plus, it would save them just over $13.6 million in salary cap spacing. Paired with Taylor's potential release, Veach would have nearly $22.3 million in salary cap space, but one more move could give them a top-10 salary cap.

Restructing Chris Jones contract

JonesChiefs — Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

There are two obvious players on the roster that are or were likely to have their contracts restructured: Mahomes and star defensive tackle Chris Jones. His cap number this offseason is $44.8 million, as one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL. However, the Chiefs could save another $22.5 million by giving him a base restructure.

All three moves combined would put Kansas City at $44.8 million in salary cap space. While it is unlikely they will only make these three moves to create more money, more moves could get them to $50 to $60 million to accelerate their retooling timeline.