While still top Super Bowl contenders, the Chiefs have some crucial contract decisions to make in free agency this offseason — starting with the Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu.
For the fourth straight year, the Kansas City Chiefs played in the AFC Championship Game. They ultimately fell short against the surprising Cincinnati Bengals, but heading into the 2022 season, the smart money is more likely to be on Andy Reid’s boys than on Zac Taylor’s Cincy youth movement.
That money will feel even smarter if KC can navigate the potential pitfalls of NFL free agency with maximum efficiency.
The Chiefs are currently hovering around league average in terms of pending salary cap commitments for 2022 and have key decisions to make regarding their 53-man roster — most pressingly with safety and defensive signal-caller Tyrann Mathieu. Reid and general manager Brett Veach have the luxury of continuing to build around all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but as the QB’s own cap number increases as part of his record-setting contract, getting back to the doorstep of the Super Bowl won’t be just a formality.
Let’s dive into the full list of imminent Chiefs free agents ahead of the start of the new NFL league year on March 16.
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Chiefs’ 2021 Salary Cap Numbers
- Active Contracts: $160,211,274
- Dead Cap Money: $17,790,771
- Total Salary Cap Usage: $184,957,146
- Salary Cap Space: $3,475,964
2022 Kansas City Chiefs Free Agents
- TE Blake Bell (unrestricted)
- Age: 30
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $1,127,500
- 2021 Salary: $1,127,500
- G Austin Blythe (unrestricted)
- Age: 29
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $990,000
- 2021 Salary: $990,000
- T Orlando Brown Jr. (unrestricted)
- Age: 25
- Expiring Contract: 4 years, $3,491,720
- 2021 Salary: $,3,384,000
- FB Michael Burton (unrestricted)
- Age: 30
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $990,000
- 2021 Salary: $990,000
- WR Joe Fortson (exclusive rights)
- Age: 26
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $660,000
- 2021 Salary: $660,000
- RB Derrick Gore (exclusive rights)
- Age: 27
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $660,000
- 2021 Salary: $660,000
- QB Chad Henne (unrestricted)
- Age: 36
- Expiring Contract: 2 years, $3,250,000
- 2021 Salary: $1,625,000
- CB Mike Hughes (unrestricted)
- Age: 25
- Expiring Contract: 4 years, $9,867,484
- 2021 Salary: $1,825,556
- OLB Melvin Ingram (unrestricted)
- Age; 32
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $4,000,000
- 2021 Salary: $597,222
- WR Marcus Kemp (restricted)
- Age: 26
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $850,000
- 2021 Salary: $850,000
- CB Chris Lammons (exclusive rights)
- Age: 27
- Expiring Contract: 1 year $780,000
- 2021 Salary: $780,000
- G Kyle Long (unrestricted)
- Age: 33
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $1,500,000
- 2021 Salary: $1,500,000
- FS Tyrann Mathieu (unrestricted)
- Age: 29
- Expiring Contract: 3 years, $42,000,000
- 2021 Salary: $19,733,334
- RB Jerick McKinnon (unrestricted)
- Age: 29
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $990,000
- 2021 Salary: $990,000
- LB Ben Niemann (unrestricted)
- Age: 26
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $1,570,000
- 2021 Salary: $1,570,000
- DT Derrick Nnadi (unrestricted)
- Age: 25
- Expiring Contract: 4 years, $3,745,600
- 2021 Salary: $2,422,850
- OLB Dorian O’Daniel (unrestricted)
- Age: 27
- Expiring Contract: 4 years, $3,346,341
- 2021 Salary: $1,138,379
- DE Alex Okafor (unrestricted)
- Age: 31
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $1,075,000
- 2021 Salary: $1,075,000
- WR Byron Pringle (unrestricted)
- Age: 28
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $2,133,000
- 2021 Salary: $2,133,000
- DT Jarran Reed (unrestricted)
- Age: 29
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $5,500,000
- 2021 Salary: $5,470,588
- RT Mike Remmers (unrestricted)
- Age: 32
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $3,300,000
- 2021 Salary: $3,300,000
- WR Demarcus Robinson (unrestricted)
- Age: 27
- Expiring contract: 1 year, $1,127,500
- 2021 Salary: $1,127,500
- SS Daniel Sorensen (unrestricted)
- Age: 31
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $2,462,000
- 2021 Salary: $1,212,500
- CB Charvarius Ward (unrestricted)
- Age: 26
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $3,384,000
- 2021 Salary: $3,384,000
- S Armani Watts (unrestricted)
- Age: 25
- Expiring Contract: 4 years, $3,092,635
- 2021 Salary: $1,088,061
- RB Darrel Williams (unrestricted)
- Age: 26
- Expiring Contract: 1 year, $1,600,000
- 2021 Salary: $1,600,000
- T Andrew Wylie (unrestricted)
- Age: 27
- Expiring Contract: $920,000
- 2021 Salary: $920,000
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