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The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2026 NFL offseason with one of the worst cap situations in the league, prompting general manager Brett Veach to restructure Patrick Mahomes ' contract. The move gives the Chiefs more flexibility while signaling more roster changes in the coming weeks.
Mahomes' new deal created over $43 million in cap space, but the Chiefs are still underwater. Kansas City is still $11 million over the threshold, the fifth-worst situation in the league , according to Over the Cap.
The Chiefs typically do not mind their cap space dilemma, but they find themselves in unfamiliar territory in the 2026 offseason. Kansas City missed the playoffs in 2025, marking its first postseason absence since 2014.
Just last season, the Chiefs were competing for a three-peat, and they now find themselves in danger of falling into the void. How quickly things change in the NFL.
With Mahomes coming off a season-ending torn ACL and the Chiefs losing offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to the New York Giants, there are suddenly uncomfortable questions being asked in Arrowhead. Kansas City's back is not necessarily pinned against the wall, but Veach is being forced into action more than he has in previous years.
Mahomes' restructuring was a step in the right direction and needs to be a sign of things to come. The Chiefs need to renegotiate another star player's contract and release a few tenured veterans before the 2026 offseason gets away from them if they want to return to Super Bowl contention.
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Entering the offseason, restructuring Patrick Mahomes ' and Chris Jones ' contracts were the Chiefs' two most obvious moves. With Mahomes' deal now out of the way, Veach has to address Jones next.
While the Chiefs have now restructured Mahomes' deal in each of the last four offseasons, Jones remains on the five-year, $158.7 million deal he signed in 2024. But ahead of the third season of that contract, Jones is due for a renegotiation. His $44.8 million cap hit in 2026 is the most in the league for a non-quarterback.
Kansas City would not clear another $40 million in cap space by restructuring Jones' contract, but it can open up roughly $20 million. Expect the 31-year-old defensive tackle to work out a new deal soon.
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Aside from another restructuring, the Chiefs would create the most cap space by releasing offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor. Kansas City would save $20 million by cutting Taylor, according to Over the Cap. There is no difference if the team releases him before or after June 1, allowing it to take him off the books before free agency opens in March.
Taylor has been a staple of the Chiefs' offensive line for years, starting every game he has appeared in since joining the team in 2019. His consistency led to a four-year, $80 million extension in 2023.
While Taylor's play has not been poor, it is also not up to the level that his salary demands. He has not received higher than a 63.7 player grade on Pro Football Focus — just below the league average — where he was the team's lowest-rated offensive tackle in 2025.
Taylor has also struggled with penalties throughout his career. He warranted 13 flags in 2025 — three were declined — eighth-most of any player in the league, and he has accrued as many as 24 penalties in a single season.
The Chiefs invested in Josh Simmons in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, indicating their desire to revamp their offensive line. Kansas City still has Wanya Morris , Jaylon Moore and Esa Pole under contract in 2026, who each started at least one game last season. None of Morris, Moore or Pole is a clear upgrade over Taylor, but they are all cheaper to retain.
With a plethora of experienced options at tackle and the possibility to select another tackle early in the upcoming draft, Taylor is nothing but dead weight on the Chiefs' roster. It would be a big mistake to keep him on the team by the start of free agency.
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Mike Danna was a potential cut candidate in the 2025 offseason, but the Chiefs valued his leadership and experience enough to keep him for another season. Coming off one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, Danna is even more of a liability one year later.
After peaking with 6.5 sacks in 2023, Danna's production has fallen off a cliff in the last two years. His output dipped to 3.5 sacks in 2024 before he could only muster one sack in 2025. Danna did manage his first career interception, but he also tied a career low with just 25 tackles.
The 28-year-old's snap count decreased in 2025 along with his production. Rookie Ashton Gillotte 's role steadily increased throughout the year, while Charles Omenihu also cut into Danna's playing time after missing most of the 2024 campaign. Former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah could also become a factor in 2026 after spending the entire 2025 season on injured reserve.
The Chiefs have an abundance of quality, albeit unexciting, edge-rushing options on their roster, leaving Danna expendable. Releasing him would free up $8.9 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.
If Kansas City selects an edge-rusher early in the 2026 NFL Draft, which many expect it to do, Danna could be as good as gone.
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The Chiefs have an ample amount of veteran cornerbacks on their roster who are all viable cut candidates in the 2026 offseason. None makes more sense than Kristian Fulton, whose impact in 2025 was obscure. Kansas City can save $5 million in cap space if it releases Fulton in the 2026 NFL offseason.
The Chiefs signed Fulton in the 2025 offseason to pair him with Trent McDuffie , but the plan has not panned out. The oft-injured Fulton appeared in only eight games in 2025, finishing the year with 16 tackles, six pass breakups, and no interceptions.
Fulton spent most of the year nursing an ankle injury before returning in Week 10, when he slowly ramped up back into the starting lineup. The 27-year-old was a solid addition to the defense when he was on the field, but injuries only allowed him to play over 50 percent of the defensive snaps in three of his eight games.
Injuries have been an issue for Fulton his entire career. Since getting taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the LSU alum has yet to play a full season while missing five or more games in all but one of his six years in the league.
Fulton is a fine cornerback when he plays, but the Chiefs needed him to be a consistent playmaker. Kansas City's roster is otherwise full of average cornerbacks and has no need to pay Fulton to be just another one of them.
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