Coming off a blowout loss in Super Bowl LIX just over a month ago, the Kansas City Chiefs fully understand their need for help on both sides of the ball and took appropriate action in the free agency legal “tampering period” to acquire that help. But now, they have to pay the piper.
Two of the biggest flashing red lights on general manager Brett Veach’s dashboard were on the offensive line and at the cornerback position.
So, with four-time champion Joe Thuney moving on to the Chicago Bears to protect Caleb Williams, comes the signing of former San Francisco 49ers rotational tackle Jaylon Moore on a two-year, $30 million deal. And with the needs in the secondary comes the signing of cornerback Kristian Fulton.
Wednesday marks the start of the NFL business year, and it is mor than just about free agency, it is also about being cap-compliant, and the Chiefs have made some moves to get there.
The Chiefs have reworked the contracts of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and defensive tackle Chris Jones, creating $49.5 million in 2025 cap space. That just happens to be the space needed for Kansas City to officially sign their two new players.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Chiefs’ restructuring here does not require Patrick Mahomes or Chris Jones to take haircuts. They are not surrendering money. Their salaries remain the same, however it is a maintenance move that pushes their cap impact down the road. It also keeps the Super Bowl window in the Mahomes era that much more open.
There are some understandable question marks and not everyone is sold on the players added, for example, Moore as the starting tackle.
NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger called it a “band-aid” move by the franchise. And then there is CBS Sports’ latest mock, in which they have Kansas City getting Ohio State’s Josh Simmons.
“Josh Simmons had a torn patellar tendon cut his 2024 season short after starting six games at left tackle for Ohio State last season,” CBS Sports writes. “If not for the injury, he could have been drafted a lot higher. Simmons allowed just one QB pressure and no sacks on 152 pass-blocking snaps last season, which was good for the lowest pressure rate allowed (0.7%) by any tackle with at least 100 pass block snaps. Kansas City gets a steal here.”
The Chiefs next step is a mystery when it comes to the top of the draft.
But it is clear GM Veach move as far as the cap is concerned, so, Mahomes and Jones are in the news with “new contracts” in a sense.
