A big reworking of the checkbook in Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t been stagnant to start the 2025 NFL offseason, recently agreeing to deals with free agents Jaylon Moore and Kristian Fulton, among others. It turns out they did some behind-the-scenes magic to make room for the incoming players, reworking lucrative extensions for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and defensive lineman Chris Jones to clear nearly $50 million in salary cap space, per ESPN.
Mahomes and Jones are both tied to the Chiefs for years to come — Mahomes is signed through 2031, and Jones through 2028 — so Kansas City’s adjustments here were likely related to how and when those players’ contracts get paid out. These types of restructures are common in the NFL, where teams routinely spread out money over additional seasons to create more immediate financial flexibility.
Prior to these particular restructures, the Chiefs were projected to enter the new league year more than $19 million over the 2025 salary cap, per Over the Cap, which would’ve delayed or prevented them from processing new contracts. Mahomes was previously due to count $28 million against the 2025 cap as part of his historic 10-year extension — originally signed back in 2020 — while Jones was due $23.6 million.
