As the NFL’s 2025 league year opened on Wednesday, a slew of the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster moves became official.

The league also released a list of players who received restricted free agent tenders from NFL teams. Two Kansas City players were among the 13 who became restricted free agents: cornerback Nazeeh Johnson and linebacker Jack Cochrane. Both players received a right of first refusal tender.

This move offers each player a $3.3 million salary for the coming season. Should either sign a contract with another team, the Chiefs would have the right to match the offer — but would receive no compensation if they allow the player to walk.

Johnson was the Chiefs’ seventh-round selection out of Marshall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Unlike several teammates, he did not have a year left on his original contract, because he was waived after his rookie training camp before being re-signed to the roster shortly afterward. After missing the 2023 season with a torn ACL suffered in training camp, Johnson started six Chiefs games in 2024.

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Cochrane signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent from South Dakota in 2022. Over three seasons, he has developed into one of the team’s most dependable special teams players. Cochrane’s 2024 season was cut short by a fractured ankle he sustained in Week 16.

This writer recently predicted that the Chiefs would not offer any of its pending restricted free agents a contract tender — mainly due to the high cost of even the lowest tender. While the team saw it differently, Cochrane and Johnson are far from locked into the roster at their higher-than-expected salaries.

This is because restricted free agent tenders are not guaranteed. While Kansas City will have immediate salary cap obligations to both players, neither will be paid any money until the first regular-season game. They will compete with new faces at their respective positions in this summer’s training camp.

It’s also possible that the Chiefs could still negotiate a lower compensation with either player. In 2021, tackle Andrew Wylie was set to play for Kansas City as a restricted free agent — then at a cost of $2.1 million. But after the league’s roster cutdown day, Wylie agreed to a reduced salary to guarantee his place on the team — thereby avoiding competition from hundreds of recently-released players.

Chiefs offered right of first refusal tenders on CB Nazeeh Johnson and LB Jack Cochrane. Those are contract offers of $3.263 million for the 2025 season.

Restricted free agents not offered tenders: TE Peyton Hendershot, CB Keith Taylor and K Spencer Shrader.

— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) March 12, 2025

Friend-of-the-site Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest later confirmed that the Chiefs did not tender their remaining pending restricted free agents, including cornerback Keith Taylor and tight end Peyton Hendershot. Kicker Spencer Shrader — a potential exclusive rights free agent — also wasn’t tendered. All have now become unrestricted free agents eligible to sign with any team — including the Chiefs.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Derrick also reported Wednesday that another of Kansas City’s potential restricted free agents — defensive end Malik Herring — has re-signed with the team on a one-year contract. Herring joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2021, but missed all of his first year recovering from an injury sustained in the draft process.

The former Georgia Bulldog has appeared in 26 career games with the Chiefs, including 12 last season. He has 1.5 career sacks.