THE Kansas City Chiefs have opened up a massive amount of money through restructuring Patrick Mahomes’ contract.
Despite opening up around $43 million from the move, the Chiefs still find themselves in an $11 million deficit.

While this may seem daunting, there are a few steps the Chiefs can take to open up a huge amount of money to spend in free agency.
The first step is to restructure another star’s contract in the form of Chris Jones.
Jones’ cap hit for 2026 is about $45 million which is massive for a defensive tackle. The Chiefs can likely halve that down to around $22 to $25 million.
On top of that restructuring, there are a few candidates to be cut from the Chiefs’ roster to save even more money.
Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, edge rusher Michael Danna, and linebacker Drue Tranquill currently combine for a $46 million cap hit. Releasing them can save $34 million against the cap.
Those moves combined with the Mahomes restructuring saves a total of $97 million, putting the Chiefs $43 million under the 2026 salary cap.
With that extra money, Kansas City can make a few savvy moves in free agency.
Keep an eye out for the Chiefs to reunite with wide receiver Tyreek Hill after his release from the Miami Dolphins, or they could snag veteran Mike Evans away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Either of those guys would likely cost around $13 million for a one year deal.
Kansas City also needs help at cornerback, and has plenty of options on the market like Jamel Dean from the Buccaneers for around $12 million.
Offensive line is also a huge need after the potential release of Jawaan Taylor, and veteran right tackle Braden Smith is on the market for what should be around $14 million per season.
Those moves add up to $39 million, leaving just a bit leftover to go into the 2026 season.
From there, the Chiefs can cross off the rest of their needs in the NFL Draft.
With a few good draft picks, the Chiefs can feel confident that they can compete for Super Bowls once again.