Coming off a 6-11 season and with limited salary-cap space, the Kansas City Chiefs will have to be choosy when determining which of their free agents to bring back for 2026 and beyond.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the team’s top 10 unrestricted free agents this offseason, based on each player’s overall value from a league standpoint (while getting an assist from Daniel Popper’s top 150 free agents list at The Athletic).

1. CB Jaylen Watson

Watson is a huge Chiefs success story after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-2 cornerback started 21 regular season games the last two seasons, missing the others with injuries. He has given the Chiefs consistent outside cornerback production while also serving as a willing tackler in the run game.

Those guys aren’t cheap in free agency. Popper projects a four-year, $73 million deal for Watson, and that’s likely to be out of the Chiefs’ price range unless they decide to trade All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

For what it’s worth, Watson said in December, “I love Kansas City. I love the fans. I love everything about it, front office down to the players.”

2. S Bryan Cook

Cook quietly had a career year in 2025, posting an 83.5 defensive grade at Pro Football Focus — the fourth-highest mark among 65 safeties who took at least half their team’s snaps.

One of Cook’s top skills was getting rushers on the ground. He missed just five tackles all season per PFF’s data, and his 5.6 percent missed-tackle rate was seventh best among those 65 safeties.

The Chiefs certainly benefited from this. K.C.’s defense was fourth best in the NFL when it came to limiting opponent explosive plays (12-plus-yard runs and 16-plus-yard passes) per TruMedia, and the team also tied for the fewest 20-plus-yard runs allowed (five).

Cook should be looking at a multiyear deal this offseason, and he’s likely to receive a more lucrative offer elsewhere. Like Watson, though, Cook told The Athletic in December he’d welcome a return to K.C. if it happened.

“Why not? We’re trying to create a dynasty,” he said. “I love what we’re trying to build here from the top down — from the coaches to the corporation down to the players and the people that we meet along the way. They bring in a lot of good guys and good dudes who want to work hard.”

3. TE Travis Kelce

Yes, Kelce is technically an unrestricted free agent. Still, it would be shocking if the 36-year-old decided to play with anyone but the Chiefs if he returns for a 14th season.

Though Kelce didn’t have the same speed or hip-swivel in 2025 that he possessed in his glory days, he remained plenty productive in the last year of his previous contract. He finished fourth among all NFL tight ends with 851 receiving yards, and thanks to some extra offseason work on his conditioning, he displayed a renewed level of burst that wasn’t always present a season ago.

That showed up in some of the advanced stats. Kelce forced nine missed tackles in the regular season, per PFF’s data, which was triple the amount he had during the 2024 regular season.

Defenses also continued to show Kelce plenty of respect. That included a Week 17 game when the Denver Broncos double-teamed him on the game-deciding fourth-down pass.

Popper projects a one-year, $10 million contract for Kelce, but given the tight end’s team-first ways, one has to wonder whether the team could get him for less. A cheaper deal could technically benefit both sides: K.C. would have more money for free agency, while Kelce would be making a real-life monetary sacrifice for the good of the team, which would only enhance his status as one of the most beloved Chiefs of all time.

4. LB Leo Chenal

Chenal has carved out a nice role after being drafted in the 2022 third round.

No, he is not an every-down linebacker. And he can struggle with coverage in space. Still, the team found plenty of creative ways to use him while also capitalizing on his elite strength and athleticism.

Nicknamed “The Beast” by teammates and coaches, Chenal flashes most as an elite run stopper who is unafraid to take on blockers. He was also used situationally as an edge rusher and displayed elite special teams ability.

He won’t be a fit on every roster or with every defense, which might give the Chiefs a better chance to re-sign him than some of the others above.

5. RB Kareem Hunt

Hunt does one thing, but he does it extremely well: He grinds out tough gains as a short-yardage specialist.

That’s plenty valuable for this ball-control team because turning third-and-1s into first-and-10s has been a big part of the offense’s success over the last two seasons.

Hunt has relished getting a second chance with the Chiefs after they cut him in 2018, so another one-year deal for just above the veteran minimum would seem to make sense for both sides.

That potential signing shouldn’t stop the team from adding two other players to its running back corps this offseason, however, as K.C. looks to add the type of explosiveness that isn’t Hunt’s strength.

6. RB Isiah Pacheco

The Chiefs waited patiently the last two seasons for Pacheco to show renewed burst after he sustained multiple injuries. Unfortunately for both parties, it never fully reappeared.

Pacheco, who ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash time at the 2022 NFL combine, simply hasn’t had the same speed following a productive first two seasons.

NFL’s Next Gen Stats provides some evidence. In 2023, he hit 15 mph or more on 29 of his 205 carries. During the next two seasons combined, though, he had just 15 15-mph spurts — all on an almost identical number of rushing attempts (201).

Pacheco is an energy-giver as a teammate and has never been afraid to take on contact with a physical running style. But he also doesn’t elude tackles well and hasn’t established himself yet as a reliable receiver.

He seems likely to sign elsewhere, with that team hoping the 26-year-old can see a career resurgence with better health luck.

7. WR Hollywood Brown

It seems like a distant memory, but after receiver Xavier Worthy went down with an injury in Week 1 last season, K.C. targeted Brown 16 times in that loss to the Los Angeles Chargers — tying for the fifth-highest total of any NFL receiver in a game in 2025.

Brown’s role was never intended to be that, and in later weeks, he returned to the type of complementary piece at wideout that should be more his specialty at age 28.

In the end, Brown was neither a problem nor a solution for the Chiefs’ passing attack with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He seems likely to move on as K.C. sifts through younger options this offseason.

8. WR Tyquan Thornton

It’s difficult to know how the Chiefs view Thornton after his 2025 season.

He emerged during summer offseason workouts and was the team’s best story of the early season, turning into one of Mahomes’ most reliable targets while racking up 272 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the first five games.

When the team became healthier, though, Thornton lost playing time. He failed to get in on more than a third of K.C.’s offensive snaps during any game between Weeks 6-13, and his production dropped off as a result.

Still only 25 and a former second-round draft pick, Thornton could return if promised a bigger role. More likely, though, is that another team will believe it can unlock more from the speedy wideout, who said during Super Bowl week he’s looking to go to a place where he can “have my fair share of targets.”

9. CB Joshua Williams

A 2022 fourth-round pick, Williams fell out of favor on defense in recent seasons while settling into a special teams role.

He should benefit from a change of scenery, where another team will see if it can turn the 6-3 cornerback’s physical tools into additional on-field production.

10. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

After nine pro seasons, Smith-Schuster still (somehow) is only 29 years old … even if his skill set resembles someone older.

His PFF grade declined a season ago, mostly because he wasn’t as consistent a run blocker as in previous seasons. He still can be used as a zone-beater and doesn’t shy away from tough catches in traffic.

A short foray to New England didn’t work out for him a few years back, and he quickly signed up for a K.C. reunion. The Chiefs will need bodies to fill out their receiver room, so Smith-Schuster coming back at a near-vet-minimum salary could make sense for both sides.

Other notable unrestricted free agents: QB Gardner Minshew, DE Charles Omenihu, LS James Winchester, LB Jack Cochrane, CB Nazeeh Johnson, DL Jerry Tillery, S Deon Bush, TE Robert Tonyan, DL Mike Pennel, S Mike Edwards, RB Dameon Pierce.