{"id":44017,"date":"2026-02-27T23:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T23:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=44017"},"modified":"2026-02-27T23:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T23:47:11","slug":"chiefs-pending-free-agent-predicted-to-break-the-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=44017","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs Pending Free Agent Predicted to \u2018Break the Bank\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MixCollage-29-Jan-2026-10-03-AM-9668-e1769702631243.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MixCollage-29-Jan-2026-10-03-AM-9668-e1769702631243.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MixCollage-29-Jan-2026-10-03-AM-9668-e1769702631243.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MixCollage-29-Jan-2026-10-03-AM-9668-e1769702631243.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Chiefs Pending Free Agent Predicted to \u2018Break the Bank\u2019\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Kansas City Chiefs have three key starters on defense set to become free agents \u2013 linebacker Leo Chenal, cornerback Jaylen Watson, and safety Bryan Cook.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s possible that one, or even two, end up returning to the Chiefs. However, it is highly unlikely they will retain all three. Who should be the priority is up for debate, but all three players should secure lucrative contracts this offseason.<\/p>\n<p>Chenal, Watson, and Cook were a part of Kansas City\u2019s incredible 2022 draft class. What\u2019s even more impressive is that they were all drafted in later rounds. If the Chiefs lose more than one of them, they\u2019ll need to draft well once again in order to replace them.<\/p>\n<h2>Kansas City Chiefs S Bryan Cook Predicted to \u2018Break the Bank\u2019 in Free Agency<\/h2>\n<p>Cook has steadily developed into a quality starter of the course of his four-year career. 2025 was his best season to date, recording 85 total tackles and six passes defended. Gary Davenport\u00a0of Bleacher Report believes Cook is in position to secure a big deal, even if he\u2019s not widely regarded as an elite player.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cYou aren\u2019t going to hear Bryan Cook mentioned by many fans outside Kansas City. But after four years, 47 starts and a career-best 85 total tackles in 2025, the 26-year-old could be slated for quite the payday in free agency\u2014a deal worth over $55 million total per Spotrac. However, like so many players on this list Cook\u2019s next contract may have more to do with the talent (or lack thereof) available at safety than Cook himself.<\/p>\n<p>Cook has never had even 90 tackles in a season. His coverage numbers aren\u2019t blowing anyone\u2019s doors off either\u2014his passer rating against of 128.5 in 2025 was actually the second-best of his career. The logic of giving a player with Cook\u2019s resume over $14 million a season and making him a top-10 safety in terms of average annual salary is\u2026questionable. But questionable logic in free agency is as annual as the \u201clegal tampering\u201d period\u2014or the illegal tampering that comes before it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Examining the Chiefs\u2019 Safety Corps<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5308550\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jaden-Hicks-e1742965197147.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300\" alt=\"Chiefs Pending Free Agent Predicted to \u2018Break the Bank\u2019\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5308550\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5308550\">\n<\/div>\n<p>It will be a big blow if the Chiefs do lose Cook, because the depth behind him at the safety position leaves a lot to be desired. Jaden Hicks entered the 2025 season with big expectations after a solid rookie year, but couldn\u2019t recapture that success. Chamarri Conner started opposite of Cook last season, and while he is good against the run, he struggles mightily in coverage.<\/p>\n<p>Like Cook, veterans Mike Edwards and Deon Bush are also heading for free agency. Kansas City could bring one of them back for cheap, but neither will move the needle for the position overall. Christian Roland-Wallace has shown some promise as a deep safety, but the Chiefs may want him to play some nickel back.<\/p>\n<p>The crop of free agent safeties isn\u2019t great either. The Chiefs could draft Cook\u2019s replacement, but with many other needs throughout their roster, it\u2019s tough to know if they\u2019ll be able to get someone who can make an immediate impact. There\u2019s a small possibility of top safety prospect Caleb Downs being available when Kansas City picks at No. 9 overall, but that certainly can\u2019t be counted on.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook has been predicted to secure a lucrative contract during free agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kansas-city-chiefs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Chiefs Pending Free Agent Predicted to \u2018Break the Bank\u2019 - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=44017\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chiefs Pending Free Agent Predicted to \u2018Break the Bank\u2019 - 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