After Chiefs seek record three-peat, free agency could hit them hard

Greg Auman

NFL Reporter

NEW ORLEANS — As seemingly seamless as the Chiefs‘ dominance has been with four Super Bowl appearances in the past five years, Kansas City could soon face a challenge, with key players on both sides of the ball hitting free agency next month.

“Continuity is a big thing,” said defensive end Charles Omenihu, who has sacks in each of the past two postseasons since coming to the Chiefs on a two-year deal in 2023. “But I’m staying in the moment, staying present. You’ve got to. It’s the Super Bowl, so you’re not really worried about those things.”

Kansas City has already re-signed two key pieces from its 2021 draft in center Creed Humphrey and tight end Noah Gray, but the Chiefs could lose two others who have been young mainstays in their Super Bowl run, in guard Trey Smith and linebacker Nick Bolton. Bolton, whose 22 tackles in Super Bowls match the most of any player since 2000, has a projected market value around $10-12 million a year, and Smith, a late-round gem as a four-year starter drafted in the sixth round, could get $20 million a year as one of the best offensive linemen available.

“Quite honestly, that’s not on my mind,” Bolton said Monday night. “I’m trying to find a way to win this game. We’ve worked all the way since training camp trying to get to this point. I’m trying to have fun with the guys. Whether it’s the last time I play with them or not doesn’t really matter. We’re just trying to [get] this win.”

Safety Justin Reid, who has started all but two games in his three years in Kansas City, will be one of the best defensive backs available and, as such, should get a new deal paying north of $15 million a year. Defensive end Tershawn Wharton, who enjoyed a breakout season at 27 with 6.5 sacks, will also be in line for a major raise. The Chiefs currently have only about $15 million in 2025 cap space, though they can restructure contracts to create more space. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, under contract for another seven years, is due to have a $66 million cap hit in 2025, so an extension could create short-term cap help as well.

The 21 unrestricted free agents include much of the Chiefs’ receiving corps, with depth mostly patched together with one-year deals and trades this season. Veterans DeAndre Hopkins, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson wlll all be unrestricted free agents this spring. Rookie Xavier Worthy and second-year pro Rashee Rice, who missed most of the year with injury, are the only two receivers with regular playing time who are under contract for 2025.

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Kansas City’s sustained success has allowed them to limit their free-agent losses. They traded corner L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans last year after giving him the franchise tag, but he was limited to five games for Tennessee due to a quad injury and had zero interceptions. Tackle Orlando Brown, coming off two Pro Bowl seasons, left in free agency in 2023 to sign with the Bengals.

The Chiefs’ continuity starts at the top, and Andy Reid addressed that Tuesday, making it clear he intends to return this fall, putting off any talk of retirement at age 66 as he wraps up his 26th season as an NFL head coach. The Saints‘ head coaching job remains open, but it looks like he’ll survive another offseason without losing his top assistants in offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

“Every team is different,” Reid said Monday. “They develop their own personality throughout the season, and that’s where we’re at now. This team has developed certain characteristics that maybe the other teams didn’t have. That’s how it goes, but they’re all different.”

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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