For a franchise with salary cap constraints, the Kansas City Chiefs made several big splashes both prior to NFL free agency, and then again at the start of the legal tampering period.
KC secured right guard Trey Smith utilizing an expensive franchise tag, they extended linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Hollywood Brown on deals that combined for over $55 million (total value), they agreed to terms on a $30 million contract with left tackle Jaylon Moore and they locked in a new starting cornerback in Kristian Fulton — among other more minor moves.
How did general manager Brett Veach manage to accomplish all of this, given the Chiefs’ cap concerns? ESPN NFL insider Field Yates shed some light on this on March 12, the same day these transactions all become official at the start of the new league year.
“The Chiefs have restructured the contracts of QB Patrick Mahomes and DT Chris Jones, creating $49.446M in 2025 cap space,” Yates noted on X. Explaining: “The space (plus more) [is] needed for Kansas City to sign their early free agents, including LT Jaylon Moore and CB Kristian Fulton.”
So, as expected, Veach cashes in on his purposefully lucrative long-term deals once again, restructuring both Mahomes and Jones. This time, that cap hack sheds an amount that is just under $50 million, allowing Kansas City to operate freely earlier this week.
How Do Contract Restructures Impact Patrick Mahomes & Chris Jones’ Future Cap Hits for Chiefs?
Contract restructures do impact future cap hits. The tactic is often referred to as “kicking the can down the road,” and does increase the financial burden of the following years.
In this case, according to Over the Cap, Mahomes’ 2025 cap hit has decreased down to a little over $28 million, while 2026 is up over $78.2 million.
From there, his remaining cap hits currently cost the following amounts:
- 2027, $74.364 million.
- 2028, $42.124 million.
- 2029, $44.524 million.
- 2030, $45.525 million.
- 2031, $48.375 million.
For a franchise quarterback like Mahomes who is signed long-term and has displayed a track record of durability, contract restructures are pretty much a no-brainer. And to be quite honest, Veach and Mahomes designed the deal in a way that can be used in a very lucrative manner each offseason.
Restructuring Jones carries a little more risk.
As a defensive lineman entering his age 31 season, Jones is naturally subject to a higher chance of injury than Mahomes. After the move, his 2025 cap hit is much more manageable (per Over the Cap) at $23.6 million, but his 2026 cap hit is now more exorbitant at $44.85 million.
Could Kansas City simply restructure Jones again next offseason? Yes, but eventually that bill will come due — see the New Orleans Saints’ cap disaster in recent years.
Jones’ remaining cap hits currently cost the following amounts after 2026:
- 2027, $38.1 million.
- 2028, $44.85 million.
NFL Cap Continues to Increase Every Season — Barring a Rare Occurrence
The argument for restructuring star contracts over and over again definitely ties into the NFL’s trajectory as a league. With ratings at an all-time high, the sport’s revenue has done nothing but increase and that also means a higher cap the following offseason.
This tends to factor in when front office’s make decisions like this, being that the organization should have more money to work with next year than this year.
Having said that, there’s always a chance the cap will not increase the following spring, so it’s more of an educated bet than a guarantee.
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the more recent examples of an event that caused the cap to decrease unexpectedly the following offseason. So, there are rare times where it does not make sense to move money forward into the future.
