The Chiefs have already reshaped their coaching staff this offseason, and now comes the harder part: fixing the roster under a tight salary cap. With limited financial flexibility, Kansas City may be forced into some significant moves, and if recent reports are to be believed, it could start with two notable departures.

“K.C. has a few obvious cut candidates, too,” The Athletic’s Jesse Newell wrote. “The Chiefs can save $20 million if they cut right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and the expected release of defensive end Mike Danna will save nearly $9 million as well.”

As per Newell’s quotes, Andy Reid could be set to give up on the duo. Kansas City enters the offseason in a financial bind, sitting roughly $54 million over the salary cap, according to Over the Cap. Spotrac projects the situation even bleaker, with the Chiefs nearing nearly $58 million over the limit, the lowest cap figure in the league heading into the 2026 league year. In practical terms, that means general manager Brett Veach must clear close to $60 million before the team can even sign a single free agent.
Amid this, Taylor’s situation is something to think about, because the savings from releasing him would be pretty significant.

Spotrac lists his 2026 compensation as a $19.5 million base salary, along with a prorated signing bonus of $4.725 million, a restructure proration of $2.67 million, and a $500,000 workout bonus, while cutting him would make space for $20 million.

Over the Cap estimates that an extension could lower Taylor’s cap hit by nearly $15 million, so the gap between cutting him outright and extending him is about $5 million, before factoring in what a new deal would look like. But with Kansas City already drowning in cap trouble, even the cheaper extension route still leaves a massive number on the books for a tackle whose play hasn’t justified top-tier money. That makes the decision less straightforward, and he certainly didn’t make a case for himself with his performances.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Taylor struggled throughout the season, finishing with a 53.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, with three sacks allowed. His struggles became so noticeable late in the year that the coaching staff began experimenting with different offensive line combinations, a subtle but telling sign that the organization was already preparing for life without him if finances demanded it.

Danna, on the other hand, finished the season with 25 total tackles, eight of them solo, along with one sack and an interception across 15 games.

Those numbers aren’t poor, but reflect a big fall-off compared to last year, when he posted 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks while playing fewer games. The timing of that dip is what hurts most, with Danna set to carry an $11.1 million cap hit in 2026, a figure that suddenly looks steep for rotational production rather than impact pass rushing. If Andy Reid doesn’t believe he can find his way back, letting him go is very much on the table.

These two will be critical decisions, but they’re not the only options on the table. The franchise’s star shot-caller could once again come to their aid with his contract.

Patrick Mahomes’ contract can provide a way out

Before the Kansas City Chiefs make any other moves to clean up their cap sheet, everything starts with Patrick Mahomes, who is set to carry a $78,213,888 cap charge in 2026. Kansas City will almost certainly restructure his deal to spread that hit over future years, unless both sides decide a new agreement makes more sense.

Mahomes’ cap charge is currently among the highest in the league. One obvious move would be converting roughly $54.5 million of Mahomes’ compensation into a signing bonus, which would clear close to $43.5 million in immediate cap room. Of course, that would come with consequences down the line, but it would buy Kansas City some breathing room and immediate flexibility.

The next priority would be defensive tackle Chris Jones, whose cap charge is scheduled to come in at $44.9 million, and a reworked deal would definitely clear up some space. For context, the front office generated nearly $45 million in cap space by reworking the deals of Patrick Mahomes and Jones last year.

If that’s not enough, cutting Jawaan Taylor and Mike Danna is always an option, and giving up on LB Drue Tranquill and CB Kristian Fulton would also make space for around a combined $11 million.