The Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time under quarterback Patrick Mahomes. While Mahomes did suffer a season-ending injury, the Chiefs were nearing elimination from the playoffs well before the injury.

No matter what, while you have Mahomes on the roster, you’ll be competing for Super Bowls, but a playoffless season is a concern. With -$6 million in cap space, where do the Chiefs go from here?

Who to Cut?

The Chiefs already parted ways with tackle Jawaan Taylor, saving $19.5 million in cap space this season. We also cut another veteran, parting ways with linebacker Drue Tranquill, saving $5.8 million.

There are other cuts to be made, but none are noteworthy enough. We’ll make most of our money through restructures.

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Restructures

We’ll make four restructures that save us a whopping $45.5 million.

First, we restructure center Creed Humphrey, saving $8.5 million. Continuing on the offensive line, we restructure guard Trey Smith, saving $10.5 million.

Our biggest restructure is defensive tackle Chris Jones. Restructuring the veteran defender saves us $23 million in 2026. The final restructure is kicker Harrison Butker, saving $3.1 million.

Free Agency

With all the moves we’ve made, we’ll have just under $70 million in cap space, plenty to spend in free agency.

Our first big signing is veteran wide receiver Mike Evans. There are a lot of questions surrounding Rashee Rice, and Evans can still play at a high level. We also re-signed Tyquan Thornton, bringing back familiarity in the receiver room.

We also signed veteran tight end David Njoku. The veteran tight end fills in for Travis Kelce on a one-year, $5.7 million deal.

Finally, we make three defensive signings. First, adding veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt to a two-year, $16 million deal. Next, we bolster the secondary, adding Greg Newsome II and Jaquan Brisker. We get Newsome on a three-year $36.3 million deal and Brisker on a three-year $40 million deal.

The Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft will be big for the Chiefs. With the ninth overall pick, they’re in a position to draft a player earlier than they have in a long time.

1.9: T Francis Mauigo, Miami

Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa has some of the cleanest tape in the NFL Draft. At 6-foot-5, Mauigoa’s dense frame allows him to potentially kick in at guard, but he’ll be the best benefit at tackle.

With cutting Taylor, the Miami tackle can slide in immediately on the offensive line, and will have one of the biggest jobs in the league: protecting the face of the NFL.

2.40: WR Chris Bell, Louisville

Despite suffering a season-ending ACL injury, NFL scouts are still in on wide receiver Chris Bell. The Louisville product is a boundary target that excels at contested catches.

Despite only posting a 4.54 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine, Bell’s slow time could be credited to a recovering ACL injury. The 6-foot-2 wideout is a reliable target for Mahomes and can develop into a strong WR1.

3.74: RB Jonah Coleman, Washington

Washington running Jonah Coleman is a three-down back. He has only lost one fumble in four seasons in college, and he understands run blocking.

Coleman isn’t a top speed guy, but he utilizes all 220 pounds as a runner, breaking through tackles.

Recap

Additions

• WR Mike Evans
• TE David Njoku
• LB Germaine Pratt
• CB Greg Newsome II
• S Jaquan Brisker
• T Francis Mauigoa
• WR Chris Bell
• RB Jonah Coleman

Losses

• T Jawaan Taylor
• LB Drue Tranquill

The Chiefs’ roster needs some shake-up, but they will be competitors as long as Mahomes is on their roster. We built this roster with the idea that Kansas City could win the Super Bowl next season.

Offense was a main focus of the rebuild, making sure we can protect our $500 million quarterback and give him reliable targets to throw to.