With $78M for Patrick Mahomes Among Other Dues Lined Up, Are the Chiefs Running Into a Financial Crisis in 2026?

The Kansas City Chiefs have hit a financial wall with large contracts lined up for next season. Some of the biggest cap hits include Patrick Mahomes at $78 million, Chris Jones at $45 million, and Juwaan Taylor at $27 million. When it’s all added up, they’re set to be over the NFL salary cap and will need to shed some expensive contracts to field a team.

But it’s not just Mahomes, Jones, and Taylor. There’s also Trey Smith’s $24 million, Nick Bolton’s $19 million, Jaylon Moore’s $19 million, Creed Humphrey’s $18 million, and George Karlaftis’s $15 million contract.

Combined, these payouts total $342 million, and as of now, the NFL salary cap is $279.2 million per team. The issue is clear as day.

No doubt, the salary cap is set for an annual increase. Last year, we saw it increase from $255 million to the figure we have now. It was a $24 million addition when all was said and done. But even with that added money, the Chiefs would still need to shed around $40 million to keep the team intact. 

The good news is that there are solutions to the issue for Kansas City that don’t involve getting rid of Mahomes. For starters, the team could trade or cut Chris Jones, who hasn’t looked like his usual All-Pro self this season. That would free up $44 million in cap space and might get them under it should the cap increase.

But if the Chiefs want to move forward with Mahomes and Jones as the pillars of their retooling, there are other options. Harrison Butker will have a $7.3 million cap hit, and while it’s nice to have a good kicker, there are always cheaper options available. The team could also shed the expensive defensive contracts of Trent McDuffie, Nick Bolton, or George Karlaftis.

The unfortunate part for the Chiefs and their fans is that they will have to part ways with good players. But this is something all dynasties must work through at some point. As fun as it is to pay and lock up players, a day of reckoning always seems to come for these teams.

Up until now, the Chiefs have shown a value for paying offensive linemen to protect Mahomes while shuffling in impact defensive players on cheaper contracts. But now, those impact defensive players are on more expensive contracts, and they will need to pick which route they prefer. 

If we were advising them, we’d recommend keeping those expensive contracts for offensive linemen, trading away star defensive players for draft picks, and drafting younger defenders who can sign for cheap. It’s the only way they can continue to protect and pay Mahomes an excessive amount.

Alternatively, they could restructure every hefty contract they have right now, though we’re not sure all players would agree to that.