Within minutes of winning Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes talked about a three-peat. On Friday, he and his general manager, Brett Veach, received some excellent news in re-tooling the 2024 roster because the NFL released their salary cap figures for the coming season.
Earlier this week, rumors were flying that the 2024 Salary cap could push over $245 million. On Friday, those projections were way off as the NFL announced the salary cap for this season would be $255.4 Million per team.
That means the Kansas City Chiefs, without restructuring existing contracts, moving some of Mahomes hefty cap number this season, or releasing anyone from the 53-man roster, Kansas City has roughly $28 Million in cap space.
Internally, this is excellent news for General Manager Brett Veach. He has a pair of star defensive players looking for big paydays. Both Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed will be unrestricted free agents.
Jones has already indicated he’s coming back, so it’s safe to assume that he and Veach understand the numbers for a new contract. Though nothing has been confirmed, we’ve heard rumblings that it will be a three-year deal that fits the hometown deal Veach has been seeking for Jones.
On singing Sneed, with the $30 Million cap increase from a year ago, it’s possible, if his camp is willing, that he could sign with the Chiefs before free agency begins. If not, the team can place the franchise tag ($17.5M) on Sneed and entertain trade offers for the game’s premier cornerback.
I would not be shocked if Veach moves Sneed, though he won’t get the same hall as he netted in the Tyreek Hill trade; Kansas City has only six draft picks this year. Because their draft capital is less than the last two seasons, Veach doesn’t have the maneuverability to go up and down the draft, should he decide to trade for a veteran or move up in the early rounds.
With NFL teams already making cuts before free agency, Veach should know the market for some of the names set to hit the market. Veach and Head Coach Andy Reid will be in Indianapolis on Monday for the start of the NFL Combine. They’ll likely talk to several agents and discuss what-if scenarios in legal tampering (wink-wink) conversations.
The Chiefs have already addressed one key area for the team by informing free agent Punter Tommy Townsend that they do not intend to offer him a contract. Instead, the team signed former Buffalo Bills Punter Matt Araiza.
With the three-peat option on the table and the increased cap space available, you must believe Chairman Clark Hunt will sign off on any expenditures necessary to deliver unprecedented history for the franchise.
Should the Chiefs be aggressive in adding some key pieces on offense, most notably a wide receiver and running back, plus retain the core of their defensive personnel, they have a legitimate shot at making history.
It’ll be interesting to see their price to get that shot.
