Finally, it feels like the offseason has actually arrived. The Kansas City Chiefs can now make moves to improve the team in the hopes of contending once again in 2026 and beyond.
Before the Chiefs can sign external free agents or select prospects in the NFL Draft, the front office will make decisions on the in-house free agents, which will be informative towards the next steps of player acquisition.
So let’s break the free agents into tiers based on how Kansas City should prioritize them. It’s impossible to pay everyone with a salary cap, so it’s necessary to pick and choose who is worth paying.
Let’s start with the guys with the highest priority to keep:
1. Keep no matter what!
TE Travis Kelce
LB Leo Chenal
The Chiefs shouldn’t pay at the top of the market for either, but both Kelce and Chenal are really important players to the team that should be re-signed regardless of cost.
If Kelce wants to continue playing, Kansas City should welcome him with open arms. In 2025, he was arguably better than the previous two seasons; he is still a staple of the offense and locker room. If the Chiefs need to be creative with cap space to make a deal with Kelce work, it’s worth it for the legend. He should retire playing for the Chiefs and only the Chiefs.
Chenal’s situation in free agency will be weird because he’s one of the only true SAM linebackers left in the NFL. He has not proven to play every down, so that affects his price point. Chenal is valuable because he unlocks different fronts by aligning across the line of scrimmage. In playoff games against elite rushing teams, that has proven to be very valuable. The luxury of having that skillset is worth the cost.
2. Try to keep, but don’t overpay
S Bryan Cook
CB Jaylen Watson
Both defensive backs from the 2022 class had good runs in Kansas City, and general manager Brett Veach should definitely make an offer for both. However, it’s realistic for both to be outside of the Chiefs’ price range. With the lack of young defensive free agents on the market, teams very well could be paying a premium to land either.
Watson should be the priority, but other teams will have a similar mindset. Cook will probably be cheaper to keep, but the Chiefs should be able to find a similar, less-expensive replacement.
The goal for Kansas City should be to keep one of these two players. Given some of the other needs on the roster — wide receiver, running back, defensive line and others — it might be difficult to add to the secondary through the draft.
However, the Chiefs should be prepared for teams to drive up the price for both on the open market, and that could push the organization out of the possibility of re-signing either.
3. Try to keep by signing a cap-conscious deal
WR Tyquan Thornton
RB Kareem Hunt
WR Juju Smith-Schuster
DT Mike Pennel
LS James Winchester
All four of these players have been inexpensive signings in recent history, but each fills a role that the team needs. This group is made of players who are not considered to be played “every down,” and should be cheap to retain because of that.
Thornton would be the most expensive of the four, but his skillset in the offense should keep him in strong consideration by Kansas City. Thornton may not be a good enough route runner to play every down, but he’s the closest thing this team has to a downfield threat. The Chiefs will look for an X-receiver to improve the outside-receiver spot, but Thornton can still make vertical plays from the slot.
In 2025, Kansas City overused Hunt, but he earned a role in the backfield with success in short-yardage situations. If he can replicate what he did in 2025 — while he turns 31 in August — he has a valuable role.
Pennel is an inexpensive nose tackle that gives the team much-needed depth. Smith-Schuster helps the team in blocking, but his role has the potential to be given to a newcomer.
4. Don’t re-sign
WR Hollywood Brown
RB Isiah Pacheco
DE Charles Omenihu
DT Jerry Tillery
DT Derrick Nnadi
QB Gardner Minshew
With this group of players, it’s less about price and more about the fact that none have roles with the team that make sense to continue.
For example, Brown can’t play outside receiver, but he needs to because the team has Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Brown has been a disappointment for over two years, and the receiving corps needs a more complete player.
Pacheco has not been the same since he was a rookie; he lacks the developed footwork and vision to continue as the starter. The Chiefs need more dynamism and consistency in the run game.
Omenihu has also not been the same since tearing his ACL in the 2023 postseason. He doesn’t bring much pass-rush juice anymore. Omenihu’s skillset is still valuable, but the team should replace him with a fresher, younger player.
Tillery and Nnadi were both cheap defensive tackles that didn’t do much last year. The Chiefs need to upgrade the depth on the interior defensive line with talent and youth, so moving off Tillery and Nnadi feels necessary to do that.
If there’s a chance Patrick Mahomes could miss four games due to being on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, the Chiefs would want to get a better backup than Minshew. I imagine he’ll find a different backup job elsewhere.
5. Bring back to fight for roster spots
RB Dameon Pierce
CB Joshua Williams
CB Nazeeh Johnson
TE Robert Tonyan
S Mike Edwards
S Deon Bush
DE Janarius Robinson