The Kansas City Chiefs missed the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2014 and are now not only facing a lost season, but also a pretty big mess. But what needs to happen now to get back on the road to success?
The Kansas City Chiefs have already suffered the most defeats in the Mahomes era (since 2018) (6-8) and missed the playoffs for the first time. To make matters worse, the superstar also tore the cruciate and lateral ligaments in his left knee, so that the start of the 2026 season is now in question for the quarterback. But even without this extra deep blow, the coming offseason would have been a real challenge for KC.
The Chiefs have done everything they can to keep the band together over the past few years. Long-standing top performers were largely retained and given high-paying contracts. A few expensive free agents were also added. Anything to keep the run alive. What succeeded in 2024, despite basically similar performances but considerably more luck (11-0 in one-score games) and resulted in another Super Bowl trip, went terribly wrong this season – with considerably less luck (1-7 in one-score games).
The result is an expensive roster and an uncertain future, regardless of whether Patrick Mahomes can play again in Week 1 of the coming season or perhaps only returns a few weeks later.
Video: This is how the Chiefs react to the playoff exit
A lot of construction sites for the Chiefs
The Chiefs have construction sites in many areas. Too many to sit back and relax as a sporting director. The offensive line has obvious gaps, the playmakers in the receiving corps have made too few plays and Travis Kelce is no longer the lifeline that he was for Mahomes for many years. In addition, the run game recently left a lot to be desired.
The defense, which is still very stable overall, also lacks the necessary explosiveness. In the pass rush, it feels like nothing works without Chris Jones (9.9 percent pressure rate, 4 sacks), who had his worst season in years and is now 32. If he doesn’t have an outstanding day, pressure is only generated via blitzes. On the other hand, very little has come from the edge positions recently, but above all there has been no consistency. The fact that they still allowed the fifth-fewest points per game and eighth-fewest yards per game is proof of the good work defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo continues to do.
However, the same cannot necessarily be said of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, whose offense was largely based on Mahomes scrambling and usually finding a way. And when he did that, it clicked! The Chiefs have won by an average of more than 16 points in their six wins. The problem: if the opponent scored more than 19 points, the score was only 1-8! Point fireworks can only be achieved against really weak opponents.
It cannot be ruled out that head coach Andy Reid could therefore rethink his offensive coaching staff.
Big minus in terms of cap space
However, general manager Brett Veach has the bigger challenge ahead of him. He goes into the offseason with -$43 million in cap space – -$63 million if there are more than 51 players on the roster at some point. In other words: Before Veach can get to work, the current squad must first be cleaned up.
It should be said here that “Over the Cap” assumes a salary cap of $295.5 million for the 2026 season, currently it is still $279.2 million. It is quite possible that this number actually looks different. But for now, let’s assume so. So in order to at least get to the black zero for now, you can do the usual thing in such cases and simply approach Mahomes’ contract.
Mahomes currently has a cap hit of more than $78 million next season. However, you can convert $54.5 million of his salary into a signing bonus, which would then create $43.5 million in cap space. A similar maneuver with Chris Jones would free up almost $27 million in cap space. In addition, you could also generate around $35 million in additional cap space if you were to approach the contracts of Trey Smith, Nick Bolton and Creed Humphrey.
In any case, there is enough flexibility to prepare the squad for the future, especially if you are planning a major shopping spree in free agency. However, as usual, the useful options there are likely to be within manageable limits.
Offensive line in focus
However, there is definitely a need. The offensive line should be the focus after it simply seemed overwhelmed in too many games recently. Actually, this part of the team only has two solid players with center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith (currently injured). Rookie Josh Simmons has been impressive at left tackle in the few games he has actually played, so there is hope that he can become the third pillar of this unit.
But left guard and right tackle? The latter is Jawaan Taylor’s position, where you don’t have to be a prophet to expect a dismissal here. He wouldn’t make a guaranteed $20 million, which could certainly be better invested elsewhere. Given his performance, you should look elsewhere anyway. And left guard Kingsley Suamataia presented himself better at this position than in his subterranean rookie season at left tackle, but he can’t be described as a bench either.
Two new starters would be desirable here. The same applies to the receiving corps, where only Rashee Rice was convincing. All others were largely ineffective. Hollywood Brown becomes a free agent and has hardly provided any arguments for continued employment. Xavier Worthy is still waiting for his breakthrough and the rest are role players. The next big personnel change is Kelce, who is no longer the focal point of the offense.
Once again he will have to decide whether he wants to continue his career at the age of almost 37 at the start of the 2026 season. And if he does, he should take a big pay cut after making $17 million this year, which is sporty for a player who no longer makes a difference. The two running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt will also become free agents. Both were supposed to be cheap and weren’t the problem. A breath of fresh air, especially when it comes to receiving from the backfield, should at least be considered.
| position | name | Age (as of Dec. 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| S | Bryan Cook | 26 years |
| CB | Jaylen Watson | 27 years |
| TE | Travis Kelce | 36 years |
| WR | Marquise Brown | 28 years |
| L.B | Leo Chenal | 25 years |
| RB | Isiah Pacheco | 26 years |
| ED | Charles Omenihu | 28 years |
| RB | Kareem Hunt | 30 years |
Kyle Pitts as an ideal solution?
The ideal upgrade in this area would certainly be a new playmaker at either wide receiver or tight end. Kyle Pitts from the Falcons comes to mind here, but one has to assume that he will not come onto the market at least via franchise tag. The draft – the Chiefs will have their highest pick in many years – is also a good starting point for this.
There could also be some upheaval in defense. With safety Bryan Cook, cornerback Jaylen Watson, linebacker Leo Chenal and edge rusher Charles Omenihu, four more or less established players could leave the team. In recent years, such contracts have almost been extended as a matter of course, but given the current situation, it is at least conceivable that a new approach will be chosen here too.
Additionally, edge rusher Mike Danna and cornerback Kristian Fulton are possible cut candidates. Both earn quite good salaries, but were not among the top performers.
In addition to edge, defensive tackle is also a problem. Since the departure of the underrated Tershawn Wharton (Panthers), the spot next to Chris Jones in the middle of the defensive line has been vacant. Considering how often Jones switches to 5-technique in pass rush downs, that’s a personality that certainly wasn’t given due consideration in 2025.
Season in the shadow of Mahomes’ return
As for the future, a contract extension with Trent McDuffie is pending. Otherwise, the cornerback would be entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, which should be avoided for the sake of peace of mind. He’s the team’s best corner, so there’s no reason to save at this point.
In the end, the 2026 season will be overshadowed by Mahomes’ knee. Nobody knows when exactly he will return. With Mahomes’ healing meat, he will probably be back at the start of the season, but sometime after that also seems conceivable. According to media reports, it is initially assumed that there will be a downtime of nine months, which would mean around a week after the start of the season on September 10th. But no one can say for sure at the moment.
But one thing should be clear: in the first year after such an injury, players tend to not be quite as mobile or explosive as before. So we could initially see a less scramble-happy quarterback than last time. This makes it all the more important to fix the offensive line and bring more real playmakers on board.
The cap situation is less bad than it seems at first glance, but the problems in the squad are serious and need to be addressed. The Chiefs are facing a difficult offseason in which the shots have to be taken after they have recently rested too much on their previous successes. The road back to the top begins now.