Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs headlines for Saturday, February 22
2025 NFL offseason: Projecting bold moves in free agency, draft | ESPN
Cut tight end Travis Kelce
This would be a very unpopular move, but Kelce’s contract is set up as an easy way for the Chiefs to gain cap space for 2025. According to Roster Management System, cutting Kelce would cost the Chiefs only $2.5 million in dead money while saving them over $17 million on the salary cap. That’s important with the Chiefs currently having negative effective cap space (i.e. the cap space that they would have after signing at least 51 players and a projected rookie class).
And while Kelce still had some important catches in the postseason, his regular-season performance collapsed in 2024. Kelce ranked 38th out of 49 qualifying tight ends in receiving DVOA, and he ranked dead last among tight ends in the ESPN receiver tracking metrics.
Five NFL Rookies Who Will Make the Leap in 2025 | SI
5. Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Worthy became a key contributor for the Chiefs down the stretch after being a first-round pick out of Texas. The diminutive 165-pound receiver caught 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns while tacking on another 104 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. Of those receiving yards, 392 came in the final seven weeks (Week 18 excluded as Worthy sat out).
In 2025, Worthy will be paired with third-year receiver Rashee Rice as one of the league’s more dynamic, young pairs of receivers. Factor in coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Worthy has the makings of a star in his second campaign.
I’m not trying to claim the Chiefs’ Super Bowl window is closing, but they have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Not only does Pete Prisco consider Kansas City having five of the top 100 free agents hitting the market next month, but the Chiefs also have less than $8 million in available funds, according to Over The Cap.
I wouldn’t worry too much if the Chiefs have to again revamp their wide receiving corps with DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster looking for new deals. Where the concern comes in is with starters at other positions. Right guard Trey Smith has the potential to reset his respective market and it doesn’t appear he will be tagged in any way, linebacker Nick Bolton is an important piece of the defense who’s expecting a pay raise and the same can be said for safety Justin Reid. Then on the defensive line, Tershawn Wharton is a free agent after he notched a career-high 6.5 sacks this past season, veteran Mike Pennel is looking for a new deal...
