Arrowhead Pride
Welcome back to the Arrowhead Pride Mailbag! Each week, watch for your opportunity to submit your Kansas City Chiefs questions in The Feed, which is found on AP’s home page.
The Chiefs could not get the job done in Week 9’s 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. After a week to stew over the loss, let’s see what is on our readers’ minds ahead of an important AFC West showdown with the Denver Broncos.
In the last few years, we’ve seen plenty of articles about how the Chiefs will get slammed by a cap crunch at the end of the season. Then others point out how the team can maneuver to free up a lot of money. Is there a reason to believe the crunch is “realer” this offseason?
I wouldn’t lose significant sleep over the Chiefs’ perceived salary cap issues. Yes, the numbers on various contract websites look concerning. Some estimates currently put Kansas City at almost $43 million over the 2026 limit (with only 36 players signed for next season). The Chiefs undoubtedly have a plan.
Much of the shortfall can be made up by moving off the final seasons of a few contracts. In addition — like with most large deals — the Chiefs have been planning for a second-season restructure of right guard Trey Smith’s contract. Most importantly, it’s very unlikely quarterback Patrick Mahomes will carry a $78 million cap hit in 2026; he may be in line for a new market-setting contract.
Still, the crunch may be more real than usual. The front office will have important decisions to make about the 26 players who will become free agents in March. That work will begin in the defensive line room, where even solid role players can be prohibitively expensive. I also suspect the Chiefs will want to keep young talent in-house with new deals for cornerback Trent McDuffie and wide receiver Rashee Rice.
There’s little reason to worry about the Chiefs making the salary cap work, but the margin of error may be lower than we’ve seen in recent years. A whiff in free agency or the draft could prove more difficult to work around.
I know everyone is upset about the pass rush — as am I — but why hasn’t the defensive line coach come under fire for the poor effort his unit has been giving? Pass rush is like playing defense in basketball: it’s more of a “want to” mentality.
When the Chiefs hired defensive line coach Joe Cullen in 2022, I thought he was a strange pairing with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. As a defensive line coach with the Baltimore Ravens — and then as a coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars — Cullen had shown much different front-7 preferences than Spagnuolo. But just the same, the two have found success together.
After the season ends, Kansas City will have to have some difficult conversations about the pass rush. Cullen’s performance should...
