The Kansas City Chiefs window is wider and narrower than expected

There has been a lot of talk about the Kansas City Chiefs’ championship window, but what exactly are we looking at?

The offseason is here, and with the official free agency period and NFL draft coming up, speculation about what the Chiefs should do abounds. Most of it centers around utilizing Mahomes’ rookie deal while they still can. However, what exactly is the Chiefs’ window of opportunity and how wide is it?

First, Patrick Mahomes is going to get paid. He will command a sizable percentage of the salary cap from the moment he signs his second deal until the moment he hangs it up. So right now, the Chiefs have what many consider the most valuable thing in the NFL—a top-flight quarterback on a rookie deal—but likely only for one more season (maybe two more before the full cap effects are realized).

However, simply saying the Chiefs must be in win now’mode (which they certainly should be, and are) ignores the nuance of the Chiefs situation. The Kansas City Chiefs’ situation leaves their championship window both wider and narrower than typical thinking could suggest.