Five moves to help KC Chiefs avoid salary cap trouble in 2021

KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 03: Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, left, and general manager Brett Veach, right, watch pregame warmups prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on November 3, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 03: Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, left, and general manager Brett Veach, right, watch pregame warmups prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on November 3, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
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ORCHARD PARK, NY – OCTOBER 19: Eric Fisher #72 of the Kansas City Chiefs takes to the field before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium on October 19, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. Kansas City beats Buffalo 26 to 17. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY – OCTOBER 19: Eric Fisher #72 of the Kansas City Chiefs takes to the field before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium on October 19, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. Kansas City beats Buffalo 26 to 17. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

3. Give Eric Fisher a Contract Extension

Eric Fisher is not going to be ready to play at the start of the 2021 season and could very likely miss the entire season. His injury was a tough blow before the Super Bowl, and it will continue to be a tough loss for next season. Yes, they will miss him out on the field, but equally problematic is a cap hit of over $15 million dollars. Like we just mentioned with Schwartz, the Chiefs can’t simply cut Fisher and walk away because of his injury. They would have to come to an injury settlement.

I don’t think cutting Fisher is the best answer anyway. Veach proved last season that he can be creative with how he does deals. I believe the best thing to do would be to sign Fisher to an extension that drastically reduces his cap number for next season but still gives them options to part ways without major financial hurdles in the future.

Like Schwartz, this is a complicated situation. What if Fisher clearly loses a step after the Achilles injury? What if whoever plays left tackle for KC in 2021 does a great job and they don’t feel like they need Fisher in 2022? There isn’t a perfect answer here, but given the Chiefs cap situation the answer is definitely not paying him $15 million to just rehab during his final season as a Chief. Something has to be done and I’m guessing it will be sooner rather than later.

Next up, another contract extension that makes a lot of sense.

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