Chiefs 2022 free agent tracker: Who’s coming and going in Kansas City

Every offseason with Brett Veach at the helm as the Kansas City Chiefs general manager thus far has felt like a seismic one. For a team so used to sustained success, it’s startling to think back to the drastic changes and significant moves made by Veach over the last few years to arrive at the present iteration of the Chiefs active roster.

Last offseason, the Chiefs completely rebuilt the offensive line and traded their first-round pick in the process. That’s become a normal activity for Veach each year, with only a 2020 first-round pick used in the way it was actually intended (on a running back, no less). Each year, Veach seems to complete rework an entire position group and/or make a blockbuster deal and/or make giant free-agent splashes. In baseball terms, he’s a free-swinging slugger. In football terms, he’s just like his quarterback.

With NFL free agency upon us, there will be a lot of moving parts and it’s all going to prove important. After all, for every big signing like Joe Thuney, there are also overlooked signings—from Andrew Wylie to Darrel Williams—that are just as vital when it matters most. Because of the importance of free agency and the boldness of Veach, we thought we’d put together a handy dandy free-agent tracker for Chiefs Kingdom to follow along with this offseason’s activities.

Feel free to bookmark this, but know we’ll also keep this circulating to make sure you have a proper home for all the relevant free agent information about your favorite team. For now, here’s what we know along with a place to hold the information that will be coming.

Who are the KC Chiefs 2022 Unrestricted Free Agents?

Just as a reminder, unrestricted free agents are those who are scheduled to hit the open market without anything in their way. The team has used up all of its control and the player is ready to be courted by any and all teams interested in signing him. The only potential hiccup for any player ready to hit unrestricted free agency is the potential use of a franchise tag but the league makes sure to reward any tagged player with a hefty raise.

Here are the Chiefs scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency when the new league year begins in March (with links to our special free agent profiles).

• Blake Bell, tight end
• Austin Blythe, offensive line
• Orlando Brown Jr., offensive tackle
• Michael Burton, fullback
• Chad Henne, quarterback
• Mike Hughes, cornerback
• Melvin Ingram, pass rusher
• Kyle Long, offensive line
• Tyrann Mathieu, safety
• Jerick McKinnon, running back
• Ben Niemann, linebacker
• Derrick Nnadi, defensive line
• Dorian O’Daniel, linebacker
• Alex Okafor, defensive end
• Byron Pringle, wide receiver
• Jarran Reed, defensive tackle
• Mike Remmers, offensive line
• Demarcus Robinson, wide receiver
• Daniel Sorensen, safety
• Charvarius Ward, cornerback
• Armani Watts, safety
• Darrel Williams, running back
• Andrew Wylie, offensive line

Who are the KC Chiefs 2022 Restricted Free Agents?

The Chiefs don’t have to worry about too many restricted free agents but there are a few players about whom the team must determine an ultimate opinion of whether to bring them back for a solid pay raise or let them test the open market.

A restricted free agent is the designation for a player without enough accrued seasons to his credit to hit the open market without at least some measure of a team’s control. A team must determine if they want to pay a player at varying levels and then other teams can try to sign that player away, however the original team has the right of first refusal. An exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) refers to a player with no ability to leave the team unless they are released. That player must accept a contract from his team if they offer one. You can read a full definition of each designation here.

Here are the restricted free agents, of one sort or another, set to hit the market along with their specific designation:

• Jody Fortson, tight end (ERFA)
• Derrick Gore, running back (ERFA)
• Marcus Kemp, wide receiver (RFA)
• Chris Lammons, cornerback (ERFA)

2022 Free Agents signed by the KC Chiefs

We will keep this section updated throughout the spring as the Chiefs begin to sign free agents, either from other teams or re-signing their own scheduled free agents.

• Deandre Baker, cornerback – re-signed
• Luq Barcoo, cornerback, signed away from San Francisco 49ers
• Blake Bell, tight end, re-signed
• Michael Burton, fullback – re-signed
• Deon Bush, safety, signed away from Chicago Bears
• Jermaine Carter, linebacker, signed away from Carolina Panthers
• Geron Christian, offensive tackle, signed away from Houston Texans
• Corey Coleman, wide receiver, signed after year away from game
• Jody Fortson, tight end – re-signed
• Josh Gordon, wide receiver – re-signed
• Derrick Gore, running back – re-signed
• Chad Henne, quarterback – re-signed
• Ronald Jones, running back, signed away from Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Elijah Lee, linebacker, signed away from Cleveland Browns
• Derrick Nnadi, defensive tackle – re-signed
• JuJu Smith-Schuster, wide receiver, signed away from Pittsburgh Steelers
• Derrick Nnadi, defensive line – re-signed
• Justin Reid, safety – signed away from Houston Texans
• Austin Reiter, center, signed away from New Orleans Saints
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling, wide receiver, signed away from Green Bay Packers
• Andrew Wylie, offensive line – re-signed

2022 Free Agents leaving the KC Chiefs

• Austin Blythe signs with Seattle Seahawks
• Mike Hughes signs with Detroit Lions
• Byron Pringle signs with Chicago Bears
• Jarran Reed signs with Green Bay Packers
• Demarcus Robinson signs with Las Vegas Raiders
• Daniel Sorensen signs with New Orleans Saints
• Charvarius Ward signs with San Francisco 49ers

We will keep this section updated throughout the spring as the Chiefs begin to watch former players leave for new teams.