The Kansas City Chiefs’ season unexpectedly ended in the AFC Championship with a shocking loss to the Cincinnati Bengals after surrendering an 18-point lead.
This offseason will be monumental if the Chiefs want to bounce back in 2022 and continue to develop a roster that can hold up in the AFC.
Entering the offseason, the Chiefs have a little over $14 million in cap room and avenues to create even more space. Two players that the Chiefs should cut ties with are Frank Clark and Anthony Hitchens before June 1. Releasing Clark would save Kansas City $12.7 million while cutting Hitchens would open up an additional $8 million. If the Chiefs do choose to go this direction, they would have approximately $34 million in cap space.
Some notable players that the Chiefs will have to make decisions on include Tyrann Mathieu, Orlando Brown, and Charvarius Ward. Brown will most likely be franchise-tagged if a long-term deal is not reached. Ward would have to be cheap, but it is not a given that he returns.
Mathieu is an interesting situation this offseason for the Chiefs. Mathieu will turn 30 years old before the 2022 season starts. Kansas City should be careful before offering Mathieu a multi-year deal. If the Chiefs want to keep the hard-hitting safety, it should be no more than a two-year deal. An aging, undersized safety is something that could hurt the Chiefs in the long run if they overpay for Mathieu. For the money Mathieu is probably seeking, it may be time to move on.