KC Chiefs: Four easiest roster decisions for the defense

Address Frank Clark‘s cap hit

This easy decision is a little more nuanced, which is why we’ve gone with the wording here above.

If we’re talking about easy decisions, then the primary thing everyone can agree upon is the need for the Chiefs to address the salary cap hits due for defensive end Frank Clark in each of the next two seasons. Even this year, no single non-quarterback carried a cap hit as big as Frank Clark’s at $25.8 million. That total only climbs in each of the next two years, which means it’s simply not possible for the Chiefs to go into 2022 with $26.3 million being allocated to a single player.

Perhaps the team makes that concession up front if Aaron Donald was the player’s name, but the Chiefs’ return on investment is not there with Clark at this stage, especially on a week-by-week basis.

Let’s be clear: Clark can still very much affect the game up front, and he’s been lights out in the postseason for the Chiefs overall. Most of Chiefs Kingdom would likely love to see him stick around for the duration of his deal if his cap hit wasn’t so astronomical. That’s why we’re saying the Chiefs should address it this offseason instead of coming up with some definitive action.

What if Clark is amenable to a restructured deal? He certainly wouldn’t be the first veteran in NFL history to realize he’s being paid over market value and rework his deal in order to stay with the team he knows and loves. Clark was clear in his postseason press conference that he considers Kansas City home. The Chiefs are also quite thin at edge rusher, and already need a starter opposite Clark. If they lose Clark, they’re basically back at zero.

At the very least, the Chiefs should approach Clark’s reps and talk about the possibility of coming to a new agreement. The team could always resort to releasing him if that’s what has to happen to clear cap space, but addressing it is at least the easy part of the decision here.