KC Chiefs expected to release Frank Clark

The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to release Frank Clark after being unable to come up with a newly restructured deal.

The Kansas City Chiefs have tried to work out long-term deals with a couple of important veterans, but as it turns out, the team was unable to work out an extension with either. Shortly after a report emerged on Monday that the Chiefs would not use the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., the Chiefs are also reportedly going to release defensive end Frank Clark.

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter notes that Clark’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, spoke with general manager Brett Veach several times during their time together at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. However, they were unable to come to a new deal, and the end result will be Frank Clark’s availability on the open market.

Veach and Andy Reid spoke highly of Clark from the Combine with the hopes that they would be able to find a way forward on a reworked deal to keep him in Kansas City. He’s an important leader in the locker room and he’s proven to be an exemplary performer in the postseason. He’s also a vital mentor for younger players like George Karlaftis.

That said, Clark’s deal was expensive and put the Chiefs in a corner at this stage given the overall cap hit. The Chiefs save $21 million against the salary cap with his release, but they are still on the hook for $7.7M in dead cap space for the 2023 season.

Clark had 39 total tackles, 5 sacks, and 24 quarterback pressures for the Chiefs in 2022, the first year in four seasons in which he hadn’t been named to the Pro Bowl.