The first week of free agency has come and gone, and while there are scores of players left to find new homes, it's an ideal time to stand back and reflect on how the frenzied activity of the last few days has changed the landscape for several figures on the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs have made big-time signings, blockbuster trades, and easily overlooked acquisitions. Yet each move has a trickle-down effect through the rest of the roster, affecting the usage rates or even roster spots of others.
There's plenty more to come in both free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, but we wanted to check in with the Chiefs' biggest winners and losers of free agency's first wave.
Winner: Patrick Mahomes
It might not sound like Patrick Mahomes is having a good time these days as he faces the grueling recovery from a torn ACL and LCL. However, he's gotta be feeling great about the offseason the Chiefs are having. From having his ride-or-die back with the re-signing of Travis Kelce, to the arrival of another superstar in Kenneth Walker III, to the rumors that a top-10 pick might be used on a new WR1, Mahomes is going to have more help in '26 than he's had in quite some time.
Winner: Chris Jones
If Mahomes is a winner for not having to shoulder such a heavy burden on the offensive side, then it only makes sense to mention defensive tackle Chris Jones in the same light. The Chiefs' pass rush has been best described as Jones & Co. for years, and the spots next to him along the interior are typically occupied by veteran minimum signings and late-round draft picks. Khyiris Tonga is already a major step forward, and the Chiefs have a good chance of adding another significant pick up front. With Omarr Norman-Lott coming back from injury, Jones is another player with a much lighter load in '26.
Losers: Developmental o-linemen
For those former draft picks or long-shot signings hoping for a chance to show they're ready to move up the depth chart, the re-signing of Mike Caliendo keeps the pecking order the same for another summer. It's easy to say that a man should have to steal another man's job in this sport, and that's treu, but it's also telling that the front office felt they couldn't afford the talent or reliability drop in the first place. Caliendo seems like a fairly easily replaceable part, which reflects poorly on the likes of Hunter Nourzad or C.J. Hanson.
Winner: Kristian Fulton
For a while, it looked as if the Chiefs were likely to cut ties with Fulton after just one year into his two-year contract signed in 2025 due to a lack of usage. A late-season surge of impressive playing time has now cascaded into a number of significant free-agent losses in the secondary. Now, instead of Fulton looking like a cap casualty, he's morphed into one of the only reliable assets at corner. More imports will be made, but Fulton looks like he's squarely in the Chiefs' plans for 2026.
Winner (assumed): Tyquan Thornton
This winner comes with an asterisk attached. Tyquan Thornton was up front in public-facing comments about his desire for a greater offensive load in '26, and that it was important for him to have that lined up with any team he joined. He ended up re-signing with K.C. on a two-year deal, so that seems to insinuate that he's been given some sort of usage guarantee that the Chiefs will give him the runway to make an impact. That would represent a signfiicant shift from the inexplicable lack of reps after the first third of a season a year ago, but there's a real commitment here on both sides to make it happen.
Winner (for now): Noah Gray
With the way the NFL news cycle can change a player's situation in an instant in March, we're hesitant to refer to Noah Gray as a "winner" with any real confidence. After all, his cap hit for 2026 ($7 million) feels disproportionate to what he brought to the offense a year ago. That said, the Chiefs have kept him around into free agency while releasing others who fit the same category. They may find a way to work around the cost and keep him employed at quite a robust amount. If Gray can cash that check, that's a big win for the veteran TE.
Winner: Dave Merritt
If there's a positional coach with a greater chance to make the leap into league-wide notoriety than Dave Merritt this season, we haven't found him. The Chiefs' secondary coach is already recognized as an exemplary teacher for those in the know, but the exodus of talent in the Chiefs' defensive backfield has even casual fans wondering how the team will fare. If Merritt can have his guys coached up and ready to play this year, Merritt is going to become a very popular name for coordinator gigs next season.