Looking at KC Chiefs' contract extension candidates and what they might get
By Matt Conner
Creed Humphrey
Of all of the potential candidates up for an extension, Creed Humphrey feels like the most obvious, most popular, and the most likely.
The Chiefs originally took Humphrey in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft along with Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton. For years, the Chiefs had gone with league-average talent at center and Brett Veach's quest to remake the offensive line with the signing of Joe Thuney was aided by the selection of an All-American performer like Humphrey out of Oklahoma.
The Chiefs' starting center has been a huge step up from the days of Austin Reiter in the heart of the offensive line, and Humphrey's elite-level blend of instincts, intelligence, technique, and strength brought to mind the best of Rodney Hudson and Mitch Morse from the past decade.
These days, Humphrey is known as the best center in the NFL who is not a member of the Kelce family. He's already made two Pro Bowls in three seasons and it feels like as long as he stays healthy, he could walk away from the game as one of the most decorated linemen in Chiefs history—a tall order for a team that has multiple HOF linemen in its history.
What could Humphrey receive?
This should break the bank, although you have to wonder whether the Chiefs are concerned about the low snaps that plagued the offense late in the year. If they're ready to commit, they have to start with a timeline of five years since Erik McCoy and Corey Linsley both received that level of commitment from their respective teams.
As for money, Jason Kelce received slightly north of $14 million for a single season while the Detroit Lions rewarded Frank Ragnow with an average annual value of $13.5M. Take Humphrey to the $14M level for multiple seasons and you've set a new market threshold: a 5-year, $70M deal with $40-45M guaranteed.