Why Chiefs fans need to stop calling Clark Hunt a cheap owner

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to board an 11-hour flight to Brazil in the coming days. This marks the fourth different country (Mexico, Germany, and England) in which they’ve played under Clark Hunt.

Clark’s father, Lamar, was dedicated to growing the game internationally by playing preseason games in Berlin and Tokyo. Clark has always had big shoes to fill in carrying forward his father’s legacy in Kansas City. He’ll never be able to claim naming the “Super Bowl” or founding the AFL, but he has built a modern dynasty in Kansas City—something Lamar wasn’t able to do.

Recently, there’s been criticism of the Hunts for their spending on facilities and cash spending on the roster. The NFLPA’s player survey cast a negative light on the Chiefs in some areas, including their locker room, weight room, and training staff.

At the same time, the Chiefs continue to receive positive feedback in important categories such as head coach, nutrition, and treatment of families. Mix in a seemingly endless stadium debate between Kansas and Missouri, and it’s easy to see how Clark Hunt has caught some grief despite the team’s on-field success.

Facilities

One of the larger concerns from players has been the locker room and training facilities. It’s easy to see where the disconnect has occurred over the last decade. Many players on the roster came from Power Five college programs where schools poured resources into amenities as a primary recruiting tool for star athletes. It’s only recently that name, image, and likeness (NIL) money has leveled the recruiting playing field. Meanwhile, the Chiefs remain engaged in discussions about the future of their stadium and practice facility.

Hunt could have left the practice facility as-is, promising an upgrade in 2031 when a fresh batch of taxpayer money arrived from either Kansas or Missouri. Instead, he invested in the current facility, adding additional space and seating, a ping-pong table, shuffleboard, a barber’s area, several large TVs, a racing simulator, 1,500 square feet of new weight room space, six weight racks, and 475 square feet of additional training room space for rehab.

Cash Spending

Another criticism of Hunt has been the team’s lack of cash spending year to year. While the salary cap does limit spending to a certain extent, teams can circumvent the cap by converting salary to bonuses and adding void years to contracts. The Chiefs have avoided void years, while some of the more aggressive teams in the league, such as the Eagles, have leaned heavily on them. However, many might be surprised to learn that the Chiefs rank fourth in the NFL in total cash spending in 2025.

This offseason, the Chiefs handed out over $100 million in guaranteed money through free agency and extensions for Trey Smith and George Karlaftis. This is significant because any guaranteed money in a contract must be placed into escrow when the contract is signed. That’s why cash-poor owners, such as the Bengals, often avoid guaranteeing money beyond the first year of a contract. Clark has also leveraged the Patrick Mahomes contract to its maximum potential by converting salary into signing bonuses, which requires him to cut a check.

Coaching and Contracts

One of the most underrated factors in ownership spending is the coaching staff. Players and league insiders agree that the Chiefs have one of the best—if not the best—coaching staffs in the NFL. There is no salary cap on coach contracts. Clark has locked up Andy Reid on a lucrative $20 million-per-year deal and managed to retain Steve Spagnuolo for $5 million annually even as other teams tried to lure him away. It’s also not cheap to keep a three-time Super Bowl–winning general manager on staff.

The expectation is always that teams compensate their coaches when they’ve earned it. So it’s not exactly surprising that Hunt doesn’t get much credit for having the most expensive coaching staff in the NFL. However, the NFLPA player survey seems inconsistent when it gives Andy Reid an A+ as a coach but Hunt a C- as an owner, since one cannot really exist without the other.

It should also not go overlooked that Clark Hunt doesn’t insert himself into contract disputes. The Chiefs have had standoffs, such as the 2023 situation with Chris Jones, but those generally end without drama.

Look no further than Jerry Jones to see how an owner can negatively impact player contracts—Micah Parsons is a Packer now because of it. The Chiefs, by contrast, have kept the superstars they’ve wanted. Clark’s ability to let football people handle football business doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

Conclusion

It can be easy to adopt an “eat the rich” mentality when it comes to Clark Hunt, especially considering he will eventually receive millions in taxpayer dollars from Kansas or Missouri to address the Chiefs’ stadium. However, this is true for nearly every NFL franchise. While you may not like the process, the standard has been set, and as the league’s biggest brand right now, the Chiefs are going to get their money. Whoever you think is a “better” owner is also receiving public funding for their facilities.

If Clark Hunt ranks top five in cash spending on the roster, employs the most expensive coaching staff in the NFL, and has upgraded the players’ locker room, training room, and weight room, there are no grounds to call him “cheap.”

The reality is that Clark is one of the most respected owners in the game. When the franchise was at its lowest point, he got on a plane and refused to let Andy Reid leave Philadelphia’s tarmac without signing with the Chiefs, arguably the most important move in team history. Reid doesn’t come to Kansas City if Clark isn’t a respected name.

It might be difficult, but maybe it’s time to kick back and enjoy the dynastic ride rather than complain about Clark Hunt or a silly players’ report card that comes out in March. This team celebrates in January and February. That’s what really matters.