The Kansas City Chiefs are clearly tightening their salary cap as the new season looms. Earlier this week, the team parted ways with veteran tackle Jawaan Taylor, freeing up nearly $20 million in cap space. But that move may only be the beginning. With the Week 11 deadline approaching, Kansas City has now made another decision, cutting ties with yet another key protector of Patrick Mahomes.

“The Chiefs do not plan to pick up offensive guard Mike Caliendo’s restricted tender, per source,” ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler wrote on X. “He will be a free agent. Has seven starts over three seasons with Kansas City.”

The financial side of the decision explains a lot. Offering Caliendo a right of first refusal restricted free agency tender would have immediately taken up $3.5 million in cap space. After spending the past couple of weeks restructuring deals and making difficult roster calls to get under the limit, the Chiefs’ choosing not to make that commitment makes complete sense.

Caliendo finished the 2025 season ranking 59th out of 81 qualifying guards. While he was a serviceable backup, his pass-blocking grade plummeted to 42.7 during his four starts last year. For a team whose entire championship aspirations are built on keeping No. 15 safe, those numbers simply didn’t justify a $3.5 million RFA tender.

Well, this does not necessarily mean the door is closed. Restricted free agent tenders are not guaranteed contracts, which means the Chiefs could have extended one and then negotiated a smaller deal later. In fact, the same approach worked last offseason with cornerback Nazeeh Johnson and linebacker Jack Cochrane. Both players initially received tenders worth nearly $7 million combined before ultimately agreeing to smaller guaranteed deals.

Because of that precedent, Caliendo could still return to the Chiefs, possibly for something closer to the $1.145 million minimum salary for players with three accrued seasons. Meanwhile, Caliendo has quietly been part of Mahomes’ protection unit since joining the Chiefs in 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan.

After spending his first season on the practice squad, he stayed on the active roster for the next three years. During that stretch, he appeared in 42 games and made seven starts. Notably, he started all three playoff games during the 2024 postseason, including a difficult outing against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Later on, his role grew even more important after the Chiefs moved on from Joe Thuney in a trade to the Chicago Bears. During the 2025 season, Caliendo again stepped in when injuries hit the offensive line. When Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith dealt with back and ankle issues, Caliendo filled the gap and started four games, including a Week 8 Monday night victory over Washington and three tough losses from Weeks 13 through 15.

That stretch began with a Thanksgiving matchup in Dallas. Trey Smith had just suffered an ankle sprain caused by friendly fire during the win over the Indianapolis Colts. Caliendo finished that game and helped secure what became the Chiefs’ final win of the 2025 season. He also filled in earlier in the year against Las Vegas when Smith could not continue because of severe back spasms.

Considering those contributions, the situation now feels significant, especially after the Chiefs already cut ties with star offensive tackle.

The Chiefs part ways with Jawaan Taylor

The Chiefs walked into this offseason in a very difficult financial spot. At one point, the Kansas City Chiefs sat roughly $57 million over the salary cap, which left very little breathing room. However, the front office in the City of Fountains quickly got to work.

They restructured Patrick Mahomes’ contract to save $43.6 million, released Mike Danna to free up $8.9 million, and even traded Trent McDuffie to create another $13.6 million in space. Then came another major step when the Chiefs cut Jawaan Taylor. Because of those moves, the team now sits about $24.8 million under the cap, though Patrick Mahomes also lost one of his key protectors in the process.

Before arriving at Arrowhead Stadium, Taylor built his early reputation with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former second-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft later joined the Chiefs in 2023 on a four-year contract worth $80 million, which paid him $20 million annually. Over the next three seasons, he started every one of his 45 appearances for the Chiefs.

Now that Kansas City has moved on, the decision leaves roughly $7,391,668 in dead money on the books for next season.

On the field, Taylor brought strong pass protection and played an important role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII victory. Nevertheless, penalties often followed him. Across those 45 games, the offensive tackle committed 49 penalties, which became the biggest criticism of his game. Even last season, he finished ninth among NFL linemen in penalties after drawing 10 flags in just 12 games.

Because of those repeated mistakes, the Chiefs eventually decided a roster reset was necessary. Still, the split appears to be on good terms. Shortly after the news reached the chiefdom, Taylor reacted to the team’s farewell message online.

“Much Love Chiefs Kingdom,” wrote Taylor in the comment section of the Instagram post where the team thanked him.

Now the focus shifts to what comes next. With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, experts predict the Chiefs could target prospects like Francis Mauigoa of Miami or Spencer Fano from Utah to provide long-term stability at the tackle positions. Until then, the team will keep a close watch on the remaining free agent pool to see who will be better suited to protect one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the country.