The Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason, full of financial woes, is far from over. While the Chiefs have already started releasing players to manage their salary cap, they now face an even bigger financial question regarding the future of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. The CB has only a year left on his contract, and an extension could make their pockets go empty.

“It won’t be easy to re-sign him, though,” wrote The Athletic’s Jesse Newell on NY Times. “The Chiefs have recently re-signed many of their drafted players to lucrative contracts, and the cornerback market has exploded, meaning it’s likely that McDuffie’s ask as a top-tier player could be somewhere in the $30-million-a-year range.”

This $30 million projection isn’t a random figure but the result of a highly inflated cornerback market. To put that in perspective, the NFL’s salary cap for 2026 is set at a record $301.2 million, but the Chiefs entered the cycle with a staggering $57 million deficit. General Manager Brett Veach has already pulled the strings by restructuring Patrick Mahomes’ contract to clear roughly $44 million, yet the team remains roughly $8.5 million over the limit even after the initial waves of cuts.

Re-signing McDuffie to a new deal would likely require him to surpass the annual average value (AAV) of elite peers like Jalen Ramsey or Pat Surtain II. For a franchise that even traded away Tyreek Hill when they encountered a similar situation, the McDuffie negotiation looks difficult; it is, however, not impossible.

McDuffie has been a top performer for the Chiefs. Since getting drafted in 2022, he has played 56 games, recording 178 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks, 34 pass deflections, and 8 forced fumbles. So, head coach Andy Reid won’t be looking to let go of him anytime soon. At present, his rookie contract only lasts for one more season. After that, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Considering his metrics and work ethic, his new contract could be around the $30 million mark. The Chiefs have barely paid such a high value to secondary players like him.

Surprisingly, the CAA, which represents McDuffie, also represents Trey Smith. The CAA helped Smith earn the biggest contract in NFL history, which is $94 million over four years. It remains to be seen how things progress with the CB. Will his agency deal with the contract situation? Or will the Chiefs let him hit free agency in 2027? If they want to trade him, this is the time to do so.

Back in 2025, when the Chiefs exercised the fifth-year option in McDuffie’s contract, making his 2026 salary of $13.6 million fully guaranteed, the youngster expressed his desire to stay with the team.

“I love being a Chief,” McDuffie said last season per ESPN. “I know the contract stuff will come.”

While the Chiefs are trying to fix a puzzle named Trent McDuffie, Andy Reid finds himself missing out on a crucial piece of his roster.

The Kansas City Chiefs have parted ways with Jawaan Taylor

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the franchises that have overspent their cap space. Hence, after facing a $57 million salary cap deficit, Andy Reid had to move things around a bit on his roster. His latest move in the process was parting ways with OT Jawaan Taylor.

“The #Chiefs are releasing former starting OT Jawaan Taylor, creating some much-needed cap space, source says,” reported Ian Rapoport on X. “Due a $27.4M cap hit, Taylor’s absence creates breathing room.”

Taylor arrived in Kansas City in 2023 after playing for the Jaguars for four seasons. Since then, he has been an integral part of the offensive line, helping protect Patrick Mahomes from the defense. He has played 45 regular-season games for the Chiefs and started in all of them.

Taylor’s release is a tactical decision for the Chiefs. It saves them $20 million against the cap. Despite that, the Chiefs are almost $8.5 million over the cap. Restructuring contracts and cutting players are the only two viable options for the Chiefs to address the issue. Also, the OT had a major problem with giving away penalties. As a Chiefs player, he was penalized 49 times (41 accepted), which was the highest by any O-Lineman during that time.

By releasing linebacker Drue Tranquill and tight end Noah Gray while also restructuring Chris Jones’ and center Creed Humphrey’s contracts, the team can create enough space before the league year begins on March 11.

For the first time in years, the Chiefs have received a top 10 pick. The last time they had one was in 2017, when the Bills traded in their 10th pick. Coincidentally, they drafted Mahomes with that pick. At the moment, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love appears to be Reid’s primary target at No. 9 for the 2026 NFL Draft. The franchise will be looking to create some magic this time; however, the cap issues should be sorted as a priority.