2026 Free Agents
 

A lot of times Veach is drafting a year ahead. Just putting the 2026 free agent list out there for the sake of mocks and positions of need. Obviously several of these guys are likely to be extended.

Kelce
Thuney
McDuffie (will probably be extended before we get there)
Josh Williams
Watson
Karlaftis
Skyy Moore
Bryan Cook
Leo Chenal
Pacheco
Remeggio
Cam Jones

PS what a ****ing draft class that was.

McDuffie and George will get fifth-year optioned this March/April and be taken off the list at that time which will alleviate a lot of the stress

I had forgot that Karlaftis is a 5th year option guy. You may be able to work an extension out with him that works around Chris Jones deal. If Charles O isn't resigned it may not matter, there may be more money available for the Dline then.

Trey is gone. He’s gonna get filthy paid. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a team like the Patriots or Bears pay him $22 million APY. They have a lot of money to do so.

I think they should focus on bringing the key guys back.

Omenihu
Hollywood
Bolton (he’s a key player to Spags)

Extend Thuney and McDuffie

Yeah I'm on board with all that. Think it stabilizes the roster before the draft and then you add some key long term pieces there.

I don't think you'll be able to keep the guys you want at a price you like since they're gonna be able to shop around in the market.

The time to have extended some of these guys was last year, I'm skeptical how many they are able to keep.

Who are you suggesting they should have extended last year?

Bolton

Per Matt Verderame, Veach tried reaching out to him last Summer to get a deal going and he didn’t want to.

He seems to be betting on himself

That would likely lead to him wanting to be paid like the top off ball LB'ers.

So for what it's worth, Chiefs either pay top dollar or he's gone.

He’s gone if it’s too dollar. He’s not a complete player against the run and pass line the guys getting paid at the top of the line backer market.

I just always view these things as in, once guys hit the market, rarely do you get them back.

They go out there with the Chiefs number already known and usually it's gonna just not work out.

Then he's showed his cards and you make plans to be without him.

I'm in on the Thuney/McDuffie extention. Sign Charles O and Hollywood and figure the rest out.

I like how we are set up for the draft, but the unsettled nature of the LT position makes that much more difficult. Not sure how a team like the Chiefs can go into next year "hoping" for improved LT play, unless they believe Thuney could hold up an entire year at the position.

Would love to grab a DT and CB in rounds 2&3 to add roster depth. If Bolton leaves, then we need to probably target some LBs in the draft and free agency.

I think if DJ shows anything at all you sign him reasonably to a one or two year. Let Kingsley Develop. Probably Let Thuney play out his contract. At his age I cant see giving him top dollar when the cliff is right there.

Increasingly thinking the same. I think Trey gets paid a boatload elsewhere.

Bolton MAY fetch less money than he expects due to his work in coverage, but I'd still wager there's a good chance he's gone, maybe slightly more likely to be kept.

Holywood, man I'd love to keep him, I want to be optimistic and think the injury might knock his value. But it's not a great FA year behind Higgins, could we get him back for closer to, say, 12m a year? Maybe less? I just think some big plays in the playoffs and the obvious offensive turnaround he helped sparked leads to someone offering a lot more.

I think Omenihu is going to want silly money, not get it, but then go somewhere else anyway.

I dunno, I guess between all those and DJ you've got to think at least ONE comes back. Just can't see who

I'd wager Omenihu is gone as well.

Kelce - We extended Gray and drafted Wiley plus there are other options in the pipeline like Cupp and Hendershot right now... I think we are fine.
Thuney - We drafted Hanson and Nourzad and guards aren't hard to find.
McDuffie - We'll use the 5th-year option and address an extension next offseason
Josh Williams - I don't think we keep this kid around. I think we'll see at least one CB drafted.
Watson - see Williams except me might offer a mid-range deal.
Karlaftis - We'll use the 5th-year option and address an extension next offseason
Skyy Moore - Nobody cares other than we need bodies to replace him
Bryan Cook - I think we'll extend Cook and let Hicks take over for Reid and then draft a guy to fill in behind them
Leo Chenal - A guy I think you can work out a deal on for relatively cheap but I think we'll draft a LB or two this year.
Pacheco—I don't see us offering a big extension to any RB, including Pacheco. If he wants big money, he'll walk. I have to think we'll draft another RB soon, and this is an epic year to do it.
Remeggio - I like the kid and he might be a guy you can keep around a bit for a low price as a ST guy but definitely UDFA replacement level.
Cam Jones - see Remeggio

Can someone explain to me how Brown, who signed with the Chiefs for 7M, is going to get 12M after being out with an injury for the entire season? Availability has always been his issue. I think he's relatively easy to keep around. Keeping both him and Hopkins will be difficult. I think the Chiefs sign Brown to a multi-year deal and then draft a WR in the middle rounds.

I agree with all of this.

Regarding Thuney, are you suggesting we cut bait? With Hanson and Nourzad plus Morris, if Bart wants to be aggressive elsewhere he could cheap at the guard position. Its scary as hell with the LT situation the way it is, but I do think its an avenue that could be explored. Hard to see them walk away from both Smith and Thuney in the same year, which is why an extension with Thuney seems the mot logical outcome.

Thuney is under contract for 2025. Replace Smith this year and Thuney next year. I'd focus on getting the OT position in order this year, if that's trust in development within and adding a vet for a year or if it's drafting a guy or both. I think we can ride with what's in house for 2025 at OG.

Thanks. Silly that I never considered the "do nothing" option re Thuney. I was stuck in the extend or cut mindset.

Just a reminder this is NEXT years free agent list just to keep in mind for THIS years draft. I got a txt from a friend who lurks who thought I was a complete dumbass.

Kelce will retire, or be retired. I imagine McDuffie and Karlaftis get done this offseason.

You can probably extend Watson easy. Chenal shouldn't be too pricey either.

The rest you can either bring back cheap or let them walk, reasonably.

The biggest, toughest call has to be Pacheco. He's a dude who's going to want a bigger payday than the one we can offer. But he's a fantastic fit, play-style and culturally, in KC. That's going to be a difficult decision.

Edit: I think there's a real chance Thuney gets extended this offseason. If he doesn't, then he's probably gone in 2026.

Agree with almost everything Verderame said today.

-Offer Bolton the Patrick Queen contract (3/$41 million). With inflation that’s $14 million. Fine with that bc the structure could work out to below $14 million for duration of the contract.

-He thinks you unload for Trey Smith, extend Thuney and cut Taylor after next season which would save $13 million in 2026, the. He’s off the books in 2027. Thuney would be a short 3 year (add 2 years) while Trey is a 5 year deal to spread the cap hits so you don’t have these guys hitting at the same time.

-Play Kingsley at G and Wanya at RT in Denver to get a long look at both. Thinks Kingsley is a G and not a tackle. If Trey leaves he should be the first one up to play RG.

-Draft a Tackle rd 1

I'm pretty sure I disagree with just about everything he said then.

Same here.

He's got Kingsley and Wanya backwards, for one.

Does unload for Trey Smith mean sign him or let him walk?

Based on the rest of that sentence and references to cap hits, I think that means to sign him.

Which, I think is an awful idea.

Exactly.

Yep. I agree on Kingsley and Wanya.

Then my thoughts are...

Bolton is a 10m per max LB. 4m doesn't seem like much but that's another quality veteran next to him, honestly. He is a liability in the pass game. I wouldn't pay him that contract.

Extending Thuney into his age 34 and 35 seasons is probably the idea I struggle most with. I don't think it is a great idea to extend a lineman into those years. Maybe 1 year. I'd let him play out next season and, if he wants to play another year beyond that and you don't see his body breaking down, sign him back on a 1-year deal. The same goes for the following year. At some point, he'll start breaking down or edging towards retirement. The question is, what purpose does extending him serve? I doubt we'll keep kicking his money down the road. If you do extend him, then I'd set up his age 35 season with a team option.

I definitely don't feel like we should sign Trey Smith to a top-of-market OG contract. We're going to need that money elsewhere for much more crucial pieces in the future. McDuffie and Karlaftis are pillar positions that you do pay and you might want to jump on a defensive end opposite Karlaftis in FA or via trade. When you have to do these, Smith's money will be in full force. Let him walk, gain the comp pick (in all likelihood), and replace your offensive guards. Where we miss a lot, in the 3rd round, is the ideal place to be picking up those next tier of OTs that need to convert to OG in a zone system like ours and will be stars. Do it.

I am on board with the plan to let Taylor go after next season. Drafting a tackle in round 1 might be a good idea because of this. You plan for your Rd 1 to play one spot and Kingsley to play the other. That being said, you probably better plan to move up a ways, at least to around 20.

I struggle with Bolton.

On one hand, the product on the field probably doesn’t justify what he’ll get paid.

On the other, I don’t love when we completely ignore the intangible side of the game. I still cringe thinking about Berry yelling at other guys to get lined up correctly in the AFCCG against the Patriots. His body was gone by that point, but those other players were lost. Bolton sure seems to “get it” even with his limitations as a player.

I guess I’ll just trust whatever value Veach gives him.

If we’re going into a mini-reset, then I’m 100% out on paying him.

Where was his pod posted?

Yeah I don’t agree with signing Trey. His reasoning is that you can cut Jawaan a year after and use that money to pay Trey while keeping Thuney. His other reasoning is why make the OL worse if you can sign him?

I do agree with him about tackle. I think they are gonna be looking again and see if one is worth it in the 1st rd, especially if they keep Omenihu

I think you kind of have to, don't you? We either threepeat or we don't, but you have two great young WR talents and the best QB on the planet moving forward. You need to invest heavily in protecting him and that's going to require serious draft and/or FA investment in the OL. I think you have to go young and cheap on defense while paying Jones and with Mcduffie coming up.

I don't think it's wise to pay Smith at top of the market money OG's can be drafted. I don't think it's wise to pay Bolton top dollar. I think you let Reid walk.

If it's ME, I'm settling the OT spots no matter what, and drafting to rebuild the defense this offseason.

The thing about Bolton is that, while he's somewhat limited physically, he's the brains of the entire defense. If they're going to sign one of them, it damn well better be Bolton. Let Trey walk.

I agree that you're probably letting Trey walk no matter what.

I'm not sold on paying Bolton big money.

I'd be willing to take a step back on defense to have the offensive line settled.

For sure. I just don't see where we are going to find tackles in FA, though. They're going to have to come from the draft.

Tranquill sure is a nice consolation prize. He’s really smart and would be better served in the middle with his speed declining a bit. Wouldn’t be the end of the world.

I think they are going to draft an OL in the first round 2 rds. OT if one is there and likely a G to replace Trey if they lose him and OT is not attainable in rd 1

While I don’t want to give Bolton big money, I also don’t want to go back to the Hitchens/Niemann/Ragland days.

At least we’re getting a good player for the money in Bolton, unlike Hitchens.

Did some tinkering in Spotrac’s Cap Simulator this weekend and seems like Veach can probably keep whoever he wants in FA. Considering a potential restructuring of Thuney or Mahomes contract(s), signing bonus flexibility, annual league cap increases, championship team discounts, and significant cap room in 2026, feels like Veach is in a healthy position to do whatever he wants.

Yeah…yeah… I already hear some of our more conservative fans spouting off about "kicking the can” etc but we’re on a legendary run and we should capitalize while Mahomes is our QB. If the chickens come to roost for a few years after he leaves, I think we’d be fine with that considering all the rings.

Don’t be surprised if the Chiefs use the 64th or 66th pick on a replacement for whoever they lose between Bolton or Trey.

Didn’t like the depth they had out there yesterday

This is a god awful LB draft, if we're going on keeping or replacing just based on depth and ease, Bolton returns and Smith doesn't...Bolton's also likely a lot cheaper.

I also think Wanya Morris can step into RG and do fine.

I think it's a better LB draft than last year. Also seeing about 8 LBs ranked in the top 100. 6 went in the top 100 last year.

Let’s see who earns the money in the playoffs….

If Bolton balls out along with the D as a whole, I’d give him some serious cash. Think the intangible value is real.

I really hate using injury as a reason because most of them are freak circumstances and nothing to do with someones actual health or ability but Boltons missed time does worry me a little. He's been dinged up every season and in a position that just eats contact.

I feel as though I've heard this "brains of the defense" argument before regarding various free agents over the years, but it never seems to matter much.

There has to be a price cap on what we give Bolton.

As for Reid, he's played like absolute trash this year and Hicks is breathing down his neck. I can't fathom a world where we'd bring him back.

Last season was the only season I felt like Reid as a whole was a plus. The year before he was getting cooked by mediocre tight ends regularly. And last season may have had more to do with the defense as a whole.

Does the entire Bolton thought process change if Spags is gone? I don't really expect him to be just spitballing ideas.

I was never particularly high on Reid. I do think he has some really good games in him, but it's just wildly inconsistent, and he's never looked like he did in his first couple of seasons in the league.

I'm pretty happy to move on from him, and probably Bolton too.