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