Why a Patrick Mahomes Move Could Help the Chiefs Avoid Repercussions From the NFL

If things don’t change soon, the team faces major consequences.

The Kansas City Chiefs may face stiff punishment if they don’t do something about Patrick Mahomes soon.

Thanks to the oft-declared MVP’s current contract, the most talked about team in the country may be slapped with an up-to-seven-figure fine—or lose some of its draft picks, or even have the league void various contracts—if an imminent correction isn’t made.

Shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the twice-consecutive Super Bowl winners—crushing fans’ hopes for a “three-peat”—the NFL revealed that they were raising the salary cap per team from $255.4 million to $279.2 million.

After the Chiefs franchise tagged Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith, which prevents the player from hitting the free agent market, the team was obligated to offer him a one-year contract worth something in the realm of $23.4 million, according to ESPN.

According to sports writer Farzin Vousoughian, the move put the team more than $17 million over the new cap and left them with barely more than a week to cut costs elsewhere.

So, what does this have to do with their star quarterback?

In 2020, the now-29-year-old signed a 10-year, $450 million extension with the team. In 2023, it was restructured to guarantee he received $210.6 million through 2026, according to the NFL. But, in 2024, it was restructured again, creating $21.6 million of salary cap space, per ESPN.

This year, Mahomes’ personal cap is expected to jump by almost $30 million, according to Over the Cap. But with another restructure, the team could get itself back down to $279.2 or under.

However, Athlon Sports’ Chris Phelps doesn’t expect them to do so this year to “keep Mahomes’ contract flexible in the future.”

Instead, they may look to other contracts. For example, according to Forbes, defensive tackle Chris Jones also agreed to a restructure last season that saw his cap hit a mere $7.35 million due to the way the funding was distributed.

As of writing today, the Chiefs also appear much closer to being—and remaining—in the safe zone, with Over the Cap projecting their active spending at about $272.5 million—though they are still currently projected to reach the red.

There’s clearly still work to be done, but Mahomes’ contract appears to be safe—for now.