{"id":138534,"date":"2026-01-12T09:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138534"},"modified":"2026-01-12T09:24:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T09:24:00","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-cap-crisis-hits-hard-the-massive-contract-of-patrick-mahomes-is-forcing-the-kansas-city-chiefs-into-brutal-decisions-behind-closed-doors-to-free-up-35-million-in-cap-space-three-roste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138534","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 CAP CRISIS HITS HARD: The massive contract of Patrick Mahomes is forcing the Kansas City Chiefs into brutal decisions behind closed doors. To free up $35 million in cap space, three roster cuts have already been set in motion. This isn\u2019t about performance \u2014 it\u2019s about survival in a ruthless financial system. And the ripple effects could reshape Kansas City\u2019s future fast. \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There\u2019s no sugarcoating it: the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs<\/strong>\u00a0will face tough roster decisions in 2026, as the team needs to clear over\u00a0$58 million in cap space<\/strong>\u00a0before the new league year begins in March. GM\u00a0Brett Veach<\/strong>\u00a0can restructure some long-term contracts, but moving on from one or two big-name veterans may also be necessary. Three players stand out as the most obvious cut candidates:<\/p>\n

\"C\u00f3<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea8 CAP CRISIS HITS HARD:<\/strong> The massive contract of Patrick Mahomes<\/span><\/span> is forcing the Kansas City Chiefs<\/span><\/span> into brutal decisions behind closed doors. To free up $35 million in cap space, three roster cuts have already been set in motion. This isn\u2019t about performance \u2014 it\u2019s about survival in a ruthless financial system. And the ripple effects could reshape Kansas City\u2019s future fast. \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n

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1. RT Jawaan Taylor \u2013 Most Likely Cut Candidate<\/strong>
Right tackle Taylor is the most obvious cut candidate heading into 2026. If he does not agree to a pay reduction, releasing him could save the Chiefs\u00a0$20 million<\/strong>, with a dead cap hit of approximately\u00a0$7.392 million<\/strong>. While Taylor has been a solid starter, he has faced multiple penalties and has not lived up to the $80 million contract he signed. With rookie Josh Simmons taking over LT, Jaylon Moore potentially filling RT, and Esa Pole emerging as a swing tackle, it\u2019s highly likely the Chiefs will move on from Taylor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2. DE Mike Danna \u2013 Surprise but Plausible Cut<\/strong>
Defensive end Mike Danna, a favorite of DC\u00a0Steve Spagnuolo<\/strong>, contributes beyond what shows up on stat sheets, but his contract makes him a candidate for a pre-free agency release. Over the Cap projects\u00a0$8.94 million<\/strong>\u00a0in cap savings if Danna is cut or traded, compared with just $2.167 million in dead cap. Danna had a career-low 1 sack and 3 tackles for loss in 2025 over 15 games. While restructuring his contract is possible, cutting him remains an option the front office must consider.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3. LB Drue Tranquill \u2013 Logical Cut Based on Age and Cap Space<\/strong>
Linebacker True Tranquill, who received a contract extension in 2024 after a strong 2023 season, has become a \u201cluxury\u201d the Chiefs can no longer afford. At 31 years old, the team is looking to get younger at linebacker. Cutting Tranquill would save\u00a0$6 million<\/strong>, with a minor dead cap of $1.5 million. This move makes financial and strategic sense for roster flexibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Adding up the three potential cuts, the Chiefs could free nearly\u00a0$35 million<\/strong>\u00a0in cap space. Combined with a few contract restructures, this would allow KC to clear their current\u00a0$58 million-plus cap space deficit<\/strong>\u00a0ahead of free agency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There\u2019s no sugarcoating it: the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0will face tough roster decisions in 2026, as the team needs to clear over\u00a0$58 million in cap space\u00a0before the new league… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":138535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8 CAP CRISIS HITS HARD: The massive contract of Patrick Mahomes is forcing the Kansas City Chiefs into brutal decisions behind closed doors. To free up $35 million in cap space, three roster cuts have already been set in motion. This isn\u2019t about performance \u2014 it\u2019s about survival in a ruthless financial system. And the ripple effects could reshape Kansas City\u2019s future fast. \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138534\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udea8 CAP CRISIS HITS HARD: The massive contract of Patrick Mahomes is forcing the Kansas City Chiefs into brutal decisions behind closed doors. To free up $35 million in cap space, three roster cuts have already been set in motion. This isn\u2019t about performance \u2014 it\u2019s about survival in a ruthless financial system. And the ripple effects could reshape Kansas City\u2019s future fast. \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There\u2019s no sugarcoating it: the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0will face tough roster decisions in 2026, as the team needs to clear over\u00a0$58 million in cap space\u00a0before the new league...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138534\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-12T09:24:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/avt3-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"KING\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"KING\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138534\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=138534\",\"name\":\"\ud83d\udea8 CAP CRISIS HITS HARD: The massive contract of Patrick Mahomes is forcing the Kansas City Chiefs into brutal decisions behind closed doors. 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