Five Kansas City Chiefs due for an extension during 2020 season
By John McCarty
With salary cap questions looming next season and multiple players in position to cash in, the Kansas City Chiefs may be wise to extend a few players now and avoid waiting to do so.
‘Tis the season currently for NFL veterans to get a contract extension. There are a few reasons why teams are rushing to get extensions done now and the Kansas City Chiefs need to consider doing this as well.
Why are the deals getting done now?
Beyond simply knowing there is a young player that teams want to keep around, the 2021 salary cap is projected to drop, perhaps significantly. Players with large cap numbers in 2021 have their cap numbers lowered for the 2021 season, helping the team get below a cap decrease. Combine that with a guaranteed millions of dollars, and for the specific player, it works for both sides.
Another reason to get the deal done in season, when prorating signing bonus, any deal done this year, the proration counts for this season. In the NFL, signing bonus amounts are prorated over a maximum of five seasons. So any deal done in season this year, by the conclusion of the 2021 season, the contract will have expensed two seasons (40%) of the bonus numbers.
Who might the Kansas City Chiefs extend?
Tyrann Mathieu
The veteran safety is currently on the second year of a three-year deal and is likely a player the Chiefs would like to keep around past the 2021 season. He carries a 2021 cap number of $19.733 million. A new deal with Mathieu could very likely drop his 2021 cap number down $10 million between a lower salary and signing bonus cap hit.
Mathieu would likely be interested in that not only does he get to stay and play in a city that has shown they are going to compete to advance deep in the playoffs and Super Bowls, but financially, Mathieu will have exhausted all his guaranteed salary at the conclusion of the 2020 season. In the highly unlikely event the Chiefs released Mathieu after this season, the team would save $14.8 million against the cap. (The $4.933 million is the bonus proration amount)