The Kansas City Chiefs have a number of difficult decisions to make in the 2026 offseason, including the future of safety Bryan Cook. The valued starter is scheduled to become a free agent and leaves KC with a clear concern at the position. However, hopes of a Cook re-signing were just majorly bolstered with the latest cap news. The update came via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, who offered all NFL teams exciting news on upcoming cap expectations after what was a great season for the league.
""The NFL informed clubs today it is projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, per source. That would represent another significant jump from this year’s $279.2 million cap number, and nearly $100M than the $208.2M cap in 2022.""Tom Pelissero
This is a huge jump that goes a long way in putting a dent in Kansas City's negative projected space. Cook appeared to be a needed re-signing that the franchise simply couldn't afford to retain. Now, Cook may be brought back and hand the Chiefs at least one piece in the secondary that the franchise can rely on.
Cook's 2025 season was highlighted by six pass breakups, 64 tackles, and an 83.5 PFF rating. This ranked 4th out of 98 qualifiers, pointing to just how high of a level the safety was playing and the importance of the re-signing. Cook is projected to garner a contract for $14.1 million, according to Spotrac.
Chiefs Far More Likely to Afford Bryan Cook After Latest NFL Cap Space Update
Steve Spagnuolo's defense badly needs a bit of stability in the back end after already losing Justin Reid in the 2025 offseason. The veteran safety cashed in on his Super Bowl success, signing with the New Orleans Saints, and left Cook as the lone proven presence at safety. Losing both players in back-to-back offseasons is a lot to ask of Spanuolo's unit when there is not a proven or up-and-coming option currently rostered.
Kansas City needs to add to the position, and losing Cook headlined this fact, creating a huge position of concern. Now, the expanded cap space has changed the expectation and left the Chiefs with the extra wiggle room to potentially bring the safety back for the 2026 season. It is great news for the Chiefs and an incredible way to start the offseason.
For Cook, as long as the Chiefs are in the ballpark of other offers, it makes zero sense to leave an incredibly stable situation. Even in a down year for KC as a whole, the defense still performed well, and Cook played extremely well individually, making it clear that, after the cap news, a re-signing is mutually beneficial.