The Kansas City Chiefs have several questions that need to be answered this offseason, including some rather important ones on the defensive side of the ball. The Chiefs know that safety Bryan Cook is hitting free agency, but the decision surrounding his future with the team is far less certain.
Kansas City has the worst cap situation in the league, ranking 32nd with $-43 million in cap space. They will need to release multiple players while restructuring other deals just to free up some money.
Meanwhile, Cook is coming off the best year of his career and seems to be due for a big payday. Will the Chiefs want to pay him while still having other needs atop the list?
Chiefs Have Big Bryan Cook Decision to Make
Cook suited up in all 17 games for this secondary and was a key playmaker on defense. He finished with career-highs in total tackles (85) and pass deflections (6). In addition, he logged an 83.5 overall grade (4th among 98 graded safeties), an 80.1 run-defense grade (15th among 98 graded safeties), and an 83.2 coverage grade (6th among 98 graded safeties) from Pro Football Focus.
When targeted in coverage, Cook allowed 21 catches (32 targets) for 182 receiving yards and three scores. During his time with the Chiefs, he has made steady improvement and should receive a lucrative contract in free agency. Spotrac has listed his market value at $14.6 million per season, projecting him to get a four-year, $58.5 million deal.
If Cook were to get that contract, that would make him the 12th-highest-paid safety in the league. While Cook has provided this team with some consistent playmaking ability on the backend, other areas of the roster need bolstering.
Wide receiver, running back, cornerback, and defensive line stand out as some immediate position groups that need to be upgraded. In addition, Travis Kelce's future hangs in the balance this offseason. There is a chance that tight end is another spot the Chiefs must consider, and it still looks like they could use some bodies along the offensive line.
Although Cook has found success, safeties aren't as high on the priority list compared to some of these other spots. There's a world where Cook gets to a price point in free agency that might be too rich for the Chiefs to match.
This roster needs some help, and they will need every ounce of money to get that done. Of course, the Chiefs would love to keep Cook, and they might find a way to do so, but at the same time, there's a clear pathway for him to play elsewhere in 2026, making this a fascinating storyline to watch this offseason.