Kansas City Chiefs fans are still riding the high stemming from the Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers. While it's fun to get caught up in championship celebrations and parade route planning, it isn't too early to start thinking about what the Chiefs might look like next season.
Kansas City heads into the offseason with over $22.6 million in cap space, per Spotrac. That seems like a lot on paper, but the Chiefs have 25 pending free agents to deal with and not everyone is guaranteed to be re-signed. Some tough decisions will be made in the coming months, so don't be surprised if familiar faces are in opposing jerseys next season.
Here are 12 Chiefs players who won't be back in 2024.
1. DT Chris Jones
It's been mentioned numerous times, but Chris Jones is the Chiefs' biggest pending free agent this offseason. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle has played all eight of his seasons in a Kansas City jersey but could look for a massive paycheck after playing on a one-year, $19.5 million deal in 2023.
NFL insiders — like Adam Schefter — haven't ruled out Jones returning in 2024, but re-signing him won't be easy. Spotrac lists his projected market value at $28.4 million annually, which is more than the Chiefs have to spend. Yes, the team can restructure deals or release players to create space, but it remains to be seen if they want to lock up nearly $30 million on a player turning 30 in July.
Besides, Jones might not want to play on another one-year contract since his age means he likely won't see too many more big deals coming his way.
The former Mississippi State defender finished the 2023 campaign with 20 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, and four defended passes, and was Pro Football Focus' No. 5-graded interior defender. He was also named All-Pro for the fourth consecutive season, highlighting just how much of a game-changer he is.
Having said that, a ton of teams would love to have Jones patrolling their defensive lines. Don't be surprised if one of them has an offer that the 29-year-old simply can't refuse.
2. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been a part of the Chiefs' back-to-back Super Bowl wins, but it might be time that he searches for a new employer.
Despite having two championship rings in his possession, Valdes-Scantling's Kansas City tenure has been largely disappointing. The 29-year-old veteran just hasn't lived up to the three-year, $30 million contract he signed back in 2022, tallying only 63 catches for 1,002 yards and one touchdown over 33 games across two seasons. His 73.0 passer rating when targeted in 2023 was the lowest mark of his career.
Yes, Valdes-Scantling has come up with big plays now and then, but not enough to warrant the monstrous $13.98 million cap hit he carries in 2024. For comparison, that's more than the likes of A.J. Brown, Michael Thomas, and Jakobi Meyers.
The bright side is that the Chiefs aren't stuck with MVS' contract. Whether they trade/waive him before or after June 1, the franchise will save $11.98 million by parting ways. Regardless of how much his teammates like him, being able to free up that much space could be the difference when it comes to a potential three-peat next season.
Sorry, Valdes-Scantling, but it's time to go.
3. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Clyde Edwards-Helaire's career has been quite the journey to watch. The former LSU Tiger was drafted 32nd overall back in 2020 and it looked like he was about to be the Chief's starting running back for years to come — especially after amassing 1,100 scrimmage yards with five touchdowns as a rookie.
Unfortunately, Edwards-Helaire hasn't come close to reaching those heights since then. His numbers have declined in each subsequent season and 2023 was no different as the 24-year-old finished with career lows in carries (70), rushing yards (223), and rushing TDs (1) despite playing five more games than he did last year. Fellow RB Isiah Pacheco's emergence only made it harder for CEH to earn opportunities.
Once the Chiefs declined Edwards-Helaire's fifth-year option last March, it became clear that the franchise isn't that crazy about him. He's far from the worst rusher in the league, but the fact that he hasn't even left a mark in back-to-back Super Bowl runs shows that he isn't all that special, either.
Considering how easily and quickly RBs are replaced these days, expect Edwards-Helaire to try to bounce back elsewhere in 2024.
4. QB Blaine Gabbert
With Patrick Mahomes continuing to prove why he's the best quarterback in the league, Blaine Gabbert had an easy job throughout the 2023 campaign. The 34-year-old veteran signal-caller only had to play twice in 2023: a relief appearance in a 41-10 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 3 and the Week 18 start against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Although the Chiefs didn't need Gabbert to win either contest, his performances showed why he's more suited for a backup role. He completed just 18-of-35 passes (51.4%) in those games for 185 yards without a TD pass and three interceptions. His 31.2 passer rating finished dead last among 59 eligible QBs.
Gabbert is slated to hit free agency in March and there just isn't much incentive to re-sign him. On top of Mahomes, the Chiefs still have Ian Book under contract next season and they can always find a third arm either through the 2024 NFL Draft or free agency.
At the end of the day, teams are supposed to have confidence in their backup QB just in case a disaster arises. I don't feel that way about Gabbert, so it's best to replace him with a more confidence-inspiring option.
At least he got a second Super Bowl ring!
5. DT Derrick Nnadi
It's well-documented that the Chiefs had one of the best defenses in 2023. At the same time, Derrick Nnadi wasn't always the most helpful contributor when it came to earning that status.
The 27-year-old defensive tackle's latest campaign was fairly mediocre. Although his 16 solo tackles and one sack were improvements over last year's numbers, it still wasn't close to the production that fans were used to from 2018 to 2021. It didn't help that Nnadi's 12.1% missed tackle rate was a career-worst.
To further put into perspective just how bad Nnadi was, you just need to look at his PFF grades. When it comes to eligible interior defenders, he ranked 21st-worst against the run (42.0), ninth-worst as a pass rusher (51.8), and ninth-worst overall (41.4).
If the Chiefs want to be defensively dominant again, I can't see them re-signing Nnadi this offseason. The former 2018 third-rounder just isn't that special on the gridiron and chances are that Kansas City can get better results with a replacement.
6. S Justin Reid
With nearly 30 free agents to address, the Chiefs will do what they can to create salary cap space. If they want to free up a lot of money with one move, veteran safety Justin Reid could be a cap casualty.
Reid is entering the final season of a three-year, $31.5 million contract he signed two years ago. He was decent for the Chiefs in 2023, recording personal bests in solo tackles (74) and sacks (3.0) while adding seven broken-up passes and an interception across 16 starts. At the same time, he's also given up 76 receptions for nearly 800 yards and seven TDs over the last two seasons, so it hasn't been all good.
Furthermore, his 52.8 coverage grade ranked 83rd out of 94 eligible safeties, according to PFF. That just isn't the type of statistic you want to see for an underperforming defender who's slated to make $14.22 million next season.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs aren't being forced to roll with Reid in 2024. General manager Brett Veach can rid himself of Reid's contract by waiving or trading him at any point this offseason, freeing up $10.72 million in the process, per Spotrac. With three consecutive Super Bowl wins being a real possibility, opening up that much cap space is a no-brainer this offseason.
7. CB L'Jarius Sneed
While the Chiefs wouldn't mind losing some players to the free-agent market, L'Jarius Sneed isn't one of them.
The former Louisiana Tech standout is coming off a great year that saw him finished as PFF's No. 30-graded cornerback. Sneed was targeted 100 times during the regular season but only allowed 51 catches for 478 yards without a touchdown. The minuscule 4.8 yards he allowed per target was, by far, the best mark of his career.
The Chiefs Kingdom would love for Sneed to return this fall, but that might not be in the cards. Spotrac projects his next contract to sit at a whopping $16.3 million per season, which is more than deserved after his latest effort. Unfortunately, Kansas City might not come close to having that much money depending on who else they do/don't re-sign.
Players take team-friendly deals all the time, but we can't expect that with Sneed. He's getting closer to 30 and there's no guarantee that he'll see near-$20 million annual offers the next time he's a free agent. Unless he truly values winning with the Chiefs over a massive payday, I wouldn't hold my breath regarding a return.
8. TE Blake Bell
After spending four of the last five seasons with the Chiefs, Blake Bell's time in Kansas City could be over.
With Travis Kelce being Mahomes' go-to tight end, Bell has handled more of a block role since returning to the franchise in 2021. Unfortunately, his blocking has only gotten worse with each passing season, highlighted by the chart below.
Year | Pass-Block Grade | Run-Block Grade |
|---|---|---|
2023 | 45.4 | 53.4 |
2022 | 57.4 | 69.3 |
2021 | 70.8 | 70.6 |
Bell's blocking shortcomings would've been more digestible if he wasn't a black hole in the passing game. He was targeted nine times in 2023 but only converted five targets into catches for 26 yards and a touchdown. His 58.3 passer grade when targeted was a new career low.
Considering how the Houston Texans' Case Keenum had a 61.1 passer rating, it's easy to see how Bell isn't exactly a positive on offense.
With Bell turning 33 in August, I don't have a ton of faith in a turnaround season at this stage of his career. He is who he is at this point and likely won't improve. Fortunately, the Chiefs already have Kelce and Noah Gray under contract in 2024, meaning that re-signing Bell shouldn't be a priority whatsoever.
9. RB Jerick McKinnon
Edwards-Helaire isn't the only running back that the Chiefs must address this offseason. After all, veteran rusher Jerick McKinnon is also due to hit free agency.
After finishing 12th in the 2022 Comeback of the Year voting, McKinnon was largely quiet throughout the 2023 campaign. The ex-Georgia Southern product only saw 46 touches across 12 appearances, tallying 252 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. Having said that, most of that production came from the passing game.
McKinnon was largely ineffective as a rusher, averaging a career-low 2.9 yards on 21 carries. Although injuries prevented his numbers from being slightly better, there was nothing about his latest campaign that indicates that the Chiefs can't afford to lose him this offseason.
Given his injury history and the fact that RBs tend to fall off hard in their 30s, I'm just not a fan of re-signing McKinnon. He's a solid pass-catcher, sure, but it isn't as if there aren't any younger/healthier options who can do the same in free agency and the draft. It'll be sad to see McKinnon go, but it's a necessary move to make.
10. DE Michael Danna
Several Chiefs enjoyed career years in 2023 and Michael Danna was one of them.
The 26-year-old edge rusher was all over the field in his fourth campaign, registering 32 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, and three tipped passes across 16 starts. He also missed two fewer tackling attempts than he did last year (4), illustrating how he continues to improve each season.
But Danna becoming a free agent means the Chiefs have to decide what to do with him. Although the fanbase (and likely management) would love to re-sign the former Michigan Wolverine, a projected market value of $16.7 million per season might be outside of Kansas City's price range — especially with the likes of Jones and Snead likely commanding big-time deals.
Losing Danna will hurt the defense, for sure, but that's a part of the football business. Sometimes good players just can't be retained and all 32 teams know that. The Chiefs do have three draft kicks within the first 95 selections in April, though, giving them a chance to find a replacement edge rusher.
11. LB Willie Gay Jr.
Much like Danna, it'll be interesting to see what the Chiefs do with free-agent linebacker Willie Gay Jr. in the coming weeks.
Gay's 2023 performance was far from his most productive, finishing with 44 solo tackles, four defended passes, three fumble recoveries, one interception, and a sack. He was also targeted 29 times in the passing game, allowing 22 completions for 177 yards without a touchdown and a 76.4 opposing passer rating.
Although Gay received PFF's fourth-worst coverage grade among 77 eligible linebackers (41.1), his 72.7 run defense grade (30th-best) highlights his usefulness when it comes to stopping the run. His overall performance has resulted in Spotrac projected him to seek $7 million per season in free agency. The Chiefs likely wouldn't balk at that number in any other offseason, but this year's financial issues make it tough to imagine a deal happening.
Could Gay take a team-friendly discount? Maybe, but he's also in the prime of his career and will likely explore his options. He's already won two Super Bowls in Kansas City, so it isn't as if he's desperate for a ring. Money is likely the most important goal for him this offseason.
12. LT Donovan Smith
After spending his first eight seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starting left tackle, Donovan Smith inked a one-year, $3 million contract with the Chiefs last offseason.
Smith's blocking, however, left much to be desired in 2023. The former Penn State blocker surrendered a whopping 42 pressures (33 hurries, 7 QB hits, 2 sacks) on only 506 pass-block downs. He also struggled to remain disciplined, getting called for nine penalties — tied for ninth-most in the NFL.
Furthermore, he allowed six pressures in the Super Bowl after only allowing five in the three previous postseason games.
Even if he had some solid moments, I don't see Smith being re-signed this offseason. He wasn't anything special last season and will continue to decline now that he's turning 31 in June. Another one-year contract might not be back-breaking, but it also isn't necessary given that there are many tackles out there who can perform at Smith's level, if not better.
If Smith wants to win his third Super Bowl ring, it'll likely have to happen with a different franchise.
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