The Kansas City Chiefs are, once again, Super Bowl Champions after overcoming the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas. Andy Reid's team has now won back-to-back titles, becoming the first NFL team to do so since the New England Patriots won two straight in the 2003 and 2004 campaigns.
It's going to be interesting to see how the Chiefs handle the offseason — especially if they're aiming to be the first team to ever three-peat. Spotrac lists Kansas City as having over $22.6 million in cap space this offseason and while that seems like a lot, it isn't that much given that the team must re-sign key players like Chris Jones, Michael Danna, Willie Gay Jr., and more.
Fortunately, the Chiefs can free up some millions over the offseason by moving on from various names. With that in mind, here are three Kansas City players who are likely to be cap casualties.
1. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling — Cap Savings: $11.98 Million
All eyes were on Marquez Valdes-Scantling when he signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Chiefs back in 2022. The former South Florida wideout had spent the beginning of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, so fans were excited to see what he could do with Patrick Mahomes airing him the ball.
Valdes-Scantling was decent in Year 1 of the contract, turning 42 receptions into 687 yards and two touchdowns across 17 games. Unfortunately, he didn't even come close to reaching similar heights in Year 3. The 29-year-old pass-catcher finished the 2023 regular season with an underwhelming 21-315-1 stat line while his 19.7 receiving yards per game were a new career worst.
MVS had some decent moments during the Chiefs' playoff run, but nothing that warrants the $13.98 million cap hit he carries in 2024. The good news is that Kansas City can save $11.98 million whether they trade or waive him at any point this offseason.
Considering how many decent wide receivers can be signed with that amount of money, I'd be surprised if Valdes-Scantling survives the spring on his current contract.
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2. S Justin Reid — Cap Savings: $10.72 Million
Justin Reid is another player who signed a big contract that hasn't aged all that well. Like Valdes-Scantling, the ex-Stanford Cardinal joined the Chiefs during the 2022 offseason on a three-year, $31.5 million deal after spending his first four seasons with the Houston Texans.
While Reid occasionally shows why he deserved that money, he's left fans wanting and craving more results more often than not. The 26-year-old has been targeted 120 times over the last two seasons, surrendering 76 receptions (63.3%) for 771 yards and seven touchdowns.
If that isn't bad enough, his 52.8 coverage grade in 2023 ranks 83rd among 94 eligible safeties, per Pro Football Focus. Hell, he finished Super Bowl LVIII with an overall defensive grade of 54.2, which was actually worse than his season-long average (58.4).
The Chiefs have one of the NFL's best defenses, but they won't be too hurt if they part ways with Reid. If anything, it'd be addition by subtraction. Kansas City can save $10.72 million in cap space if they trade/release the former 2018 third-rounder
3. WR Kadarius Toney — Cap Savings: $2.53 Million
Kadarius Toney's time in Kansas City has been a rollercoaster, to say the least.
One year ago, the former Florida Gator was a hero at Super Bowl LVII, recording an NFL-record 65-yard punt return that played a huge role in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The encouraging performance had Chiefs fans hoping he could take that next step forward with a full offseason with the team under his belt.
Instead, Toney was largely invisible throughout the 2023 campaign. Injuries — a common occurrence in his career — held him to just two starts across 13 appearances. With a lack of health weighing him down, the Mobile, AL native only managed to produce 169 receiving yards with a touchdown on 27 catches. His 66.7 passer rating when targeted was also the worst mark of his career.
To get a better understanding of how bad that performance was, Bailey Zappe and Jeff Driskel tallied passer ratings of 68.8 (50th) and 63.9 (51st), respectively, last season. In other words, Toney turns Mahomes into a QB of their caliber when he's targeted.
His abysmal performance was just one of several reasons why Toney was inactive at Super Bowl LVIII.
The Chiefs won't save any money if they release Toney before June 1, however, they can save his entire $2,530,842 salary by waiving him after that date. Yes, the money will be kicked back to 2025, but that's fine as it gives Kansas City some extra money and a roster spot to play around with this offseason.