After winning Super Bowl LVIII, the Kansas City Chiefs have a long offseason ahead of them — especially when it comes to free agency. Spotrac lists the Chiefs as having 19 pending unrestricted free agents with just over $16.1 million in cap space, meaning it's going to be tough to bring everyone back.
There are ways for Kansas City to save millions of dollars this offseason, but likely not enough to bring back every free agent. Some tough decisions must be made in the coming weeks and while it won't hurt to see some familiar faces depart, others must be protected at all costs.
With that in mind, here are four Chiefs that Kansas City can't afford to let hit free agency.
1. Chris Jones, DT
The Chiefs had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season and Chris Jones was a key contributor to that success.
The three-time Super Bowl Champion enjoyed another productive campaign, racking up 20 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, and four defended passes en route to his fifth Pro Bowl nomination and All-Pro first-team honors. The former Mississippi State Bulldog was also Pro Football Focus' No. 3-ranked interior defender in terms of pass rushing (90.4) and No. 5 for overall defense (88.1), further showcasing the 29-year-old's dominance.
Having said that, Jones is heading to free agency and is in line for a massive payday. Spotrac projects his market value at $28.4 million per season, which is more than the Chiefs have available. Restructuring some contracts and cutting other players can help create more space, but fitting Jones under the cap will be a challenge.
But regardless of how difficult it is to make things work, Kansas City must do what it takes to retain Jones. He's one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL and losing him would make winning Super Bowl 59 that much harder.
2. Michael Danna, DE
Fourth-year defensive end Michael Danna was another player who contributed a lot to the Chiefs' defensive success in 2023.
After only starting seven games in the three previous seasons, Danna started in each of his 16 appearances this time around. Fortunately, the added responsibility paid off. The ex-Michigan Wolverine had a productive year, setting new career highs in solo tackles (32), sacks (6.5), and broken-up passes (3). He also saw his missed tackle percentage drop from 12.9% in 2022 to just 3.8%.
Although Spotrac isn't projecting Danna to make as much money as Jones, an estimated $16.7 million is still more than the Chiefs can afford. Nevertheless, Kansas City must find a way to make things work. The Chiefs were PFF's No. 14-ranked team in terms of pass rush, which likely would've been worse without the former 2020 fifth-rounder's contributions.
It took Kansas City four seasons to develop Danna into the player he is today. Losing him to free agency would mean all that effort was for nothing.
3. L'Jarius Sneed, CB
Sticking to defense, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed is another pending free agent that the Chiefs can't afford to lose.
Sneed excelled at shutting down opposing receivers in his fourth NFL campaign. Making 16 regular-season starts, the 27-year-old veteran only allowed 51 receptions on 100 targets for 478 yards without a touchdown. The 56.2 passer rating he allowed when targeted would've ranked sixth-worst among 59 quarterbacks last season, meaning QBs essentially turned into Tim Boyle when targeted the former Louisiana Tech CB.
It was also the third time in four seasons that Sneed finished with a PFF coverage grade of 71.2 or better, clocking in at 73.8 — good for 29th out of 127 eligible cornerbacks.
After carrying a sub-$1 million cap hit in 2023, Spotrac projects Sneed to earn $16.3 million annually on his next contract. It's a steep price to pay, yes, but also well worth it for the results that the Minden, LA native brings to the table.
Considering how Kansas City allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards and aerial TDs last season, finding a way to re-sign Sneed is a no-brainer.
4. Drue Tranquill, LB
After beginning his career with the rival Los Angeles Chargers, Drue Tranquill swapped AFC West teams to join the Chiefs on a one-year deal last offseason.
Despite going from 16 starts in 17 games last year to eight across 16 this season, Tranquill still managed to be productive. The former Notre Dame product racked up 53 solo tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a defended pass while playing 57% of defensive snaps — the second-lowest percentage of his career when healthy.
The 28-year-old linebacker was also productive throughout the Chiefs' postseason run, tallying 18 solo tackles across four games, which was good enough for the third-best mark on the team.
Tranquill played on a $3 million contract, so it'd be ideal if the Chiefs could re-sign him at a similar cost. He isn't going to win Kansas City games all by himself, but he's still a team-first player who does whatever is asked of him. He's an effective weapon to use against the run and in the pass rush, and the Chiefs would be silly to let him test his worth on the open market.
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