Can Chiefs afford any of their important free agents? ‘We’ll throw kitchen sink at them’
An unavoidable conflict arrives at every Super Bowl.
Participating players do their best to lock in on preparing for the season’s biggest game. At the same time, a percentage of them — the ones who are impending free agents — face uncertain futures.
Some of the highest-profile players on the Chiefs, who play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Super Bowl LIX, fall into this category.
Linebacker Nick Bolton, safety Justin Reid and guard Trey Smith are impact players, and each is set to hit free agency. They could test the market, if the Chiefs don’t extend them or use the franchise tag to keep one of them on the roster.
All expressed their desire to remain in Kansas City and continue to build what they’ve helped establish, a dynasty gunning for its third straight NFL championship. Smith, Reid and Bolton have started in each of those seasons.
“I would love to stay in a Kansas City uniform,” Reid said. “But I haven’t had any conversations with my agent. We’ll talk about that after the season.”
Reid spent his first four seasons with the Houston Texans before signing a three-year deal worth $31.5 million with the Chiefs. He’s started 49 games, and all nine of KC’s playoff games, in three seasons. He could be in line for a deal as lucrative as $50 million over three years, according to Pro Football Focus.
A recent ESPN report rates Smith as the second-best NFL free agent available, Bolton 24th and Reid 43rd. All have been associated in the rumor mill with multiple teams — especially Smith, who could command a contract in the neighborhood of $80 million to $90 million for four years.
“I’ve heard about it,” said Smith, a sixth-round draft pick in 2021. “But honestly, all the focus is right here with the Chiefs and Super Bowl. I love this organization. I have so much pride being a player for this organization. But I’m staying in the present moment.”
Before becoming a starter as a rookie in 2021, Bolton, a second-round pick, spent three years at Missouri.
“I’ve been in this area for seven years,” Bolton said. “Definitely I have a desire to stay here, but I have to make sure everything lines up.”
According to Spotrac, Bolton could be line for a four-year deal worth $49 million.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said the team will do what it can to keep these key players in KC, but it would difficult to retain even as many as two of them. The Chiefs already pay QB Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive lineman Chris Jones and center Creed Humphrey at or near the top of their respective positions, and there are only so many dollars to spread around while still remaining under the salary cap.
But Veach doesn’t rule out keeping some of the band together.
“You want them all back,” Veach said. “We’ll wait and see where the cap goes, and we’ll try to be creative ... If we ever do anything that’s (considered) a bold move, it would be to re-sign one of own players.
“Hopefully we can come up with something. It would take a lot of creative thinking and buy-in from the players to work with us with structures. But I think we’ll throw the kitchen sink at them.”
In all, the Chiefs’ roster includes 28 free agents, several of whom fall into two positions groups: wide receiver (DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman) and defensive line (Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel, Charles Omenihu and Derrick Nnadi).
But the Super Bowl comes first for all of them.
“It’s not worth the mental energy to waste time thinking about this when I could spend that energy focusing on being present,” Reid said. “Right now, I can’t do anything about free agency. I can help the Chiefs win a Super Bowl.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Can Chiefs afford any of their important free agents? ‘We’ll throw kitchen sink at them’."