The NFL salary cap rules state that there’s a limit to how much you can pay star players before you run out of money. Still, the Chiefs have managed to give big contracts to their veteran players.
Leading the pack is quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who signed a 10-year, $450 million contract, which many see as a good deal in today’s market.
They also have a five-year, over $187 million deal for All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, as well as $80 million contracts for offensive linemen Jawaan Taylor and Joe Thuney.
Center Creed Humphrey signed a four-year deal worth $72 million, making him the highest-paid center, and tight end Travis Kelce has a contract that exceeds $17 million per year. So, how do the Chiefs manage to make their budget work?
The answer is straightforward: they keep finding success with rookies and undrafted free agents, adding players who perform well without costing much.
“You’re paying your quarterback — obviously, rightfully so. The quarterback, the tight end, the D-end, the center — everything’s at the top of the market,” said Chiefs general manager Brett Veach earlier this year. “It’s just the reality of the business. You’ve got to draft and you’ve got to develop young talent.”
For proof, just look at the Chiefs’ roster, who are 5-0 as they head into their bye week.
On offense, three starters are still on low rookie contracts: wide receiver Xavier Worthy, right guard Trey Smith, and left tackle Wanya Morris. It was four before wide receiver Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury. Rookies Carson Steele and left tackle Kingsley Suamataia have also started games for the Chiefs this season.
There are an impressive seven players on rookie contracts on the defensive side, including All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, pass rusher George Karlaftis, and standout linebacker Nick Bolton.
Bolton and right guard Trey Smith might soon get big long-term contracts if general manager Brett Veach and his team can manage the salary cap effectively. Two other players from their draft class, Creed Humphrey and tight end Noah Gray, have already signed new deals.
“With that mix of taking care of your veteran players that have earned it, and continuing to draft and develop talent, it’s almost a necessity that we have to do it,” Veach said about relying on so many young players.
“Again, I think we put a lot of emphasis on the type of players that we bring in here. A lot of these guys are super smart, super versatile and have room to grow.”
In an ideal situation, these players would have time to develop. However, due to the need to fill gaps quickly or injuries to key players, rookies have had to perform well right from the start.
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy is the latest example.
The Chiefs lost Marquise Brown to a shoulder injury before the season began, and Rashee Rice got injured a couple of weeks ago. This has put more pressure on Worthy, the fastest player in NFL scouting combine history.
He has stepped up, scoring two rushing touchdowns along with 12 catches for 179 yards and two more scores. His most impressive play was a 54-yard touchdown catch against the Chargers, which highlighted his speed.
“I thought Xavier showed what he could do,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game. “He’s had a couple of other potential opportunities there that we weren’t quite able to get to him, but you got a chance to at least see him operate out there and do some nice things as one of the primary receivers.”
Kingsley Suamataia has faced some challenges during the first five weeks, and Carson Steele has struggled with fumbles. However, the Chiefs still have a lot of faith in their young players, as their top five picks from April have played in every game.
Last year’s draft class, which was not very impressive at first except for Rashee Rice, has also started to show results. First-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah has been improving his pass-rushing skills, Wanya Morris has stepped in when Suamataia was benched, and fourth-round pick Chamarri Conner has emerged as one of the AFC’s standout players this season.
Conner has already made 28 tackles, has an interception, two quarterback hits—one of which sidelined Derek Carr from the Saints with an injury last week—and a fumble recovery that he returned 38 yards for a touchdown against the Bengals.
“He’s stepped in there and done a real nice job for us,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “He’s another one of those guys that I think just likes mixing it up physical-wise. We take as many of those guys as we can get.”
With the way the roster is set up, the Chiefs are eager to bring in as many young and productive players as possible.
