Chiefs free up $49 million after Patrick Mahomes move

What next for the Kansas City Chiefs? From hopes of a historic three-peat triumph, they were made to look decidedly ordinary by superior Philadelphia Eagles team in Super Bowl LIX and may now be looking to reshape the roster.

After years of success the Chiefs' total payroll for 2024 was among the highest in the NFL, giving them little room to manoeuvre. However on Wednesday ESPN reported that the Chiefs have made a major move to give them greater flexibility this year.

The contracts of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and defensive tackle Chris Jones have been restructured, reportedly freeing up more than $49 million in salary cap space for 2025. Kansas City have already been active in the offseason, bringing in cornerback Kristian Fulton and offensive Tackle Jaylon Moore to refresh the squad.

How much is Patrick Mahomes' salary?

In 2020 the Chiefs signed Mahomes to an NFL-record $450 million contract, tying him to the franchise for ten years. That was, and remains, the biggest total contract value in league history.

However the size of that deal has forced the Chiefs to restructure it multiple times to ensure that they can build a championship-winning roster and remain within the salary cap. The deal was previously restructured in 2021, 2023, and 2024, making this year’s reshuffle the fourth time that adjustments have been made.

But despite that massive $450 million headline figure, Mahomes' per-year salary has been overtaken by a number of players on shorter deals. Nevertheless the quarterback isn’t feeling any regret about signing it.

“It’s awesome for the game of football,” Mahomes said last year. “It’s awesome for the quarterback position, but I think all positions.”

“I know every time a contract comes up, everybody looks at my APY [average per year] and everything like that. I’m doing pretty well myself. For me, it’s just about going out there trying to win football games, trying to make money for my family at the end of the day. I feel like I’m doing a great job of that.”

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