Kansas City Chiefs
Capped outKansas City Chiefs are carrying $30.9M in dead money this year — cap already spent on players no longer on the roster. They project $12.9M OVER the 2027 cap before signing a single player — restructures, extensions or cuts are required to get compliant. Real flexibility doesn't arrive until 2028 (projected +$43.0M), as current deals roll off. The decisions that shape it: Patrick Mahomes ($90.4M), Chris Jones ($38.1M), Trey Smith ($34.2M) top the 2027 book.
Cap trajectory
Projected space, next three years
2026+$1.6M
$300.0M committed
2027−$12.9M
$339.9M committed
2028+$43.0M
$309.0M committed
Space is OTC's projection against a projected future cap. Negative = over the line before any new signings.
Decision watch-list
Biggest 2027 cap hits
| Patrick Mahomes | $90.4M |
| Chris Jones | $38.1M |
| Trey Smith | $34.2M |
| Creed Humphrey | $21.6M |
| Nick Bolton | $19.2M |
| Kenneth Walker III | $18.7M |
Ranked by cap hit — the contracts that drive the restructure-or-cut call. Per-player cut-savings math isn't modeled yet.