Chiefs’ Salary Cap: Space comes into focus from details for 5 players

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs obtained a head begin on free company, wrapping up a three-year contract for linebacker Nick Bolton simply earlier than free company’s “authorized tampering” interval started.

Initially reported as a “flat deal” with $15 million per season, the cap specifics are a bit extra sophisticated. Per the contract web site Spotrac, most of Bolton’s 2025 cash will come through a $12.8 million signing bonus to be unfold over the three seasons. $4.3 million of the bonus might be charged to the wage cap in every of subsequent three seasons.

For the approaching season, Bolton will earn a completely assured $2 million base wage plus a yearly $250,000 exercise bonus — all the time thought-about likely-to-be-earned (LTBE) for accounting functions. This provides the linebacker solely a $6.5 million wage cap cost for 2025, whereas the remaining two seasons may have cap numbers of $19.25 million.

Bolton’s $14.75 million base wage for 2026 can be totally assured.

The Chiefs weren’t completed reinforcing the protection. On March 11, the group agreed to phrases with free agent cornerback Kristian Fulton — final with the division rival Los Angeles Chargers. The reported contract phrases had been two years for $20 million. $15 million of his compensation was assured at signing.

Spotrac now has the breakdown of Fulton’s contract, together with his wage cap numbers for 2025 and 2026.

Fulton will earn $10 million in each seasons. For 2025, he’ll pair a $3.8 million assured base wage with a $6 million signing bonus. The wage cap cost for the signing bonus might be cut up over the 2 seasons, with $3 million charged to every 12 months’s restrict. As with Bolton, Fulton is eligible for a $250,000 exercise bonus, yielding a 2025 wage cap variety of $7 million.

Fulton’s $10 million in 2026 earnings will come through a $9.8 million base wage mixed with the identical $250,000 exercise bonus. With the remaining $3 million of his signing bonus utilized to 2026, Fulton’s 2026 wage cap quantity might be $13 million.

$5 million of Fulton’s 2026 wage is assured, that means he’ll nearly definitely not be a candidate to be minimize for cap area a 12 months from now. As a result of he solely signed a two-year deal, an extension would be the solely path to decreasing Fulton’s 2026 wage cap determine.

Info can be obtainable on a few of the Chiefs’ minor signings.

Operating again Elijah Mitchell agreed to phrases with Kansas Metropolis nearly instantly after the negotiating window opened final week. Initially reported as “as much as $3.5 million,” Mitchell’s contract features a $1.4 million base wage (with $1.1 million assured) in addition to a $250,000 signing bonus and a $100,000 exercise bonus.

Mitchell also can earn $750,000 in per-game lively roster bonuses ($44,118 for every recreation he attire for). An extra $1 million is accessible for unspecified incentives that could be tied to dashing yard benchmarks or scoring thresholds. As a result of Mitchell didn’t accumulate any stats in 2024 whereas managing a hamstring damage, all incentives might be thought-about not-likely-to-be-earned (NLTBE). Any earned incentives might be utilized to the 2026 wage cap.

We disagree with Spotrac’s estimated $2.2 million cap cost for Mitchell. The web site consists of 11 lively recreation roster bonuses — the variety of video games Mitchell performed in 2023 — as LTBE. As a result of Mitchell didn’t seem in any recreation in 2024, we imagine all the $750,000 might be categorized as NLTBE, leaving him with a wage cap cost of $1.75 million for 2025.

Kansas Metropolis additionally introduced again quarterback Bailey Zappe after the Cleveland Browns declined to tender the passer as a restricted free agent. Zappe spent a part of 2024 on the Chiefs’ observe squad earlier than being signed to Cleveland’s lively roster. Ought to Zappe make Kansas Metropolis’s 53-man roster out of coaching camp, he’s in line for a $1.1 million wage — the minimal for gamers with three credited seasons. None of his scheduled wage is assured.

The Chiefs may even be bringing again veteran tight finish Robert Tonyan for a minimum of a part of the offseason. Tonyan is signed for the veteran minimal of $1.3 million, although not one of the wage is assured. Due to the veteran wage profit, his earnings are charged to the cap at solely $1.0 million — the minimal wage for gamers with two credited seasons. Due to his veteran standing, Tonyan’s full wage will change into assured if he’s on Kansas Metropolis’s 53-man roster for Week 1.

At this second, contract figures will not be obtainable for quarterback Gardner Minshew, operating again Kareem Hunt, extensive receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and defensive linemen Jerry Tillery, Marlon Tuipulotu, and Malik Herring.

With these revised contract numbers (and our greatest guesses for the cap hits of the six gamers for which Spotrac has not but accounted), we estimate the Chiefs are underneath the league wage cap by between $14.1 million and $15.1 million — doubtless $15.1 million.