Patrick Mahomes has restructured his contract with Kansas City Chiefs, freeing up millions in cap space for the team to continue their vital offseason rebuild.
Mahomes’ hit has dropped from $78.2million to $34.65m, freeing up a massive $43.56m in cap space for Andy Reid to continue his overhaul after the team failed to make the playoffs in 2025.
It’s a hugely necessary move from Mahomes, with the Chiefs projected to be around $55million over the cap before the quarterback restructured his deal. Even now, they will be around $12m over but it’s a far more manageable figure from here.
As per the website Over The Cap, who were first to report the news, the Chiefs converted $54.45m of Mahomes’ 2026 salary into a signing bonus.
The move also means that Mahomes salary cap number will now increase by another $10.89m for the next four seasons.
Chris Jones, the Chiefs’ defensive tackle, is likely to also restructure his deal to help the team make the numbers line up.
Patrick Mahomes has freed up a huge $43.56m in cap space for Kansas City Chiefs
The NFL has not yet confirmed the official salary cap number for the 2026 campaign but it is anticipated to be over $300m for the first time in the history of the game.
One man this might also help is Travis Kelce. The tight end is widely expected to play on in 2026 but as it stands today, is out of contract.
Kelce has said before that one factor in his decision to play on will be his own potential on the team’s cap space.
Provided he does commit for another season in Kansas City, he’ll likely take a low salary to allow the team to commit resources to other positions in order to be a Super Bowl contender once again.
Mahomes, meanwhile, is rehabbing after tearing his ACL in December and undergoing surgery on his knee.
He has a long way to go until he knows if he’ll be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season.
That, more than any contract restructure, will define the Chiefs’ success next season.
