Let’s hope Brett Veach is hard at work this summer, trying to lock up the Chiefs’ promising young talent.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp is officially in full swing, and fans can finally see clips of players practicing football again. While most of the focus is on camp performances and how the roster will look this season, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach must also consider the team’s long-term roster composition. That is why he should seriously consider trying to sign one or more of the players in the piece to long-term contracts before the season begins.
Every player listed in this essay will be a free agency at the end of the 2024 season. The Chiefs could certainly re-sign them in free agency after the season, or utilize the franchise tag on one of them if necessary. However, teams can usually negotiate a better/cheaper deal if they sign the player a year in advance.
The player’s trade-off is that they may receive less than they would on the open market next offseason, but they receive their salary a year in advance and avoid the danger of an injury costing them money this season. If the team can stay under the cap this season, they will be able to avoid overspending next spring.
Before we get to my official top three, I’d want to give a couple of honorable mentions. The first of these is cornerback Nazeeh Johnson. This one comes with a few conditions. The first requirement is that he demonstrate complete health. He missed the entire season last year due to an injury and was taken out of camp on Wednesday as a precaution due to a foot problem. The second condition is that Johnson establishes himself as one of Kansas City’s top three cornerbacks during camp and the preseason.
Johnson is only expected to earn $915,000 this season. If he appears to be a starting cornerback and KC can convince him to sign a team-friendly extension, it could be in their best interests. A quality cornerback commands a high salary on the free market, so a deal that pays Johnson more now while also saving the organization money in the coming years could benefit both parties.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown also received an honorable mention. This would be an unprecedented extended circumstance. Brown recently inked a $7 million, one-year “prove it” contract. Teams never grant those players an extension. However, if Brown demonstrates instant chemistry with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs believe he is a good fit in the offense, Veach could potentially give him a raise for the 2024 season in exchange for adding a couple more years to his contract, which would be less than he would receive on the open market if he has a great season this year. This is the ultimate long shot, but I wouldn’t mind if K.C. made the move.
Finally, at the risk of spoilers, Nick Bolton’s name does not appear on this list. I’m not a fan of handing off-ball linebackers big contracts in general. I also believe that, in comparison to the other players in this essay, it may be in K.C.’s best interests to let Bolton see what other options are available after the season. Maybe I’m wrong, but I doubt anybody will pay top dollar for Bolton, so the Chiefs could play hardball and then sign him to a reasonable contract if no other team steps up.
Now, let’s speak about the three guys Brett Veach should sign before the season begins.
Creed Humphrey should be the Chiefs top priority
Brett Veach should already be negotiating Creed Humphrey’s contract extension. He’s undoubtedly the NFL’s best center. He’s only 25 years old, but he’s the literal center of the offensive line, protecting the best quarterback in the NFL. This is a no-brainer. Creed deserves a large salary, and the Chiefs should prioritize providing it to him.
The good news for the Chiefs is that the center position has not achieved the record-breaking contract numbers of the tackle and guard positions. Frank Ragnow is now the highest-paid center, earning an average of $13.5 million per year under his deal. He also has the largest center contract guarantee at $42 million (out of a total of $54 million).
I’d be fine with KC going as high as a five-year $75 million agreement with $55-60 million guaranteed. That would be a $15 million APY, with four of the five years assured. At his age, and at the rate the cap and contracts are rising, that would be an excellent deal for all parties.
Harrison Butker is worth paying to keep
When you’re a regular playoff club and a Super Bowl contender, you need a clutch kicker who can hit huge shots when the game is on the line. Harrison Butker has shown to be exactly that. I know some would argue that kickers should not be paid, but I believe Butker is one of the few in the league that is worth it. I also understand that some people are concerned about his beliefs, but I believe that if Brett Veach makes this decision purely on football, he is making the right choice.
Butker’s current contract pays him approximately $4 million per season. The highest-paid kickers in the league (Justin Tucker and Jake Elliott) make an average of $6 million each season. I’d be perfectly OK with the Chiefs signing Butker to an extension before the season begins that pays him at or over that amount. Butker will easily fetch that on the free market after the season if a playoff contender is seeking for a kicker, so a $2 million raise shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
If the Chiefs are going to re-sign Trey Smith, they better do it fast
Because of the financial implications, this is probably the least likely of the three options on this list. Guards are suddenly making big money, and Trey Smith is on track to receive a large deal from someone next summer. I’m not sure if the Chiefs believe they can pay Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, but the only way to do so is to avoid a bidding battle and complete the transaction a year early.
Smith is only expected to earn around $3.4 million this season. Four guards currently make $20 million or more per season on their contracts. If Smith enters the open market after the season, he is extremely likely to obtain that salary. I’m not sure if the Chiefs can afford it, but they do have room under the cap this season to give him a nice little increase that would entice him to accept a slightly lower APY over the course of the agreement.
Singing Smith, especially if they sign Creed, would almost certainly force them to cut Joe Thuney after this season. The move would free approximately $16 million in cap space. Smith is also only 25 years old, while Thuney will be 32 this season. I’m not sure whether Brett Veach is willing to commit to two massive contracts for the interior offensive line, but if he is, now is the time.
So there you have it, Chiefs fans: those are the three players Brett Veach should be working on extensions for before the season begins. What do you think about my list? Do you agree with attempting to keep all three of them? Is it feasible to keep both Creed and Smith? Is there anyone else you would include on the list? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments section below.
