This offseason has been different for all 32 NFL teams, since instead of rising, the salary cap number actually fell. This put teams in an awkward situation -- not only with their impending free agents -- but also with the players who had just re-signed during the previous offseason. We have seen a flurry of restructuring contracts over the past week, and even the best players in the NFL are not exempt from the madness.
On Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to restructure his contract. According to Schefter, the Chiefs will convert Mahomes' $21.7 million roster bonus to a signing bonus, which would save Kansas City $17 million against the cap.
If you recall, Mahomes signed a record-breaking 10-year deal worth $477 million with a max of $503 million last offseason. The contract was structured so that the base salary was virtually nothing compared to the roster bonuses at first, and then that base salary would grow as the years went on. According to Spotrac, Mahomes was indeed set to make $21,716,905 this year when it comes to his roster bonus, and just $2 million with his signing bonus.
According to Over The Cap, the Chiefs are currently $4.4 million in the red, which ranks No. 25 in the league. Kansas City has already taken some extreme cost-cutting measures by releasing both of their starting offensive tackles in Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz on Thursday. Both veterans were coming off of injuries and missed Super Bowl LV -- which was a major reason the Chiefs fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9. Those two moves reportedly saved $18 million in cap space, but the Chiefs will have to replace both starters with talented pieces if they want to keep Mahomes upright moving forward.
