Taking a look at the top 10 Kansas City Chiefs under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
To say that this past season was a disappointment for the Kansas City Chiefs would be an understatement. After being the face of the NFL for the better part of the past decade, injuries and inconsistent play doomed the Chiefs this past season, resulting in the first time they missed the playoffs since 2014. Needing to retool in 2026 to get back to the Super Bowl, could the return of an old friend be in the cards?
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the Kansas City Chiefs still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All Kansas City Chiefs salary cap data below is accurate as of February 21st, 2026.
10 Best Kansas City Chiefs Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the Kansas City Chiefs still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Chris Jones, DL ($44.9M)
- Patrick Mahomes, QB ($34.7)
- Trey Smith, G ($24.5M)
- Nick Bolton, LB ($19.3M)
- Creed Humphrey, C ($18.1M)
- Trent McDuffie, CB ($13.6M)
- Kristian Fulton, CB ($13M)
- Harrison Butker, K ($7.3M)
- Xavier Worthy, WR ($3.8M)
- Rashee Rice, WR ($2.1M)
Highest Kansas City Chiefs Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the Kansas City Chiefs’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- DL, Chris Jones, $44.9M ($64.3M dead cap)
- QB, Patrick Mahomes, $34.7M ($121.9M)
- OT, Jawaan Taylor, $27.4M ($7.8M)
- G, Trey Smith, $24.5M ($33.2M)
- LB, Nick Bolton, $19.3M ($23.5M)
- OT, Jaylon Moore, $18.7M ($10.7M)
- C, Creed Humphrey, $18.1M ($25.1M)
- EDGE, George Karlaftis, $15.2M ($26.9M)
- CB, Trent McDuffie, $13.6M ($13.6M)
- CB, Kristian Fulton, $13M ($8M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 52 | $97,776,638 | $5,135,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 63 | $52,675,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 53 | $44,390,412 | $8,570,436 |
| 10 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 11 | NE | 64 | $34,800,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 12 | ARI | 59 | $32,813,790 | $14,951,854 |
| 13 | ATL | 50 | $26,181,296 | $4,660,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 55 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 59 | $22,453,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 54 | $9,875,093 | $14,607,844 |
| 19 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 20 | PHI | 56 | $3,679,036 | $53,387,574 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 54 | -$8,042,142 | $39,318,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | CHI | 53 | -$9,503,349 | $917,995 |
| 26 | JAX | 61 | -$12,074,552 | $50,977,118 |
| 27 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 28 | BUF | 59 | -$15,187,073 | $30,093,166 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$25,890,723 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
