Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Kansas City Chiefs helmet against the Baltimore Ravens after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

2 Chiefs Cash In Big Bonus Checks

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Zak Gilbert | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 7:00 AM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kingsley Suamataia’s story got a bonus chapter on Monday afternoon – emphasis on bonus.

The Chiefs’ starting guard got a $1,067,367 check this month as part of the NFL’s Performance-Based Pay program. He and Kansas City safety Chamarri Conner ($1,150,312) ranked among the league’s top 19 earners in 2025, the NFL announced Monday.

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Suamataia, 23, started all 17 games at left guard and improved every week. It was an organization-wide triumph for a team that didn’t have many wins in 2025; the Chiefs’ 6-11 mark was their worst in 13 years.

A second-round selection as a left tackle in 2024, Suamataia was benched for poor play just two starts into his rookie year. The Chiefs, however, swept the shattered glass off the floor and re-introduced him in 2025 as a left guard. Andy Reid, offensive line coach Andy Heck and his teammates don’t get enough credit for the success he enjoyed in his new position last season.

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Celebration time

No doubt, Suamataia’s coaches and teammates are celebrating with him on Monday. The Chiefs also had reason to celebrate with Conner.

A valuable member of the Chiefs’ secondary, Conner played 98 percent of snaps for a defense that finished sixth in points allowed (19.3 per game) and 10th in yards allowed (301.5). Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, Conner has 33 starts over 49 regular-season games through his first three NFL seasons. Like Suamataia, Conner started all 17 games for the Chiefs in 2025.

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Conner finished second on the team in 2025 with a career-high 117 tackles (Nick Bolton led the club with 154). He also led the team with two forced fumbles, and added an interception and two sacks.

Only first-team All-Pro center Creed Humphrey (1,093) played more scrimmage snaps for the Chiefs last season than Suamataia (1,091) and Conner (1,022).

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How Performance-Based Pay works

Players earn money from the PFP program essentially by playing most of the snaps while earning the least amount of salary. Using a complicated formula, the program rewards players like Conner and Suamataia – both of whom are on their rookie contracts – who make high-quantity contributions while occupying small percentages of their team’s salary cap.

Introduced as part of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, the program was so popular that the owners and players carried it forward as part of three subsequent CBAs.