The Kansas City Chiefs have officially signed a pair of exclusive rights free agents (ERFAs). These are free agents who have yet to accrue three seasons in the NFL. Their original team holds exclusive negotiating rights, unless they don't tender a qualifying offer ahead of free agency.
The Chiefs posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that they'd signed both DB Nazeeh Johnson and OL Mike Caliendo, who were both tendered ERFA contracts prior to the start of the new league year. All this news means is that the players have officially signed and agreed to those ERFA tenders.
ERFA tender amounts for the 2024 NFL season vary depending on accrued seasons. To accrue an NFL season, you must spend six or more regular-season games on a team's roster. That includes the active and inactive 53-man roster, injured reserve list, or the team's physically unable to perform list. Players with one accrued season are paid $915K. Players with two accrued seasons are paid $985K. It's all non-guaranteed salary, so if these players are released it wouldn't have any salary cap implications.
Caliendo signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan in 2022 and spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad. He made the 53-man roster and appeared in the first eight regular-season games of the 2023 NFL season. He also appeared in all four of the team's playoff games last year as one of the primary backups on the interior offensive line.
Johnson was a seventh-round pick out of Marshall in the 2022 NFL draft. He started on the practice squad before appearing in 14 games as a rookie, mostly appearing on special teams. He suffered an ACL injury during an indoor practice session in St. Joseph after a strong training camp. He ultimately missed the entire 2023 NFL season due to the knee injury, but he has some big things ahead with the new season quickly approaching.
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