The Good and the Bad of the Chiefs’ Offseason

The Kansas City Chiefs needed to retool this offseason following a heartbreaking defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX to end their 2024 campaign. Earning a 15-2 regular season record, the Chiefs had specific areas they needed to improve this offseason, while also planning for the future.

With training camp for the Chiefs set to get underway on July 21, with the first practice being on July 22, let's take a look back at what Kansas City did this offseason, from their additions to releases, and their highs and their lows.

The Chiefs began their offseason by exercising a franchise tag on Trey Smith on Feb. 28. As we know now, both parties have agreed on a four-year deal to keep Smith in Kansas City. The deal got done Tuesday, July 15, and is worth $94 million, making Smith the highest-paid guard in history.

Following Smith's franchise tag at the end of February, the front office got to work on adding several new players while resigning players who were already on the roster. Of the biggest names acquired this offseason, Jaylon Moore, Elijah Mitchell, and Kristian Fulton signed with the Chiefs on March 13, the same day that Joe Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears.

The Chiefs extended linebacker Nick Bolton on a three-year, $45 million deal, keeping Bolton in Kansas City until 2028. The Chiefs were able to give Bolton that money due to Justin Reid, Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi, and DeAndre Hopkins, among others, signing with different franchises this offseason.

Through the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chiefs added seven new players to the roster: Josh Simmons, Omarr Norman-Lott, Ashton Gillotte, Nohl Williams, Jalen Royals, Jeffrey Bassa, and Brashard Smith. 16 undrafted free agents signed with the Chiefs on May 3.

The Chiefs signed Tremayne Anchrum, waived Keaontay Ingram with an injury designation, and reached an injury settlement with Justin Lockhart on May 16. After adding Joey Lombard and Geor'Quarius Spivey as undrafted free agents, Anchrum, along with Kevin Foelsch, were released from their contracts on June 24.

Most recently, wide receiver Rashee Rice was sentenced to 30 days of jail time and given five years' probation for his role in a multicar crash last year. Rice is returning from an LCL injury that sidelined him for most of last season, but is likely to serve a suspension by the NFL for the car crash incident.

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