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Titans deal with Lloyd Cushenberry sets the bar for Chiefs extension with Creed Humphrey in 2025

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Charles Goldman | Last updated 3/12/24

The Kansas City Chiefs are focused on the 2024 NFL free agency period, but they also learned something important about their future negotiations with a key offensive player.

In 2025, Creed Humphrey will be up for a contract extension. The former second-round draft pick will enter the final year of his rookie deal during the 2024 NFL season. Historically speaking, the center position has been the lesser-paid spot on the interior offensive line, but a new bar has been set that the Chiefs will likely need to clear to retain Humphrey.

The Tennessee Titans signed former Denver Broncos C Lloyd Cushenberry to a four-year deal worth $50 million on Monday. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the deal sets numerous records for the center position. That includes records for signing bonus (over $18M), full guarantee ($26M), and first-year cash ($20M).

The #Titans’ deal with Lloyd Cushenberry is for four years, $50 million and sets several records for centers, including signing bonus (over $18M), full guarantee ($26M) and first-year cash ($20M), per source.

A big investment to help Brian Callahan’s offense. pic.twitter.com/2zqHhmcFMB
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 11, 2024

A deal for Humphrey will almost certainly have to exceed these benchmark numbers that Cushenberry received from Tennessee. Humphrey has all the accolades as a two-time Super Bowl champion, two-time Pro Bowler, and one-time Second-Team All-Pro. That doesn't even include the quest for a three-peat in the 2024 NFL season. Cushenberry, on the other hand, has never achieved any of those items during his career. That's not to say he's a bad player, but a contract for Humphrey will likely reflect that.

Of course, Humphrey will have to clean up his snapping issues moving forward for Kansas City to feel comfortable in a long-term investment. Andy Reid is confident that Humphrey will be able to do that.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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