Report: Chiefs rework Mahomes' contract to free cap space

The Kansas City Chiefs restructured Patrick Mahomes' contract to create cap space for the 2026 offseason, according to ESPN.

Kansas City converted $54.45 million of Mahomes' 2026 base salary to a signing bonus, creating $43.56 million in cap room, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. The move drops his cap number from $78.2 million to $34.65 million.

The Chiefs entered the offseason in a salary cap crunch and now sit roughly $11 million over the cap.

A three-time Super Bowl champion, Mahomes will have a cap hit of over $85 million in 2027 as a result of the restructuring.

The star quarterback is recovering from surgery that repaired two torn ligaments in his left knee, including a torn ACL. He's aiming to play Week 1 of the 2026 campaign.

The Chiefs missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2014.