Is Patrick Mahomes cutting a slab of salary for Kansas City Chiefs to accommodate more players for a reboot 2026 season?

NFL Salary Cap and Contract Expert Jason Fitzgerald reported on X that the Kansas City Chiefs have restructured star quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ contract to open up just under $44 million in cap space, likely to add more players for a 2026 reboot after a failed 2025 season. Fitzgerald said on the Over The Cap website that the Chiefs converted Mahomes’ $54.45 million 2026 salary cap into a signing bonus to create more cap room. This move lowers the quarterback’s salary cap number from $78.2 to $34.65 million for 2026, opening up $43.56 million in cap space.NFL Network’s Matt Okada reported in early February that Kansas City has a salary cap space of -$54.7 million. They also have 30 impending free agents, including tight end Travis Kelce, cornerback Jaylen Watson, safety Bryan Cook, and running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. Is Mahomes helping his franchise keep Kelce and others? Or is his ACL injury and recovery timeline affecting the 2026 season? Either way, the move is reportedly on the cards. Now, we just have to wait and see where it takes the Chiefs. They still sit with $11.3 million over 2026's salary cap budget. According to USA TODAY Sports, the league's salary cap is expected to increase to between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team in 2026.Erich Richter of the New York Post reported that Mahomes made this move as the Chiefs wait on Kelce’s retirement decision. The quarterback creating salary cap space could mean he gets paid more later in his contract, turns salary into bonuses for future seasons, or tries to retain his superstar tight end. Their friendship goes beyond individual needs if that is the case.Richter also noted the recent Miami Dolphins development: they just released former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Is Mahomes trying to keep his best players to himself? Then no one can stop Mahomes and his team from taking their best shot at Super Bowl LXI. Anyway, what else was in the three-time Super Bowl champion’s new contract?OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald further reported that Patrick Mahomes’ salary cap number will rise by $10.89 million each year for the next four seasons. In 2027, his cap number will exceed $85 million. By 2028, Kansas City is expected to offer a contract extension or make a major change to his contract, which runs through 2031. His salary cap drops in 2028, so a change is likely. The quarterback signed a 10-year contract with the Chiefs in 2020, a type of deal not seen in 20 years.