Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs

In the NFL, building a championship-caliber team is hard—but keeping it together is even harder. The league’s salary cap forces tough choices: teams must decide which players to prioritize, which to let go, and how to balance short-term competitiveness with long-term financial flexibility. For the Kansas City Chiefs, the answer has been clear in recent years: pay to maintain their core group of star players and key contributors. This core—led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and defensive tackle Chris Jones—has been the backbone of the Chiefs’ success, including two Super Bowl wins and five AFC West titles since 2018. Retaining them hasn’t come cheap: the Chiefs have allocated nearly 60% of their salary cap to these three players alone in 2025, making tough cuts elsewhere to free up funds. But for general manager Brett Veach and the Chiefs’ front office, the investment is worth it. Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs isn’t just about writing big checks—it’s about protecting the foundation of a team that’s become a model of consistency in the NFL.

Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs gains depth by breaking down the financial commitments to the team’s biggest stars. Mahomes, widely regarded as the league’s best quarterback, signed a 10-year, \(503 million contract extension in 2020—the largest in NFL history at the time. The deal, which includes \)477 million in guarantees, ensures he’ll be a Chief through 2031, locking in the team’s most critical position for over a decade. Kelce, a future Hall of Famer, followed with a 4-year, \(57.25 million extension in 2022, making him the highest-paid tight end in the league at the time. Jones, the heart of the defense, signed a 4-year, \)80 million deal in 2023, solidifying the Chiefs’ pass rush for years to come. These contracts aren’t just expensive—they’re strategic. The Chiefs front-loaded some deals with signing bonuses to spread out cap hits over multiple years, giving them more flexibility in other seasons. For example, Mahomes’ 2025 cap hit is \(35 million, but the Chiefs structured the deal so that figure won’t jump above \)45 million until 2028, buying them time to build around him. “We knew these players were irreplaceable,” Veach said in a 2024 interview. “You don’t get many chances to have a quarterback like Patrick, a tight end like Travis, and a defender like Chris all at the same time. We were willing to pay to keep that group together.”

A critical factor in Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs is the trade-offs and sacrifices the team has made to stay under the salary cap. Maintaining a high-priced core means letting other valuable players go in free agency or via trade. In 2023, the Chiefs chose not to re-sign wide receiver Tyreek Hill—one of Mahomes’ top targets—after he demanded a contract that would have strained their cap space. Instead, they used the savings to extend Jones and sign cheaper, younger wide receivers like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney. In 2024, they released veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens, a key contributor on defense, to free up $8 million in cap space for other needs. The Chiefs have also relied on draft picks to fill gaps at lower costs: running back Isiah Pacheco (a 2022 seventh-round pick) has become a starter, and cornerback Trent McDuffie (a 2022 first-round pick) has emerged as a top defensive playmaker—both earning far less than established veterans at their positions. “You can’t keep everyone,” Veach explained. “You have to identify your core, pay them, and then find creative ways to fill the rest of the roster. It’s not easy, but it’s the only way to stay competitive year after year.” These sacrifices have paid off: the Chiefs have won at least 11 games in each of the past five seasons, even as they’ve lost key role players.

Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs is particularly significant for the Kansas City Chiefs’ ability to remain Super Bowl contenders year after year. In a league where parity is the norm—most teams cycle in and out of contention— the Chiefs have stayed at the top by keeping their core intact. Mahomes, Kelce, and Jones are not just statistical leaders; they’re locker room leaders, setting the tone for work ethic and accountability. Their presence also makes the Chiefs an attractive destination for free agents: veterans like wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and defensive end Charles Omenihu signed with Kansas City in recent years at below-market prices, eager to play with a championship-caliber core. “When you have Patrick, Travis, and Chris, you know you have a chance to win the Super Bowl every year,” Smith-Schuster said after signing in 2023. “That’s worth taking a little less money for.” For the Kansas City Chiefs, this combination of star power and role-player depth has been unbeatable. In 2024, they reached their fourth Super Bowl in five years, a feat made possible by their decision to invest in their core. Without that investment, they likely would have joined the list of teams that flame out after one or two successful seasons.

Another vital aspect of Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs is the long-term planning that goes into every contract. The Chiefs don’t just sign their core players to big deals—they structure the contracts to ensure future flexibility. For example, Kelce’s extension includes a “voidable year” in 2026, which allows the Chiefs to release him that offseason if his performance declines, freeing up cap space without significant penalties. Jones’ deal includes performance-based incentives that can increase his salary if he meets certain statistical benchmarks (like 10+ sacks in a season), aligning his pay with his production. The Chiefs also use “restructures” to push cap hits to future years when needed: in 2025, they restructured Mahomes’ contract to free up $10 million in cap space, which they used to sign a backup quarterback and reinforce their offensive line. This kind of planning is rare in the NFL, where many teams prioritize short-term wins over long-term stability. “We’re not just thinking about this season,” Veach said. “We’re thinking about the next five seasons. We want to keep this core together as long as possible, and that means being smart with how we structure contracts.” For the Kansas City Chiefs, this long-term view has been a key differentiator, letting them avoid the cap crises that have derailed other teams’ championship windows.

Finally, Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs has broader implications for the NFL’s financial landscape and how teams build winners. The Chiefs’ approach challenges the idea that teams must “rebuild” every few years to stay under the cap. Instead, they’ve shown that with smart contract management, strategic sacrifices, and a focus on core players, teams can sustain success for a decade or more. Other teams have taken notice: the Buffalo Bills (with Josh Allen) and Cincinnati Bengals (with Joe Burrow) have followed similar models, paying their star quarterbacks and building around them with cost-effective talent. For Chiefs Kingdom, this approach has meant years of excitement and success—playoff games, division titles, and Super Bowl parades. It’s also meant trust in the front office: fans understand that letting a player like Hill go is necessary to keep the core intact, and they support the team through those tough decisions. Pay to Maintain Core Group for the Kansas City Chiefs wraps up with a simple truth: in the NFL, success costs money—but the right investments can lead to sustained greatness. The Chiefs have mastered that balance, and as long as they keep their core group together, they’ll remain one of the league’s most feared teams.