The Kansas City Chiefs enter 2026 in unfamiliar territory, as the team that made it to at least the AFC Championship Game for seven straight years will miss the playoffs. This team has some work to do in the upcoming offseason, but the Chiefs will need to figure out what to do with their own free agents before adding outside help to the roster.
Top 5 Kansas City Chiefs Free Agents, Ranked
As of this posting, the Chiefs are $52.7 million over the projected 2026 salary cap. While they will clear cap space with roster cuts and contract restructures, it’s safe to say this team will not have much spending money in 2026. With that in mind, they’ll need to be frugal and make sure they’re optimally using every dollar available.
Main Photo: Steve Roberts – Imagn Images
5. Charles Omenihu
Charles Omenihu tore his ACL late in 2023 and hasn’t looked the same since. Nobody expected him to recapture his old form in 2024 as he worked his way back from the injury, but he has no excuse for 2025. The pass rusher had a disappointing season, recording just 3.5 sacks and a 55.8 PFF grade, the 94th-best mark out of 115 eligible edge defenders.
Now entering his age-29 season, Charles Omenihu may be closer to the end of his career than the beginning. The silver lining for the Chiefs is that it’s hard to imagine anyone spending big on the impending free agent. Kansas City could sign him to a one-year deal for close to the league minimum, but he won’t have a guaranteed roster spot, and his presence shouldn’t prevent the team from addressing the position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
4. Isiah Pacheco
Isiah Pacheco is a fine running back who produced far more than your average seventh-round pick. Through his first two years in the league, the Rutgers product looked like a good-but-not-great starter with a pounding, physical style of play.
Unfortunately, the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league, and Pacheco has not played well in recent seasons. He hasn’t averaged more than four yards per carry since 2023, and a well-past-his-prime Kareem Hunt outplayed him the past two seasons. While he played a key role on two championship teams, the Chiefs are better off saving their money and letting the free agent sign with a different organization. Quite frankly, Kansas City could probably find a similar talent in the fourth or fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
3. Travis Kelce
It’s hard to envision a world where Travis Kelce plays for anyone other than the Kansas City Chiefs in 2026. While the future Hall of Famer has lost a step in recent seasons, he’s still one of the league’s better tight ends and has an unmatched rapport with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City shouldn’t be worried about losing him to another organization, but they should be worried about his potential retirement.
Kelce will be 37 next year, which is well past the point where most non-quarterbacks call it a career. The tight end, who hinted at retirement last year, is engaged to pop icon Taylor Swift, and already has a post-playing career mapped out thanks to his social media presence. Throw in the uncertainty surrounding Mahomes’ recovery from an ACL injury, and nobody should be too surprised if he calls it a career in the coming months.
2. Bryan Cook
Bryan Cook has been one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season and has been one of the few silver linings on an otherwise disastrous campaign. While he established himself as a starter in 2023, he earned a lot of money in 2025. With one game left to play, the former second-round pick has recorded 79 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, and an 82.2 PFF grade, the fifth-best mark out of 98 safeties.
It will be fascinating to see how the free agent market plays out for the Chiefs homegrown star. On the one hand, it’s hard to find players who can defend the run and the pass at a high level, and he’ll only be 27 years old in 2026. On the other hand, safeties historically don’t earn that much money (relatively speaking), and Cook only has one season of elite play under his belt.
Kansas City should try to retain his services, but there is a decent chance that a team with more cap space makes an offer the team simply cannot match.
1. Jaylen Watson
Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach must do everything in his power to keep Jaylen Watson from leaving as a free agent. Cornerback is one of the game’s most important positions, and Watson might be the league’s best CB2. The former seventh-round pick first earned a starting job in 2024 following L’Jarius Sneed’s departure, and the 2025 season proved his strong performance wasn’t a one-year fluke.
As of this posting, Watson ranks 12th in the NFL with a 74.9 PFF grade. There simply aren’t enough good cornerbacks to go around, and Watson could break the bank if he actually reaches the open market. The Chiefs haven’t shied away from using the franchise tag in the past, so don’t be surprised if they use it to keep Watson away from free agency.
