Chiefs’ Alex Okafor restructures contract in great move by Brett Veach

If the Chiefs are going to keep adding talent around Patrick Mahomes, they’ll need to get creative

Brett Veach surely understands this, which is why he’s reached out to some talented, but perhaps slightly overpaid players to restructure their deals in hopes of freeing up some cap space long-term. As great as the Chiefs are, they will undoubtedly need more pieces as the years go on. Mahomes’ contract hamstrings them slightly, but also gives them the freedom to approach their franchise QB and make a pitch to free up some chump change (well, to Mahomes anyway).

Sammy Watkins took less money to remain on a receiving corps with talented players like Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill, but now the Chiefs’ unique financial approach has moved to the defensive side of the ball.

Alex Okafor restructured his deal so the Chiefs can continue to add more talent in the interim

Per Tom Pelissero, Okafor’s new deal will net him near $5 million in 2020, and make him a free agent next offseason. This limits the Chiefs’ potential plan to keep Okafor should he out-perform that salary next season, and also allows Okafor to bet on himself. On the surface, it seems like a pretty clear win for the Chiefs, however, as the DE had just five sacks in nine games started in 2019.

Kansas City’s defensive line is built around Chris Jones, who just recently signed a four-year, $80 million deal to avoid playing on the franchise tag. By locking up Mahomes and Jones in the same offseason, Veach secured the future on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. It’s unknown right now if Okafor will play a role in that future, but for now, he’s done his team a favor whether he knows it or not.