Chiefs: These 2 overpaid players need to be cut before next season

Frank Clark, DE

When looking at Kansas City’s biggest contracts, defensive end Frank Clark’s stands out the most. The Chiefs traded for him back in 2019 from the Seattle Seahawks, and he was rewarded with a five-year, $104 million contract. With the Chiefs desperately in need of pass rushing help, they felt signing Clark was the right move.

Clark’s first year in Kansas City was a huge success, as he logged eight sacks in the regular season and five in the playoffs, playing a role in the team eventually winning Super Bowl LIV. But ever since, his production did not match his contract.

This year, Clark still showed the ability to get to the quarterback. He recorded 17 quarterback hits, but only got 4.5 sacks through 14 regular-season games. Not the numbers you would expect for a player who accounted for $25.8 million against the cap.

Cutting ties with a pass rusher is tough, but the Chiefs need to free up some money in order to re-sign Tyrann Mathieu, who revealed at the NFL Honors that he wants to stay with the team. Not only that, but the Chiefs could stand to add a wide receiver in free agency to help bolster their offense and give Patrick Mahomes another target.

For the Chiefs to really gain the most cap space, they could cut him after June 1. It would free up $19.9 million in cap space in 2022, but they would accrue $6.45 million in dead money in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, per Spotrac.