5 Kansas City Chiefs who won't be back after getting blown out in Super Bowl 59

There was always a chance that the Kansas City Chiefs wouldn't be able to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. The Philadelphia Eagles are an incredibly talented team that always had the chance to beat the reigning back-to-back champions. But it's hard to imagine many people saw the Eagles blowing the Chiefs out — even though that's exactly what happened in New Orleans.

So now the Chiefs are heading into the offseason, and it'll be an offseason with many questions, particularly with some of the critical players set to hit free agency.

The Kansas City Chiefs are projected to have just $15.7 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season, per Spotrac. Although they currently rank among the bottom half of the league, that will likely change before the start of the new league year. The official cap number for next season hasn’t been announced yet, and the Chiefs will likely attempt to create some flexibility by restructuring existing contracts. 

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed an unprecedented 10-year, $450 million contract in 2020, which gave Kansas City the ability to reallocate their money without affecting his compensation. Since then, the Chiefs have reworked Mahomes’ deal four times to create additional cap space. That’s given Kansas City an advantage over the rest of the league, and Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will likely take advantage of that luxury again. 

Still, Kansas City could find it difficult to retain some of their top impending free agents. Here’s a look at three players who may have played their last game in Kansas City.

5. Samaje Perine, RB

Kansas City needs to evaluate their backfield this offseason, but running back Samaje Perine is unlikely to be a priority. The veteran joined the team as a third-down specialist, but he finished the season with just 414 total yards and two touchdowns.

He’ll be 30 years old in 2025, which is usually when teams begin to shy away from running backs.

4. Mecole Hardman, WR

There was plenty of buzz surrounding wide receiver Mecole Hardman when the Chiefs drafted him. He appeared to have the speed to excel as a vertical threat, but never truly developed into a reliable option. He found himself buried on the depth chart in 2024, which makes his return unlikely. 

3. Charles Omenihu, DE

Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu is set to be a free agent after a difficult season. Omenihu suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs last year and spent the majority of the 2024 regular season on the shelf. The 27-year-old had seven sacks and two forced fumbles in 2023, but he logged just six tackles and one sack across six regular-season games this year.  

Kansas City has plenty of questions across their defensive line, but they have other free agents who will likely take priority over Omenihu. Now may be a good time to consider upgrading the position through free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR

Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has made some significant plays in big moments, but Veach has already attempted to move on from him before. The 28-year-old wide receiver signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots after the 2022 season, but he found his way back to Kansas City last August.

Mahomes has reportedly been lobbying for the team to retain wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who is also a pending free agent. If that happens, the Chiefs likely won’t have any need to bring back Smith-Schuster. Along with rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs will welcome back wide receiver Rashee Rice from their injured reserve list. 

1. Trey Smith, RG

Chiefs right guard Trey Smith fell to Kansas City in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and they’ve taken full advantage of his low salary cap hit ever since. Now, Smith is ready to cash in. Although Smith told FanSided’s Cody Williams that his focus was solely on the Super Bowl, he can now turn his attention toward the looming payday.

Quality offensive linemen are not easy to find, and that scarcity will likely drive up Smith’s price. Spotrac's market value estimations project that Smith will earn a four-year, $78.8 million contract with an average annual value of $19.7 million.

Kansas City could keep Smith from reaching free agency with a franchise tag designation, but they have already allocated significant cap space for their other offensive linemen. Approximately 27.08 percent of the team's 2025 salary cap space is invested in the offensive line, per Spotrac.