These 3 Kansas City Chiefs won't be back thanks to Trey Smith's extension

The Kansas City Chiefs came out of their Super Bowl beatdown in February determined to invest along the offensive line and keep Patrick Mahomes upright, and they've done just that this offseason. First came the signing of former San Francisco 49ers tackle Jaylon Moore as Mahomes' new blind-side protector; then, Kansas City pounced after Ohio State lineman Josh Simmons fell to them at the end of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

And now, the final shoe has finally dropped: Just ahead of Tuesday afternoon's deadline, the Chiefs agreed to a long-term extension with guard Trey Smith, who they'd previously slapped with the franchise tag. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it's a four-year, $92 million deal that comes with a whopping $70 million in guarantees.

The Chiefs and Smith had every reason to get a deal done in time, and this is a strong statement from Brett Veach that Kansas City won't allow Mahomes to get beat up quite so much in the future. But in the modern NFL, every big investment is also pulling money from somewhere else, and with Over the Cap projecting the Chiefs to be over the cap again next offseason, Smith's new contract means that the writing is on the wall for several other members of the roster moving forward.

3. LB Drue Tranquill

Tranquill is a solid player, one who Kansas City would surely like to keep around in a perfect world. But the Chiefs just locked up Nick Bolton on a three-year deal in free agency, and it's awfully hard to imagine a team pouring this much money into its off-ball linebackers in 2026.

Bolton's cap number is set to push toward $20 million next year, and Kansas City could realize $6 million in savings if it moved on from Tranquill. That's money it could really use elsewhere, and while Tranquill is useful, he doesn't excel at the sorts of things that teams want to spend big on. Don't be surprised if the Chiefs opt to move on and attempt to backfill his production in the draft or on the cheap in free agency.

2. DE Mike Danna

Danna's 2023 breakout earned him a new three-year deal, but after disappointing relative to expectations in 2024, he could find himself as the odd man out already. He recorded only 3.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits and 41 tackles last season, and he's set to come with an $11.2 million cap hit in 2026. That's hardly outrageous for a rotational edge rusher, but Kansas City already bolstered its depth here by spending a third-round pick on Ashton Gillotte, and it doesn't seem likely that they'll want to sink eight figures into a player they don't figure to have too hard a time replacing.

1. OT Jawaan Taylor

Taylor is the big one, especially after he got exposed by Philly in the Super Bowl. He's always been a maddeningly up-and-down player, but come next offseason, his cap hit might be too onerous to put up with that sort of inconsistency.

Kansas City can save $20 million if they release him before June 1, and that feels like a slam dunk if Moore performs as hoped for on the left side and either Josh Simmons or Kingsley Suamataia takes a step forward in 2025. (Plus, Wanya Morris is around as a capable swing tackle at the very least.) The Chiefs have bodies here, and it's hard not to view the Simmons pick in particular as preparation for Taylor's inevitable departure. Smith's payday only brings us one step closer.