The Kansas City Chiefs had three players who opted out ahead of Thursday’s deadline. Those players are RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, RB Damien Williams and OT Lucas Niang. What exactly does this mean for the Chiefs’ salary cap in 2020 and beyond?
The contracts for these three players, including the pro-rated signing bonus, for each of these players will toll, or pause, and resume in 2021. That means Kansas City will find themselves with a windfall of cap space in 2020.
According to ESPN analyst Field Yates, the Chiefs currently have just over $13 million in cap space for the 2020 season. That number ranks No. 21 among all NFL teams.
Cap space post opt-outs (12-23)
12. NYG: $21,441,129
13. HOU: $21,137,877
14. CIN: $18,551,659
15. CHI: $17,220,760
16. JAX: $16,955,684
17. SEA: $14,497,295
18. LAC: $13,675,353
19. GB: $13,280,409
20. CAR: $13,177,619
21. KC: $13,003,035
22. SF: $12,529,886
23. MIN: $12,391,078— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 7, 2020
Obviously, there is a catch. The Chiefs won’t just magically gain all of this cap space without having to pay it back. When the contracts for Williams, Duvernay-Tardif and Niang resume, they’ll be required to pay back what they’ve recently gained in cap space. For that reason, a number of teams, including Kansas City, could seek to roll over any gained cap space into the 2021 season.
The CBA adjustment agreed upon between the NFL and NFLPA, sets a floor for the 2021 salary cap. It can go no lower than $175 million, but if the NFL’s anticipated revenue shortfall allows for a higher salary cap, that too is possible.
Early projections from Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald had the Chiefs projected at $25 million over the cap with the cap set at $175 million. That was prior to players opting out in Kansas City. Those moves potentially have the Chiefs around $35 million over the cap in 2021. That clearly doesn’t sound good, however, Brett Veach and his team of salary cap experts have proven they can manipulate and mold the cap to fit the needs of the team.
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