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Creating a dynasty is very, very hard. Just ask the New England Patriots, who had to wait 10 years before their next triumph under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady after having won three in four years in the early-to-mid 2000s. We all know about the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and what has followed since. Look at where those franchises are now, and you realize just how difficult it is for teams to stay at the top of the game in a salary cap driven league.
The Kansas City Chiefs have the advantage of an elite head coach and quarterback in Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, respectively. But they very well may lose franchise legend Travis Kelce to retirement, possibly as early as this offseason. Kelce could be the first domino to fall, too, as the front office will have to work hard in order to bring in more talent, while also giving big contracts to impending free agents.
Trey Smith, Nick Bolton and Justin Reid highlight key free agents for Chiefs
And the Chiefs certainly have some big-name players who will demand a lot of money if the team wants them to stay. Fox Sports dropped a Top 100 list for free agents, and the Chiefs have six players on the list. Three of those six are ranked within the top 21 players.
- 2. Trey Smith, guard
- 7. Nick Bolton, linebacker
- 21. Justin Reid, safety
- 47. Tershawn Wharton, defensive lineman
- 49. DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver
- 60. Marquise Brown, wide receiver
The last three might not seem all that important, but Warton was a bit of an unsung hero for one of the league's best defenses. And although Hopkins and Brown didn't make much impact in 2024, losing two wide receivers would be tough for a team who's devoid at talent and reliability at that position.
Losing any of the top three would be a huge blow, though. The Chiefs offensive line got exposed in the Super Bowl, but Smith is one of the league's best interior offensive linemen. Bolton sets the tone for the entire defense as its "quarterback". So does Reid, who is an unquestioned leader for that unit.
The Chiefs have tough decisions to make, and they will have to do so with the ninth-lowest cap space in the NFL.