The Kansas City Chiefs began their offseason by preventing one of the most highly-coveted players from NFL free agency, placing the franchise tag on Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith. While that moves significantly eats into the Chiefs cap space in 2025, some around the league believe an even bigger move could be coming.
Kansas City devoted $23.402 million of its cap space to Smith with the franchise tag. While the club could lower that number with a contract extension, a deal isn’t imminent and the front office has to move forward as if that cap flexibility is gone.
The team could have gained some salary-cap relief if Travis Kelce retired, but the future Hall of Famer will be returning for the 2025 NFL season. There are other avenues to create cap room and Kansas City will need to make that happen to land a top free agent they’re being linked to by other teams this offseason.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Chiefs are a potential sleeper for All-Pro offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. Many people inside the league are “loosely expecting” Kansas City to entertain a pursuit of the standout left tackle if he doesn’t sign a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Stanley, who turns 31 later this month, had a rebound season in 2024. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection since 2019, starting all 17 games and playing over 1,000 snaps for the first time since 2018. The standout left tackle is a standout in pass protection, a glaring area of need for Kansas City.
The Chiefs’ problem is the bidding war for his services. Baltimore wants him back and the New England Patriots, who have more than $120 million in cap space, are in the market for a left tackle. There’s also a belief that the Ravens might sign Stanley to an extension “in the coming days” which could force Kansas City to pivot to Cam Robinson.
