Latest Chiefs salary cap update 3 weeks ahead of 2021 NFL draft
The Kansas City Chiefs’ finances are looking good with three weeks to go until the beginning of the 2021 NFL draft.
According to the latest NFLPA public salary cap report, the Chiefs have just over $13.3 million in salary-cap space available. That number includes all 73 players who are currently on the 90-man offseason roster. Recent free-agent signings like former Los Angeles Rams C Austin Blythe and former New Orleans Saints FB Michael Burton are both included in this report.
Assuming Kansas City doesn’t trade up at any point in the first few rounds of the draft, they’ll need just under $2.5 million in salary-cap space to compensate their 2021 rookie draft picks according to OverTheCap’s projections. If they were to trade up that number would increase to include the difference in compensation between the old and new draft slot. That is, of course, unless they add an extra pick in trade without forfeiting those they currently have in the first three rounds. That’d cause a significant increase in the cap space needed to sign their rookie class.
The team does have some more money to work with when it comes to signing free agents before or after the draft. If there’s an intriguing player released after the draft, the Chiefs definitely have the cap space to be competitive. They will need to reserve some of the cap space for when the Top 51 rule expires after 53-man roster cuts in September. That money will be used to compensate players on injured reserve, the practice squad and the practice squad injured list. They’ll also look to keep a bit of money around so they’ll have a chance to acquire to keep themselves in the hunt when it comes to midseason free agent or trade acquisitions.
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