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Coming off a disappointing season, the Kansas City Chiefs should make at least one splash move when free agency’s “legal tampering” period kicks off Monday at 11 a.m. Arrowhead time.
Offseason winners and losers will be prematurely decided by the time the league year actually begins two days later. The smartest moves, however, are made after the free agent frenzy dies down — when teams sign remaining talent at bargain prices. Some players will take one-year deals at low salaries — often with incentives attached — in hopes of finding a more lucrative market a year later.
Upon the eventual release of tackle Jawaan Taylor, the Chiefs will have only 52 spots filled on the offseason 90-man roster. General manager Brett Veach will need to find the hidden gems who can take dependable snaps at a low cost.
In recent history, he has a mixed track record in finding such players. In 2022, he signed wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had come off an injury-plagued campaign, and that became a key addition in winning Super Bowl LVII. The bargain signings of safety Mike Edwards and linebacker Drue Tranquill in the following offseason reinforced a defense that made Kansas City back-to-back champions.
Conversely, the last two offseasons have seen the Chiefs try to turn around wide receiver Hollywood Brown’s career to middling results. Defensive end Charles Omenihu also re-signed with Kansas City last offseason to build a stronger future market — only to sink his stock even lower with a disappointing 2025 season.
Here are four players — estimated by Spotrac to sign contracts worth less than $5 million annually — who could be options for Veach and the Chiefs this offseason.
1. Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert
Spotrac estimate: one year, $3,8 million
The Dallas Cowboys’ third-round selection from the 2022 NFL Draft appeared to start his career in the dog house of then-head coach Mike McCarthy; the South Alabama product only appeared in eight games as a rookie.
During his third campaign in 2024, Tolbert finally appeared to have a breakout for Dallas — totaling 49 catches for 610 yards and seven touchdowns.
Not surprisingly, however, he was unable to build on that success in 2025 after the Cowboys traded for star receiver George Pickens and lined him up opposite All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb. Tolbert only managed 18 receptions for 203 yards and a single score last season.
At 27 years old, the 6-feet-1, 195-pound Tolbert will presumably move on to a new team. The Chiefs just housed a similar reclamation project in fellow 2022 draftee Tyquan Thornton, who never caught on with the New England Patriots as a second-round pick. Thornton showcased speed that Tolbert cannot replicate, but Tolbert was significantly more productive at his first stop in comparison.
With the swirling questions surrounding the Chiefs’ wideouts under contract, Thornton could have proven enough to re-sign and build on his role. If he departs, Tolbert would be a fitting replacement. He also played 279 special teams snaps in 2023 — demonstrating an underrated skillset necessary to extend his career as a depth receiver.
2. Offensive tackle Josh Jones
Spotrac estimate: one year, $3.5 million
When the news broke that the Chiefs were (predictably) moving on from Taylor this week, the ensuing mock drafts instantly adjusted to sending replacements to Kansas City with the ninth-overall pick in April’s draft. ESPN’s Nate Taylor, however, reported that Jaylon Moore is expected to take over at right tackle in 2026. Moore joined the Chiefs as a free agent last offseason.
If Kansas City does not want to invest significant draft capital in the position, it would be wise to add another player for competition with Moore — and presumably Esa Pole, who started the Chiefs’ final four games at left tackle as an undrafted rookie last season.
Jones has bounced around the league since joining the Arizona Cardinals as a third-round pick in 2020, but he landed with the eventual Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks for 2025 and played a pivotal role after sittin gin the reserves for much of the season.
Jones started for Seattle in the closing three regular-season games against a trio of playoff teams in relief of left tackle Charles Cross. He ended the season with a grade of 74.9 from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
The Chiefs should be interested in seeing if the 6-foot-7, 339-pound, soon-to-be 29-year-old Jones has more high-level play in the tank.
3. Edge rusher Sam Williams
Spotrac prediction: one year, $2.3 million
Another draft pick of the Cowboys in 2022, Williams was on the draft radar for Chiefs fans after posting a physical profile of 6 feet 4 inches tall, 261 pounds with over 33-inch arms at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Williams had a solid but underwhelming start to his career with four sacks in 2022 and 2023. Unfortunately, he missed his third season due to tearing his ACL in training camp.
To open the 2025 season, Williams had strong showings, registering four pressures in each of the first two games before being buried on the depth chart.
The Seahawks won a Super Bowl with a dominant, spread-out pass rush: no player totaled more than seven sacks, but nine front-seven players had two or more. The 27-year-old Williams could be a factor in a similarly deep rotation.
4. Safety Alohi Gilman
Spotrac prediction: two years, $8.3 million
Gilman started all 17 games in a 2025 campaign split between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens from a trade in October.
It seems likely that starting safety Bryan Cook will sign elsewhere in free agency. Jaden Hicks is the presumptive replacement, but he took minimal steps forward in 2025.
Gilman played a similar role as Cook’s with the Chiefs and earned a 70.4 grade from PFF. The expected strength of the rookie class of safeties may push quality starters like the 28-year-old Gilman to bargain deals. Without Cook, signing Gilman would be a smart action to prevent feeling boxed in at any position on draft weekend.