The Kansas City Chiefs have assembled quite the roster for the 2019 season. General manager Brett Veach has managed to secure several players well below market value too. Here’s a look at six of the best bargain contracts the Chiefs currently have on the roster.
QB Patrick Mahomes
Average Salary: $4.1 million per Spotrac
This one is pretty obvious, right?
Any time you have the NFL’s MVP on their rookie contract it’s going to be considered a bargain. The same can be said of most players on their rookie contract, so Mahomes will be the sole player on a rookie deal that we highlight here.
Even if Mahomes faces statistical regression during the 2019 season, he’s widely regarded as one of the best players in the NFL, and the Chiefs have him under contract through 2021 at a very affordable price. There are currently 29 quarterbacks in the NFL who make more average annual salary than Mahomes. I’m not so sure there are two better quarterbacks in the NFL right now, let alone 29.
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RB Damien Williams
Average Salary: $2.5 million per Spotrac
Williams was a pleasant surprise in 2018.
I don’t know if it says more about the running back position or more about Williams that he was so well-prepared to take over after spending most of the season as a third-string back. I’m beginning to think there was a reason that Ryan Tannehill wanted Adam Gase to get Williams on the field more often in Miami.
The Chiefs were smart to extend Williams during the season. Had they waited to extend him, his price would have gone up as his performance soared through the postseason.
There are currently 35 running backs in the NFL that make more average salary than Williams right now. I’d be surprised if half of those running backs had a better season than Williams in 2019.
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OL Andrw Wylie
Average Salary: $525,000 per Spotrac
Wylie stepped up in a big way for the Chiefs in 2018. He filled in at right guard once Laurent Duvernay-Tardif went down with injury. His performance earned him the Chiefs’ Mack Lee Hill award for best first-year player or rookie.
Wylie figures to be the Chiefs starter at the left guard spot now that Duvernay-Tardif has returned and Cameron Erving is dealing with a shoulder injury. He’s also versatile enough to play either tackle position, that’s an incredibly valuable trait to have.
When all is said and done, Wylie might be the biggest bargain contract on the Chiefs roster right now. He’s the 133rd ranked OT in terms of average salary and would be the 142 ranked OG.
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C Austin Reiter
Average Salary: $2.2 million per Spotrac
When injuries struck the Chiefs’ offensive line in 2018, Reiter was another player that stepped up to the plate. He started four games at center after injuries took out two different backup centers.
Reiter is even more of a bargain when you consider the Chiefs’ former starting center, Mitch Morse, is now the second-highest paid center in the NFL. The Chiefs have Reiter for less than 33 other centers in the NFL, and if he turns out to be a quality starter this season, he’ll certainly be a bargain.
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DE Alex Okafor
Average Salary: $5.9 million per Spotrac
Okafor is one of the players receiving some high praise through the padless portions of the offseason program. I don’t think that Chiefs coaches were expecting this type of performance out of him. He’s potentially making a push for the starting job opposite Frank Clark.
If Okafor lands that starting job, he’ll be on one of the bet bargain deals in the NFL. If he can manage 10 sacks per season, they’ll be singing Veach’s name in the upper decks of Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs could potentially one of their starting defensive ends locked up for three seasons on a contract that is dwarfed by 44 other contracts at the position.
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CB Bashaud Breeland
Average Salary: $2 million per Spotrac
Breeland is another case where the Chiefs may have landed themselves a defensive starter for well below the market value. Currently Breeland figures in as a starter in both the base defense and sub packages.
There are currently 80 cornerbacks in the NFL that are paid more than Breeland. His pay is far from indicative of Breeland’s talent, though. He decided to bet on himself after a tough pair of seasons.
As for performance in 2019, Breeland will have a full offseason to get up to speed with the Chiefs. He didn’t have that luxury with the Packers just a season ago. So he’ll likely be better prepared to make an impact in Kansas City come the start of the season.
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