3 Contracts Chiefs Need to Restructure to Free up Cap Space

The Kansas City Chiefs have sat tight in free agency this offseason, and understandably so. Not only do they have limited cap space to work with ($177!!), but their roster is already loaded with players that are up locked up for at least the 2020 season.

General manager Brett Veach has done exceptionally well working with such financial constraints. Look no further than him retaining wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.

However, at some point the Chiefs will have to create some more cap room. Restructuring the contracts of these three players will go a long way in doing just that.

3. Anthony Hitchens

Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens in the AFC Championship Game / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Looking back at it, Veach probably regrets dolling out a five-year, $45 contract to then-free agent linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The Iowa product was underwhelming in 2019 and the Chiefs really have no other choice but to tinker with his contract, of which Hitchens has three years remaining. The 27-year-old talent carries a $12.69 million cap hit for the 2020 season. That just isn't acceptable for a player that registered 51 solo tackles this past campaign.

2. Eric Fisher

Chiefs offensive lineman Eric Fisher / Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Chiefs supporters freaking out that we're including their former No. 1 overall pick in this list should sit down. Fishers performance in Super Bowl LIV -- during which Nick Bosa ran circles around him -- was the perfect capper to what was an incredibly underwhelming season from the 29-year-old vet. There's a reason Pro Football Focus gave him a 64.3 grade for the 2019 campaign. Fisher is slated to hold a $14.98 million hit against the cap next season, and he should have no beef if KC were to restructure his deal.

1. Sammy Watkins

Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins / Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

There's no hiding the fact that Watkins is one of the most overpaid wide receivers in the NFL. In two years with KC, the former No. 4 overall pick has logged a combined 1,192 receiving yards. That's despicable for a player that accounts for a whopping $21 million against the cap in 2020. Watkins comes with $7 million in dead money, so the Chiefs could save $14 by cutting him. However, keeping Patrick Mahomes' armory of weaponry appears to be priority No. 1 for Veach. If that's the case, restructuring Watkins' contract is a no-brainer decision.