Chiefs Get Under Salary Cap With Smart Adjustment on Frank Clark's Contract
By Michael Luciano
The Kansas City Chiefs might have been led by the exceptional play of superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but their defense, led by pass rusher Frank Clark, helped knock Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers off of their feet in Super Bowl LIV.
Facing a murky cap situation, the Kansas City Chiefs took one giant step toward financial peace of mind by converting some of Clark's salary into a signing bonus, a move that put the team under the salary cap.
The Chiefs have converted some of Frank Clark’s salary to a signing bonus, per a source. That, plus the release of Cam Erving, means they will be under the cap today.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) March 18, 2020
Kansas City has plenty of cuts ahead, but this move helps keep the team both competitive and financially flexible.
Clark was acquired in a trade last season that netted the Seattle Seahawks the first-round pick that became LJ Collier, who recorded a whole three tackles last year. Conversely, Clark played in 14 games and recorded eight sacks.
He was in Garoppolo's face all game long during Kansas City's Super Bowl triumph, as his blend of speed, power and technique is exactly what Steve Spagnuolo wants out of his pass rushers. On a defense that already lost Kendall Fuller, Clark is poised to take on an even more important role in 2020.
#Chiefs convert portion of Frank Clark's salary to signing bonus in order to clear cap space https://t.co/ELvyfYjKlq
— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) March 18, 2020
Clark added a much-needed degree of nastiness to the Kansas City defensive line. After sending Dee Ford to San Francisco last offseason, the Chiefs needed to find a way to keep Clark happy by any means necessary while somehow staying under the salary cap, and they managed to do just that. Whatever Brett Veach makes, it isn't enough.