The Kansas City Chiefs are unable to claim the title of Super Bowl champions for the first time since 2022. The Chiefs are ultimately compelled to make free agency changes in the 2025 NFL offseason, even though a runner-up performance maintains their AFC dominance. The Chiefs are one of nine teams that are expected to exceed the salary cap maximum in the offseason due to their present status. According to Over the Cap, Kansas City is anticipated to be just over $900 ,000 above the cap. They are now in fourth place in the AFC and eighth place overall in the league.
Despite another AFC Championship, the Chiefs have a lot of work ahead of them. Few doubted their odds of a three-peat all season with the obvious holes in their performances. The biggest headline of Kansas City’s offseason is Travis Kelce’s potential retirement, but several other veterans could potentially walk in free agency.
On the heels of one of their worst statistical seasons of the past decade, Kansas City could be more active in the 2025 NFL offseason than years prior. The Chiefs do not have the bankroll to make a big splash in free agency but can still maintain contender status with just a few tweaks to their already robust roster.
A lot went right for the Chiefs in 2024, but their rushing production took a noticeable step back. Many expected a third-year breakout for Isiah Pacheco, but the Rutgers product took a step back instead. Injuries and inefficiency limited him to just 310 rushing yards on the year, and being benched late in the year for 29-year-old Kareem Hunt.
Despite receiving more usage late in the year, Hunt’s efficiency was actually worse than Pacheco’s. The former rushing yards leader tallied just 3.6 yards per attempt, a step behind Pacheco’s 3.7. The lackluster effort left Mahomes as the team’s best rushing threat as the Chiefs recorded the lowest explosive run rate in the NFL.
Veterans Hunt and Samaje Perine hit free agency in 2025, but Pacheco will return. Regardless, the Chiefs are in dire need of backfield help. It is not time to completely give up on Pacheco just yet. Still, it would be difficult to justify entering another year slotting him in as the starter without any competition.
The 2025 running back free agency market is not as lucrative as it was a year ago. Yet, as one of the most pass-dominant offenses in the league, the Chiefs do not need to have an elite rusher in the backfield. They will have their choice from the plethora of competent mid-tier options available, including a buy-low opportunity on San Francisco 49ers’ free agent Elijah Mitchell.
In his four years in the league, Mitchell has played just 35 of a possible 72 games. Injuries are a significant concern, but he is worth the gamble for the value he will be available at. When on the field, Mitchell was arguably the team’s best pure rusher, even over Christian McCaffrey. As a rookie in 2021, he posted 963 rushing yards in just 11 games.
After sitting out of the 2024 , teams will be expectedly cautious with Mitchell in free agency. The Chiefs are among the few teams who can give him a chance to earn a starting role on a high-level offense.
Travis Kelce’s future with the team remains up in the air, but regardless, the Chiefs need to seek alternative tight end options in the 2025 NFL offseason. For the second consecutive season, the future Hall of Famer’s production dipped in 2024, resulting in just 823 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
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