Patrick Mahomes has been the constant driver of KC’s success, and the Tyreek Hill trade after the 2021 season helped unlock a flood of draft capital that allowed the Chiefs to retain core talents such as Chris Jones, Creed Humphrey, and Travis Kelce.
Two bold moves are proposed to accelerate a comeback: trading corner Trent McDuffie to address the current salary-cap gap (the team sits roughly $66 million over the cap) and, in a more contentious maneuver, considering selling the Chiefs’ defensive tackle Chris Jones to recoup draft capital and jump-start the rebuild.
If McDuffie is moved, Kansas City could lean on a younger cornerroom that includes Nohl Williams, Kristian Fulton, Kevin Knowles, and Jaylen Watson, all of whom offer affordable, scalable depth as the cap situation tightens.
Trading Jones would be the trickier call given his age (32 next season) and his sizable 2026 cap hit (over $44 million), but such a move could free substantial resources to retool the defensive line through the draft and allow a more accelerated rebuild around a new core.
Ultimately, Chiefs fans and the organization may need to acknowledge that the dynasty isn’t automatically over, but a disciplined, bold reboot—leveraging draft capital and cap flexibility—could put Kansas City back in serious contention more quickly than anticipated.
