We’ll continue here a position-by-position look at how the Kansas City Chiefs are utilizing their salary cap space with the tight ends. ESPN Stats & Information showed the Chiefs to have about $2.9 million in available cap space, which is 30th among the NFL’s 32 teams.
Salary-cap commitments: $2,893,826. Travis Kelce $853,826, Richard Gordon $585,000, Brandon Barden $510,000, Demetrius Harris $510,000, Adam Schiltz $435,000. Note: Only the 51 highest figures currently count against the Chiefs’ salary cap, according to NFL rules, so all of these salaries may not figure into the team’s current cap number.
Percent of Chiefs’ total salary cap: 2.02
NFL average salary cap spending on RBs: $7,363,732
Chiefs’ rank in TE spending: 29th among 32 teams
Analysis: Because of Kelce’s bargain contract, the Chiefs are getting a lot here for little money. He was sixth in the NFL among tight ends last season in catches (67) and had more yards per catch (12.9) than all but one of those ahead of him. The teams with the players ahead of him (Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers) are all in the top 11 in tight end spending while the Chiefs are 29th. The Chiefs are getting all of that despite spending 39 percent of the league average for their tight ends. Counting all of their tight ends, including the since-departed Anthony Fasano, the Chiefs were seventh in the NFL in receptions (96) at the position.
