KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Kansas City Chiefs restructured quarterback Patrick Mahomes' contract and traded All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams at the start of 2026 NFL free agency. The Chiefs dealt McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for four draft picks.

Kenneth Walker III signed a three-year, $43.05 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Walker was the Super Bowl MVP in the most recent Super Bowl.

The Chiefs signed defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga to a three-year, $21 million contract and safety Alohi Gilman to a three-year, $24 million contract. The team also signed cornerback Kader Kohou in free agency. The combined salary cap number for Tonga, Gilman, and Kohou in 2026 is less than $10 million, while McDuffie's 2026 salary cap number was $10.8 million.

"I've been in a bunch of different systems and watched Coach Spags from afar. I've been trying to figure out what he's been doing for a while now on my own, but I feel comfortable playing both [safety] positions. I feel I can do anything on the field, so I'm excited to be a part of it and help this team win," said Alohi Gilman, the newly signed safety. Steve Spagnuolo is the defensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs.

"It's just the mental part of coming in and finding every way to gain inches, feet, yards in this game. That's what safety is about, seeing the whole field and playing that chess match against the best quarterbacks in the league," said Gilman.

The Kansas City Chiefs had around $10 million in salary cap space entering Thursday. The Chiefs could create additional salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of Chris Jones and center Creed Humphrey. Chris Jones posted Cameron Jordan's name on his X account last week to suggest Jordan could join the Chiefs. Jordan is a free agent.

The Kansas City Chiefs have 10 picks in the upcoming NFL draft. The team holds the ninth overall pick and the 29th overall pick via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.

"We know we have to execute an efficient game plan in free agency," said Brett Veach, the general manager. "We've got to nail these picks. That'll be important for us to keep this run going."

The Chiefs finished the 2025 season with a 6-11 record. In the 2025 season with the New England Patriots, Tonga recorded 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and two pass deflections in 14 games. Kohou missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury sustained in December 2024.