When news broke this morning that the New England Patriots were releasing cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the Kansas City Chiefs were one of the first teams mentioned as a possible destination for the four-time Pro Bowler.
On paper, it makes sense. Kansas City’s secondary has struggled, and its cornerback group (Charvarius Ward, L’Jarius Sneed, Mike Hughes and DeAndre Baker) leaves plenty to be desired. There’s a definite fit here for Gilmore, as long as he’s healthy.
But while Gilmore-to-KC works from a football standpoint, it might not work from a financial one. According to FanSided’s Matt Verderame, the Chiefs might not have the cap space to add Gilmore.
I’m told the Chiefs have interest in Stephon Gilmore but financial constraints could be an issue here. KC doesn’t have much money to play with
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) October 6, 2021
Depending on what resource you use, the Chiefs have just over $2 million in available cap space this year, per Spotrac, or just over $3 million according to OverTheCap.
Of course, Kansas City could find ways to free up more space, and if Gilmore signs a multi-year deal with the Chiefs, the team could work out a way to structure the deal so that he doesn’t cost much for the rest of 2021.
Here’s the current available salary-cap situation on the #NFL from Over The Cap. Teams expected to have interest in Stephon Gilmore include #Cowboys, #Chiefs, #Ravens, #Bucs and #Seahawks, #Packers. pic.twitter.com/VcLf3GNJ7X
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) October 6, 2021
Kansas City is going to have a lot of competition for Gilmore, regardless of money. The 31-year-old former Defensive Player of the Year can still be a major contributor to a team as he makes his way back from a nagging quad injury.
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