Patrick Mahomes is taking a haircut to help his team in 2026.
Over The Cap reported Wednesday that Mahomes lowered his salary cap number from $78.2 million to $34.65 million, creating $43.56 million in cap space for this upcoming season.
The Chiefs previously had been in the red in salary cap space, reportedly sitting $18 million over the mark.
The move by Mahomes comes as the Chiefs are waiting on Travis Kelce’s retirement decision.
Mahomes creating salary cap space — whether that means getting paid more later in his contract or turning salary into bonuses for future seasons — could be in an effort to retain his superstar tight end.
Another old friend, Tyreek Hill, was released by the Dolphins this week, and the Chiefs are the favorite to be his next team.
The Chiefs are coming off a disaster 6-11 season that featured Mahomes suffering a torn ACL. It is unclear when he will be ready to return next season.
More to come on this developing story…