Ahead of the NFL’s free agency effectively kicking off on Monday, teams are finalizing offseason attack plans. The Kansas City Chiefs are no exception.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Chiefs do not plan to make a restricted free agency offer to guard Mike Caliendo.
Caliendo signed with the Chiefs in 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan. After spending the 2022 season on Kansas City’s practice squad, Caliendo was on the active roster the past three seasons. He has appeared in 42 games for the Chiefs with seven starts. He also started all three of the Chiefs’ playoff games in the 2024 postseason, including a much-maligned performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Offering the lineman a right-first-refusal “restricted free agency” tender would have immediately allocated $3.5 million in salary cap space to Caliendo. After the work the Chiefs have done over the past two weeks to get under the limit, it is not surprising they declined his tender.
Because restricted free agent offers are not guaranteed, the Chiefs could have extended the tender and negotiated a smaller amount later. That happened last offseason with cornerback Nazeeh Johnson and linebacker Jack Cochrane — who last offseason received restricted free agent offers nominally combining for about $7 million before both players agreed to sign for smaller (but guaranteed) salaries. Even so, Caliendo is still free to re-sign with the Chiefs — likely for an amount closer to the minimum salary of $1.145 million for players with three accrued seasons.
The Chiefs have not publicly extended offers to punter Matt Araiza and wide receiver Nikko Remigio — who qualify for “exclusive rights free agency.” The Chiefs can offer either player a non-guaranteed $1,075,000 contract — the minimum salary in 2026 for players with two seasons of experience — and prevent them from speaking to other teams.
Expect the Chiefs to make the offer to both players, though they may want to sign Araiza to a modest extension to avoid the larger restricted free agent tender in 2027. Exclusive rights decisions must be made before the new league year begins at 3 p.m. Arrowhead time on Wednesday.
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