Five Kansas City Chiefs Who Won't Be Back in 2023

The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII to capture their second NFL title in four seasons. Now they head into an offseason of uncertainty as a lot of key pieces either need to be replaced or re-signed.

The top priority for Kansas City is to re-sign free agent left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Brown is a perennial Pro Bowler who has been a key to protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 26-year-old is in line for a big deal this offseason. Chiefs are set to have roughly $14 million in cap space for 2023, so they'll need to create some more to get Brown signed and make other moves to fill out the roster. Defensive tackle Chris Jones carries a $28.3 million cap hit, so a restructure of his contract could be in the works. But even if the Chiefs create a decent chunk of space they'll still be saying goodbye to some key pieces from the Super Bowl roster.

Here's our look at five players who almost certainly won't be back in Kansas City next season.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster was a feel-good story in 2022. The 26-year-old signed a cheap one-year deal with $3.8 million before the season, then led all Chiefs wideouts in receptions (78) and yards (933). Basically he showed that he can still be an excellent receiver when playing with a quarterback whose arm actually works. Smith-Schuster is a big, strong wideout at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, and is an excellent route-runner with strong hands.

While he has expressed an interest in returning to the Chiefs, it may take more money than Kansas City can give. On the open market he'll be in line for a three-year deal in the $30 to $40 million range. Given the team's other needs, it's hard to see them bringing Smith-Schuster back unless he gives them a discount.