Chiefs gain salary cap space by adjusting Nazeeh Johnson’s contract

Just before the beginning of the new league year, the Kansas City Chiefs made an unexpected decision when they tendered cornerback Nazeeh Johnson and linebacker Jack Cochrane right-of-first-refusal restricted free agency (RFA) contract tenders.

Before these tenders were made, I predicted that the Chiefs would not tender any of their RFAs because of the $3.3 million price tag for even the lowest RFA tender amount. Given their level of play (and ample free-agency options who would be less expensive), tying up almost $7 million in cap space for Johnson and Cochrane seemed curious.

Johnson officially re-signed with the Chiefs on March 27 — but as it turns out, he will not earn $3.3 million in 2025.

According to the salary cap website Spotrac, Johnson’s base salary is now listed at $1.2 million — with $800,000 of it guaranteed — on top of a $400,000 signing bonus. The cornerback can also receive a $150,000 workout bonus and up to $200,000 in per-game active-roster bonuses.

This will allow him to earn up to $1.9 million this season. (His cap hit is actually about $12,000 less because he played in only 16 games last season, meaning the 17th game-day bonus is considered not likely to be earned).

The revised contract for Johnson lowers his 2025 salary cap charge by about $1.4 million.

Why would Johnson agree to a pay cut?

The full amount of his restricted free agency tender was non-guaranteed. Most observers of NFL contract minutiae realize that a player’s listed salary is meaningless without considering how much of it is guaranteed.

Johnson’s agent probably advised him that while the Chiefs value him as a reserve defensive back and special-teams performer, they would be unlikely to pay him the $3.3 million RFA salary; they could easily decide to make him a cap casualty before the season begins. For a player in this situation, a guaranteed $1.2 million — with an opportunity to earn another $700,000 — can be considered a better deal than $3.3 million in non-guaranteed money.

This is exactly what happened with Kansas City offensive lineman Andrew Wylie in 2021 after the Chiefs gave him an RFA contract tender.

Cochrane is still listed on Spotrac with the $3.3 million RFA tender. He may also be encouraged to accept a reduced salary with a portion of it guaranteed. The Chiefs, however, probably want to assess his recovery from a late-season broken ankle before guaranteeing any of his 2025 compensation.

Defensive end Malik Herring avoided this RFA drama by agreeing to a one-year contract before the deadline. Herring is set to earn $1.7 million — with $800,000 guaranteed.

Cornerback Keith Taylor and tight end Peyton Hendershot also didn’t receive RFA tenders. Taylor signed with the Carolina Panthers, while Hendershot remains a free agent.

With Johnson’s adjusted cap hit, we now estimate the Chiefs’ salary cap space to be about $12.8 million.