Chiefs give up their sole right to be free agents.
As free agency gets underway, Kansas City is keeping some depth on its roster.
The following pending exclusive rights free agents received minimum wage contracts from the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday: defensive end Malik Herring, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, offensive lineman Mike Caliendo, and linebackers Cole Christiansen and Jack Cochrane.
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Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest, a friend of the site, had verified the most of the transactions earlier in the day.
When an active-roster contract expires before a player reaches three seasons of service time—the threshold required to be eligible for restricted free agency—they become exclusive rights free agents. A team can sign them to a contract with a minimum pay for one year in order to keep their services. Exclusive rights free agents are prohibited from negotiating with other teams if they tender a contract offer.
We assume that the tendered amount for each of these players is $985,000, which is the minimum pay for players with two accrued seasons in 2024. There are no dead money implications if the players are not selected for the team because the salaries are not guaranteed.
Johnson was selected by Kansas City in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft (259th overall). A few weeks after being promoted from the practice squad, he signed a new contract with the Chiefs after being waived out of training camp. Due to the nullification of his original four-year rookie deal, Johnson is currently eligible for exclusive rights free agency.
Throughout his rookie campaign, Johnson established himself as a vital component of the Chiefs’ special teams groups. In all three of Kansas City’s 2022 postseason games—including their victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII—he played more than 50% of the team’s special teams snaps. Regrettably, he lost his second season due to an ACL injury sustained during training camp.
Caliendo, a Western Michigan native, signed with the Chiefs in 2022 as an undrafted free agent. He joined Kansas City’s practice squad in 2023 after serving as a backup during his first season there. As the Chiefs dealt with injuries to their offensive line, he eventually became an active player on game days. Given the uncertainty surrounding the future of veteran backup interior lineman Nick Allegretti with the Chiefs, Caliendo may be needed to cover injuries during the upcoming campaign.
Former Army football player Christiansen signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. He was promoted from the practice squad by the Chiefs to serve as an injury replacement during the playoffs. In their triumph over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, he participated in 70% of the team’s special teams snaps.
Because Herring joined Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and spent his first season on the team’s non-football injury list (NFI), we were unaware of his current situation. We didn’t think he had the necessary amount of service time, despite the fact that certain websites had him listed as a restricted free agent. It is now confirmed that he is an ERFA. Herring has played in all four of the Chiefs’ postseason games in 2023 and has appeared in 14 games with the team during the previous two seasons. His career sack total is 1.5.
Cochrane’s status was not addressed in Derrick’s report, which caused some slight misunderstanding concerning his relationship with Kansas City. In 2022, the South Dakota product became an undrafted free agent and signed with the Chiefs. 32 games throughout the regular season and seven postseason games have been played by him. Cochrane will want to continue to grow into one of the Chiefs’ most dependable special teams players in 2024.
