The Chiefs may have plans to sign two of their best players to contract extensions in the near future, though fans need to be careful about trusting the source of the report.
According to X (formerly known as Twitter) user PrettyRickey213, who has built an underground following this summer by breaking big scoops before major reporters do, Kansas City will soon make Creed Humphrey the highest-paid center in football while giving Harrison Butker a new contract as well.
These potential moves track with what most fans believed would happen, though the timeline is a bit of a surprise. Perhaps there’s no fire, but there’s certainly smoke at the least.
Take all of this with the grain of salt it deserves. Reporters like Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero, all of whom have broken Chiefs stories among others, have all been mum on the topic.
Perhaps they’re protecting their sources and have an obligation that PrettyRickey213 doesn’t, or perhaps the random social media user with no real picture is just making things up. It’s impossible to know for sure at the moment, but it would make a lot of sense for the Chiefs to get these two extensions done early.
Humphrey is an All-Pro and foundational part of the offensive line, playing a position that typically demands a smaller contract relative to guard or tackle. The highest-paid center (Frank Ragnow) makes $13.5 million annually, while the highest-paid tackles and guards are north of $20 million. Considering Humphrey’s impact, signing him in the range of $13.5 million per year is just good business.
For Butker, it’s not an exaggeration to say he’s putting together one of the finest careers any kicker has had in NFL history. He has both the longest field goal in Super Bowl history (57 yards) and the most made field goals in Super Bowl history (nine), routinely drilling clutch kicks to keep Kansas City’s hopes alive.
Both players should be at the top of Brett Veach’s priority list. Reading the tea leaves, I believe the extensions are imminent regardless of PrettyRickey213’s post, though it now seems those contracts could come sooner than expected.