What free agents could net the Chiefs compensatory picks in 2026?
It's a copy-cat league and teams have been utilizing the compensatory formula for years to sustain success. How could the Chiefs set up the future by letting key players walk this offseason?
Only a select few amounts of people know exactly how the NFL’s compensatory draft pick formula works, and I am certainly not one of them. Enough people out there get the gist of it though, including the salary cap experts over at OverTheCap.
Basically, teams get rewarded for losing key free agents, so long as they do not sign anyone of equal or similar value and there are 32 picks in total to dole out. The Chiefs for instance are projected to get one extra pick in the 7th round in 2025. Losing guard Nick Allegretti canceled out with wide receiver Hollywood Brown and punter Tommy Townsend canceled out with quarterback Carson Wentz, but the Chiefs lost linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to the New Orleans Saints without signing anyone in return.
Teams are only allowed to be rewarded a maximum of four picks out of the 32 and they go to the top 32 based on average annual value within these types of guidelines. Extra rewarded picks for hiring minority assistants as head coaches or general managers is a separate pool of picks.
