How Chiefs’ trade for Melvin Ingram impacts the salary cap
The Kansas City Chiefs have made a move ahead of the 2021 NFL trade deadline to acquire some defensive help.
After some speculation and reports, the Chiefs finally swayed the Pittsburgh Steelers to send them veteran pass rusher Melvin Ingram in trade. Ingram signed with Pittsburgh during the offseason on a one-year contract worth $4 million, with four void years on the contract for salary cap purposes.
Ingram’s prorated salary will cost Kansas City just $597,222 for the rest of the season. That number is part of the reason that Ingram was so appealing to the Chiefs, as they were in a bit of a cost-prohibitive search at the trade deadline. Even before the trade, they were hard-pressed for cap space, but now they’re going to be up against the cap.
According to the NFLPA’s public salary cap report, K.C. had just $1.65 million in salary cap space available ahead of the trade. After the trade to acquire Ingram, Chiefs GM Brett Veach will have just $1.05 million to play with for the remainder of the season.
Should the Chiefs attempt to sign a free agent at any point from here on out, that’s the pool of money they’re going to be working with to make those moves happen. The good news is there is still time for Kansas City to make some moves to clear some salary-cap space, be it a trade ahead of the deadline, a contract extension or otherwise.
They should be comfortable despite the limited number the front office is working with now. Remember that time they had just $177 dollars in cap space?
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