The Kansas City Chiefs officially signed former New York Giants WR Richie James on a one-year contract last week. James was the first receiver the team signed in free agency this offseason, but his one-year contract doesn’t necessarily suggest that he’ll make the 53-man roster in Kansas City this fall.
According to the folks at Over The Cap, the 28-year-old’s contract is a one-year deal worth up to $1,232,500. He’ll earn a $1.08 million base salary in 2023, with a $152,500 signing bonus, but only $552,500 of the contract is guaranteed at signing. He’ll count $1.09M against the cap in 2023 and his salary cap hit ranks 31st on the team with only 63 players on the 90-man roster thus far.
The bottom line here is pretty simple. The contract is worth more than James got with New York a season ago, but this is structured in a way that doesn’t tie him to the Chiefs for 2023.
If a player like Ihmir Smith-Marsette or even a draft pick were to perform better in training camp and the preseason, Kansas City could cut ties with James without sweating the dead money. At the same time, if James were to earn a role as a depth wide receiver and produce at least as he did last season, this would be a pretty cushy deal for the Chiefs.
