Kansas City Chiefs News

The Kansas City Chiefs signed kicker Harrison Butker to a contract extension on Thursday, with NFL Network reporting that the deal is worth five years, $20.3 million.Butker confirmed the contract extension on Twitter, saying he was "proud to announce that I've signed an extension" and that he is "excited to be a part of this team for the next six years."In his second year with the Chiefs in 2018, Butker, 23, was 16 of 16 on field-goal attempts under 40 yards. He ended the regular season 24 of 27 on all field-goal attempts, and was 65 of 69 on extra-point attempts, with both totals leading the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce expects to be 100 percent at the start of training camp next month.Kelce said he'll be fully recovered from offseason ankle surgery when the Chiefs take the field at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo."I'm ready to go," Kelce said. "It's kind of been a little bit of an experience just not being able to really go out there and train for the upcoming season quite yet. I don't know if I've had an injury that hasn't allowed me to get on the field, at least a little bit in the offseason, outside of my knee surgery my first year."

The Kansas City Chiefs signed right tackle Mitchell Schwartz to a one-year extension, putting him under contract through 2021, Schwartz's agent said Wednesday.Agent Mike McCartney announced the one-year deal on Twitter.NFL Network reported the extra year is worth $11.255 million, with Schwartz's 2019 and 2020 salaries fully guaranteed. Schwartz was scheduled to make $6.6 million in both 2019 and 2020, with a cap hit of $8 million in each season.It's unclear if the contract structure in 2019 and 2020 was affected.The highest paid offensive lineman in NFL history, Trent Brown, averages $16.5 million annually and will play right tackle for Oakland this season after playing on the left side for New England last year. The highest-paid full-time right tackle, Denver's Ja'Wuan James, averages $12.75 million annually.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones will not report to minicamp in hopes of having his contract situation addressed by the team before the start of the 2019 season.Jones' deal was set on the back burner when the Chiefs acquired Frank Clark from the Seattle Seahawks and signed him to a massive contract.Jones, 24, is due $1.2 million in base salary. That's not anywhere near market value considering his 15.5-sack 2018 season.Jones has generated 24 sacks through his first three NFL seasons.

Prosecutors in suburban Kansas City are not looking into Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill on suspicion of child abuse but the Kansas Department for Children and Families is continuing to investigate Hill.In the meantime, his status with the team remains uncertain.The Kansas City Star reported Friday that Steve Howe, the Johnson County district attorney, said a criminal investigation is inactive but added, "As in any case, if we receive additional evidence we reevaluate."In April, Howe's office declined to press charges against Hill or his fiancée, Crystal Espinal, after an incident in which their young son suffered a broken arm. He said he believed someone had hurt the child but couldn't prove it.Howe told The Star that those remarks "still hold true."Two days after Howe's April news conference, an audiotape emerged in which Espinal accuses Hill of breaking the boy's arm, and he threatens her in return. The Chiefs banned Hill, 25, from participating in team activities but did not cut ties with him. At the time, head coach Andy Reid said the investigation had been reopened.

The 2021 NFL Draft will be held in Cleveland, and Kansas City will host the 2023 draft, the league announced Wednesday from its spring meetings in Florida.The event in Cleveland will be centered downtown, around FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and on the shore of Lake Erie."Cleveland has a passionate fan base and the city offers distinctive iconic locations and attractions that will bring the NFL Draft experience to fans in unique and exciting ways," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement."We are incredibly honored to be able to showcase the City of Cleveland and the passion of Browns fans through the unique international platform the NFL Draft provides," Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam added in a statement. "This is an exceptional opportunity for Northeast Ohio that even extends beyond football."Cleveland was a finalist for the 2019 (awarded to Nashville) and 2020 (Las Vegas) drafts. Denver and Kansas City were also finalists for those drafts, although Denver was not expected to be a contender for any drafts awarded this week.The 2022 draft location has yet to be determined.The 2023 draft in Kansas City will be centered on the Missouri side of downtown, around Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill remains away from the Kansas City Chiefs as authorities investigate allegations of child abuse, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has not been in touch with Hill as that process continues."We will not interfere with that," Goodell said Wednesday at league meetings in Florida."The priority is the young child. We will obviously be cooperative with whatever the court wants. We are prepared to go ahead and have an interview whenever we have the permission to do so, and then we'll go ahead and make a determination based on what information we have at that time."Specifically, Goodell said any disciplinary action from the NFL will wait until the investigation concludes.

A relative of Tyrann Mathieu has been accused of trying to extort $5 million from the Kansas City Chiefs safety.ESPN reported that Geourvon Keinell Sears, 21, allegedly threatened to reveal personal information to TMZ if he didn't receive the money.Documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana contend Sears demanded $1.5 million from Mathieu in April, then raised the price to $5 million.While the alleged victim of the extortion plot is identified only by initials in court documents, Mathieu's lawyer, Denise White of EAG Sports, confirmed to KMBC 9 in Kansas City that Mathieu was the target. White said Mathieu is working through a "private and personal family issue."Sears is alleged to have told Mathieu's friends that if the money was not paid, he would "kill you all."

A busy day for the New York Jets wasn't limited to the front office. And the drama spilled over to social media.Hours after the team fired general manager Mike Maccagnan and named head coach Adam Gase his temporary replacement on Wednesday, Gase traded linebacker Darron Lee to the Kansas City Chiefs, multiple outlets reported.According to the reports, New York received a 2020 sixth-round pick in return.Maccagnan selected Lee in the first round (20th overall) in 2016. The former Ohio State star struggled in his first two seasons, but had three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 74 tackles in 12 games (all starts) in 2018. However, his season was cut short when he received a four-game ban for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.The Jets declined his fifth-year option and signed free agent linebacker C.J. Mosley to a five-year, $85 million contract in the offseason, all but assuring Lee's days in New York were numbered.When the man who drafted him was no longer in power, his number was up.

Cleveland running back Kareem Hunt said he promised the Browns there will not be another incident like the one that led to his eight-game suspension to start the 2019 season."I've apologized for my actions in the past and definitely won't make those same mistakes," Hunt told reporters Wednesday in Cleveland, where he is attending organized team activities.Hunt signed with the Browns on Feb. 11, about two and a half months after being cut by Kansas City. The Chiefs parted ways with their leading rusher after a video surfaced of him kicking and shoving a woman at a Cleveland hotel.Hunt, 23, said he hasn't had a chance to apologize to the woman face to face, but said he would if given that chance.The 2017 Pro Bowl selection and Ohio native said he hopes to make a fresh start with the Browns."It turned out to be good landing in a situation like the Browns, close to home again," Hunt said. "I just have to sit back [during the suspension] and keep faith and better myself as a person."

Former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Gunther Cunningham died Saturday after a brief illness. He was 72.Cunningham compiled a 16-16 record in two seasons at the helm of the Chiefs from 1999-2000.He also served as defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Raiders (1992-93), Chiefs (1995-98, 2004-08) and Detroit Lions (2009-13).Cunningham's coaching career spanned six decades, starting as a defensive line coach at his alma mater Oregon in 1969 and ending with his role as a senior coaching assistant for the Lions from 2014-16."Gunther Cunningham will forever be remembered as one of the great men of our game," the Lions wrote in a statement. "He left a lasting impact on every person who was fortunate enough to work alongside him during his more than 47 years as a coach -- including 34 years in the National Football League."

Kansas City signed longtime linebacker Derrick Johnson to a one-day contract on Wednesday so he could retire as a Chief.Johnson, 36, played his first 13 seasons with the Chiefs before playing six games with the Oakland Raiders in 2018.The four-time Pro Bowl selection and 2011 first-team All-Pro played in 182 games (169 starts) for Kansas City, registering a franchise-record 1,151 tackles, with 14 interceptions and 27.5 sacks.

The attorney for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill sent the NFL a four-page letter Thursday, a detailed denial of child abuse allegations made against his client.In the letter obtained by ESPN, attorney N. Trey Pettlon accused Hill's fianc�e, Crystal Espinal, of abusing the couple's 3-year-old son.Espinal secretly recorded a conversation she had with Hill that was broadcast last week by Kansas City station KCTV.Espinal said in the recording, "He kept saying 'Daddy punches me,' which you do when he starts crying. What do you do? You make him open up his arms, and you punch him in the chest."Pettlon wrote in the letter, "He (Hill) categorically denies he has ever 'punched' his son in the chest or anywhere on his body, or otherwise touched him in the chest in a mean-spirited manner or as a form of discipline."Pettlon explained there have been times when Hill has tapped his son on the chest and told him to "man up, buddy" or "don't cry, my man," but denied Hill has grabbed his son's arms as part of any discipline and further denied Hill played any part in their son suffering a broken arm. He noted the records at the hospital where the child was treated labeled the broken arm an accident.The attorney does not deny the audio in question is of Hill and Espinal, but does challenge Espinal's assertion on the recording that the child in question is "terrified" of Hill. Pettlon also called a comment Hill made on the recording, "You need to be terrified of me, too, b----," inexcusable.The child is not living with either parent after being removed by the Kansas Department for Children and Families last month.Authorities have been investigating incidents -- one on March 5 for alleged child abuse and neglect, and one on March 14 for alleged battery -- at Hill's home in Overland Park, Kan. Both police reports indicated a juvenile was involved.Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Saturday that he and the front office were "deeply disturbed" by the audio, but offered no explanation as to why the team has not released him.

All-Pro linebacker Derrick Johnson will sign a one-day contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, then retire, 610 Sports Radio reported Thursday.Johnson is expected to sign the contract next week.Now 36, he was the Chiefs' first-round draft pick, No. 15 overall, in 2005. He played 13 seasons for Kansas City, and in 182 games (169 starts), he had 1,151 tackles, 14 interceptions, 27.5 sacks and 40 quarterback hits.

Jamaal Charles plans to sign a ceremonial contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, then formally announce his retirement from the NFL.Charles spent 11 seasons in the NFL after the Chiefs drafted him 73rd overall out of Texas in 2008. Charles rushed for 7,563 yards and had 2,593 receiving yards on 310 career catches.He's fourth all-time among players with at least 750 carries with a 5.4 yards-per-carry average.Charles is the Chiefs' all-time leading rusher with 7,260 yards in a Kansas City uniform.

The NFL is considering putting Tyreek Hill on the commissioner's exempt list as early as this week, amid an ongoing criminal investigation surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs wideout, ESPN reported late Sunday night.Overland Park (Kan.) Police reopened an investigation -- regarding an injury to the child of Hill and his fiancee, Crystal Espinal -- after a local TV station on Thursday revealed an audiotape in which Hill threatens Espinal while the couple discuss their son's injuries.The commissioner's exempt list isn't typically used during the offseason, but the league is considering making an exception in this case, ESPN reported. The report adds that the NFL has the full audiotape.The league has normally used the exempt designation when a legal situation or allegations against a player surface during the season, effectively suspending the player indefinitely (with pay) until the situation reaches a resolution. The NFL also conducts an investigation of its own during that time, determining if punishment is merited.If Hill is placed on the list, he would be barred from team activities. But the Chiefs already suspended Hill from team activities -- he participated in workouts earlier this offseason -- following the emergence of the audiotape on Thursday. During the 11-minute audio clip, Espinal accuses Hill of breaking their son's arm, and Hill tells Espinal she should be "terrified" of him.On Wednesday, the district attorney's office had declined charges against Hill and Espinal, saying that despite the belief a crime had been committed, there was no evidence as to who committed it. The case was reopened upon the emergence of the audiotape.

Kansas City Chiefs draft review2 (56). Mecole Hardman, WR: 5-10, 187, Georgia2 (63). Juan Thornhill, S: 6-0, 205, Virginia3 (84). Khalen Saunders, DT: 6-0, 324, Western Illinois6 (201). Rashad Fenton, CB: 5-11, 193, South Carolina6 (214). Darwin Thompson, RB: 5-8, 198, Utah St.7 (216). Nick Allegretti, G: 6-4, 310, Illinois

Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Saturday that he and the front office remain "deeply disturbed" by an audio in which wide receiver Tyreek Hill is heard threatening his fiancee, but offered no explanation as to why the team has not released him.Speaking briefly at the team's annual draft party, Hunt said he couldn't elaborate further because of the ongoing investigation.In November, the Chiefs moved swiftly to release running back Kareem Hunt after TMZ posted a video showing him kicking and shoving a woman in a Cleveland hotel.Since audiotape emerged on Thursday night in which Hill's fiancee, Crystal Espinal, accuses him of breaking their son's arm and he threatens her in return, the Chiefs banned Hill from participating in team activities but have not cut ties with him."I'd just point out that Tyreek is not with the franchise right now and we're going to go through the process," Hunt told reporters. "We'll make the right decision about Tyreek at the right time."

The Kansas City Chiefs officially announced their acquisition of defensive end Frank Clark from the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.The deal, which was reported Tuesday, sent the 29th overall pick in Thursday's first round and a 2020 second-round pick to the Seahawks. The teams also swapped 2019 third-round picks, with the Chiefs moving up eight spots from No. 92 overall to No. 84."We believe Frank is a premier player in this league and an elite pass rusher," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in a statement. "In his four seasons in Seattle, he established himself as a leader in the locker room, and we're looking forward to bringing him here to help our defense.""We're happy to add Frank to our team," head coach Andy Reid added in a statement. "Competing against him and watching his film, you can see how physical and impressive he is in both the run and the pass game. He's young and has consistently played at a high level since he entered the league."The team's announcement did not mention any signing of a new contract, but it did include a photo of Clark putting pen to paper. According to multiple reports Tuesday, Clark agreed to a five-year, $105.5 million contract with $63.5 million guaranteed as part of the trade.

The Johnson County (Kan.) district attorney's office announced Wednesday it will not file charges against Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill or his fiancee following an investigation into two March incidents at the couple's home involving the couple's 3-year-old son."We believe a crime has occurred," District Attorney Stephen Howe said. "However, the evidence in this case does not conclusively establish who committed this crime."It bothers us when we see something that's happened to a child like this and we can't do anything about it," he later added.Howe said the criminal investigation has been closed, although the child protection investigation is continuing. Any new information to emerge could reopen the criminal investigation, with a five-year statute of limitations in Kansas."We feel we're at an impasse at this point, and any further investigation would be unnecessary or unwarranted," Howe said.Authorities had been investigating incidents -- one on March 5 for child abuse and neglect, and one on March 14 for battery -- at Hill's home in Overland Park, Kan. Both police reports indicated a juvenile was involved.Hill, 25, and his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, were listed on the March 5 police report as "others involved." On the March 14 report, Espinal was listed as "others involved," with a juvenile listed as the victim.The Kansas City Star reported previously that the couple's son suffered a broken arm in the incident. The Star also reported earlier this week that the boy was recently removed from his parents' custody, as part of a family court process called a "child in need of care" case.