Financially Comparing the Chiefs & Eagles

Michael Ginnitti
Michael Ginnitti, Managing Editor & NFL/MLB ExpertFebruary 03, 2025
© USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl 59 will feature two familiar foes, as the Kansas City Chiefs & Philadelphia Eagles will meet in New Orleans. The matchup highlights two Top 10 cash spending teams from 2024, with the Eagles ranking 3rd, and the Chiefs 9th this past season. When combining the average salaries of their 53-man rosters, the Eagles stand atop the league, with over $350M allocated. KC drops down to 19th in this regard, thanks to a defense loaded with rookie contracts (for a minute).

Notable Notes

  • 4 Kansas City Chiefs players carried the highest average salary at their position in 2024: TE Travis Kelce ($17.1M), C Creed Humphrey ($18M), DT Chris Jones ($31.75M), K Harrison Butker ($6.4M)
  • Only 1 Eagles player carried a Top APY in 2024: G Landon Dickerson ($21M)
  • Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, & Dallas Goedert combined for $71.6M cash this season. Every single RB, WR, & TE for the Chiefs earned just over $57M combined.
  • Both starting QBs have a contract escalator based on the outcome of the Super Bowl
  • Both of these teams are Top 3 spenders toward Special Teams, while the Eagles are the most expensive offense in football
  • 6 Eagles were named All-Pro in 2024, but only 1 (pending free agent Zack Baun) will be in need of a contract.
  • 4 Chiefs were named All-Pro in 2024. Two of them (Joe Thuney, Trent McDuffie) are headed toward contract extensions.

Offense/Defense Cash Ranks

  Chiefs Eagles
Offense 5 1
Defense 28 22
Special Teams 2 3



Positional Spending Breakdowns
Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback Futures

KC Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes has 7 years $315.7M remaining on his massive contract in KC, but, thanks to a recent modification/salary advance, only the next three years ($160M) are really worth considering. The 29-year-old carries a massive $66.2M cap hit in 2025, but a full cap conversion on his salary/roster bonus can lower that down to $28M as needed. Mahomes can add $1.25M to his 2025 salary with a Super Bowl win.

PHI Eagles

Jalen Hurts has 4 years, $195M remaining on his sophomore extension, but a Super Bowl win will escalate all of his remaining salaries by $500,000. A 6-bonus structure on his contract keeps salary cap hits tempered, including a team-friendly $21.7M for 2025.

The Running Back Comparison

Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, & Samaje Perine have combined to be integral pieces to the KC puzzle this year at just a $3.5M price tag. The last time the Chiefs paid a RB more than $5M cash was in 2020, Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s signing bonus season. Before that? Jamaal Charles in 2016. This value isn’t an accident - it’s a plan. Pacheco is on the books at just $1.1M in 2025, the final season of his rookie contract.

After years of paying this position extremely close to the vest (2015 DeMarco Murray was the last $5M+ running back), Philly made one of the bigger offseason splashes in adding Saquon Barkley to the mix. A Super Bowl victory will mean a $15M payout for Barkley in 2024, 3rd most among running backs last season. The almost 28-year-old is fully guaranteed through 2025 at $11M.

The Wide Receiver Comparison

Xavier Worthy’s $7.6M was the biggest payout the Chiefs made to a WR in 2024, which aligned with his WR-team-high 98 targets. KC handed out a little over $26M to its 9 wideouts this past season, despite many of them missing significant time (Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown). Rice remains in his rookie deal through 2026, Worthy won’t be extension eligible until after the 2026 season, while Brown & DeAndre Hopkins are headed for free agency this March.

Philly paid out over $47M to its 6 wideouts this past season, including $42.6M to A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith alone. 5 of these receivers are under contract in 2025, with Brown guaranteed $62.75M and Smith guaranteed $48.5M through 2027.

2024 Positional Cash Rankings

Where the Chiefs/Eagles ranked in terms of cash spending at each respective position group this past season

  Chiefs Eagles
Quarterbacks 9 12
Running Backs 27 7
Wide Receivers 20 7
Tight Ends 1 11
Offensive Line 6 3
Defensive Line 5 31
Linebackers 29 7
Secondary 31 5

Notable Extension Candidates

Chiefs
G Trey Smith
The 6th round pick out of Tennessee has seen his stock explode in recent months. He’ll be considered one of the top available free agents this March if allowed to get there, with a 4 year, $80M projection attached to him in our system.

OL Joe Thuney
The starting left guard for the better of 4 seasons in KC has been filling in admirably at left tackle a bit down the stretch as well. He’s as valuable an offensive lineman as the league currently has, and despite being 32-years-old, should be considered an extension candidate this winter (especially as it will lower his current $27M cap figure). A 2 year, $40M tack-on could be in the cards here.

CB Trent McDuffie
The #21 overall pick back in 2022 is now extension-eligible for the first time, joining a growing list of young defensive backs that should easily reset this market. McDuffie enters 2025 with a 3 year, $66M valuation attached to him.

Eagles
EDGE Josh Sweat
The 27-year-old signed a 1 year, $10M renegotiated contract to remain in Philly, responding with 8 sacks and 41 tackles. He may have priced himself out of the Eagles constraints this time around, projecting toward a 3 year, $45M contract in our system.

LB Zack Baun
The 28-year-old signed a 1 year, $1.6M contract to join Philly last March, and is now a 1st-Team All-Pro linebacker. He’s a near $10M per year player in our system this time around.

C Cam Jurgens
No longer just “Jason Kelce’s replacement”, Jurgens shined in his first season as Jalen Hurts’ center (including a Pro Bowl nod). He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, projecting toward a 3 year, $25 million extension in our system.

Notable Free Agents


Chiefs
Trey Smith is largely considered the most prominent free agent on the open market and could be in line to test Landon Dickerson's $21M per year figure. 


Eagles
Zack Baun turned a 1 year, $3.5M contract into 1st-Team All-Pro. Josh Sweat should be seeking a multi-year guarantee this time around as well after a 1 year, $10M deal in Philly.


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