Getty Kansas City Chiefs fans cheer on their team at the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs locked up five of their 2023 draft picks on May 16, leaving only DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah and WR Rashee Rice as the remaining unsigned rookie selections.
On the evening of May 19, that number dropped to one. ESPN NFL insider Field Yates reported: “The Chiefs have signed first round pick DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah to his rookie deal.”
The Chiefs have signed first round pick DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah to his rookie deal.
USA Today Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman quickly reiterated that “Rashee Rice is the last remaining Chiefs draft pick that needs to put pen to paper” with “King Felix” officially inked.
Spotrac Reports $11.817 Million Deal for Chiefs Rookie Pass Rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah
After the signing was announced, Spotrac reported on Anudike-Uzomah’s contract details.
It appears to be a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $11,817,817. Within that, “FAU” will receive a signing bonus of $5,594,776 and an average annual salary of $2,954,454 with the potential of a fifth-year option in 2027.
His cap hits — per Spotrac — are listed at $2,148,694 (2023), $2,685,867 (2024), $3,223,041 (2025) and $3,760,214 (2026), with dead cap charges of $5,594,776 (2023), $4,196,082 (2024), $2,797,388 (2025) and $1,398,694 (2026) if for some reason things don’t work out.
Joel Corry of CBS Sports explained on May 4 that “there are very few negotiable items with rookie contracts anymore.” Continuing: “The salary components of a deal are restricted to signing bonus, base salary, roster bonus, reporting bonus, workout bonus and select incentives. The type of salary escalators and incentives that used to be responsible for salaries skyrocketing at the top of draft are prohibited under the rookie wage scale. A majority of picks only have signing bonuses and base salaries in their deals.”
“Draft pick contracts can’t be renegotiated until the conclusion of a player’s third NFL regular season,” Corry noted, adding that “for the first time since the rookie wage scale was implemented in 2011, the entire contracts for all first-round picks were fully guaranteed.”
If the Chiefs end up picking up Anudike-Uzomah’s fifth-year option in May of 2026 — ahead of the 2027 campaign — that “fifth-year salary is fully guaranteed” as well under the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement according to Corry.
Playing in KC a ‘Dream Come True’ for Chiefs First Rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah
After being drafted by the Chiefs, the Kansas State product told reporters that this was a “dream come true.”
“I got drafted by literally my favorite team growing up, so it’s just definitely a dream come true,” Anudike-Uzomah stated while recounting Chiefs memories from his childhood. “I remember me and my friends going up to training camp just to watch [tight end Travis] Kelce and the Chiefs play. It’s coming full circle, which is crazy and it’s unbelievable that I’m even in this position now. I’m a Kansas City Chief.”
FAU also called the feeling “surreal” on draft night, joking at the time that “tomorrow, I’m going to probably wake up and check my phone to make sure I’m still on the Kansas City Chiefs.”
As for the Chiefs organization, general manager Brett Veach relayed why they drafted the young man with the local roots after the selection was made.
“[We’re excited about his] motor and his relentless effort,” Veach detailed. “Again, this guy had a ton of production at Kansas State as I mentioned, and he just turned 21, so a majority of this production was coming in a big-time conference at 19 and 20 years old. I think there’s a huge window for him to continue to grow and develop, and we’re excited that we get him at this stage of his career with him being so young.”
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Chiefs Come to Terms on Key Long-Term Contract: Report