The offseason transactions continue for the Kansas City Chiefs as another veteran player restructures their contract ahead of the 2026 season.

According to a report from Sportac’s Michael Ginnitti, Kansas City is converting $9.685M of defensive end George Karlaftis’ salary into a signing bonus, creating $7.7M of 2026 space. The deal opens the door to another impactful veteran free-agent signing if necessary, with many potential names swirling during OTAs or assisting in the deals for unsigned rookies. The Chiefs now carry an estimated $13M of Top 51 cap space into June.

The #Chiefs converted $9.685M of George Karlaftis’ salary into signing bonus, creating $7.7M of 2026 space.

KC now carries an estimated $13M of Top 51 cap space into June.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) May 27, 2026

Karlaftis finished the 2025 season with 48 total tackles and six sacks in 16 games. He also had a fumble recovery with two pass deflections. The Chiefs awarded Karldatis the 2025 Ed Block Courage Award, showing grit and bravery well beyond the football field.

The Chiefs previously converted multiple contracts this offseason, including those of Patrick Mahomes and Drue Tranquill. According to Spotrac.com, Karlaftis’ base salary for the 2025 season was $1,100,000. He also earned a $5,465,086 signing bonus proration and an $8,820 workout bonus.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs restructure DE George Karlaftis contract ahead of 2026 season