The Kansas City Chiefs parted ways with Frank Clark earlier in the offseason, but according to one report, the two sides could be close to a reunion. Christian Martinez, a sports editor for UMKC, reported that Clark could come back, but the current status of free agent DeAndre Hopkins could complicate a potential deal.
Report: Kansas City Chiefs Could Re-Sign Frank Clark
The Report
On May 25th, Martinez tweeted that the Chiefs and Frank Clark were “looking to get a deal done” in the coming weeks. Since then, however, the Arizona Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and the Chiefs are heavily linked to the wide receiver. Martinez recently updated his report to reflect the Hopkins situation, saying that the presence of the three-time All Pro “could make the situation a little tricky.”
A Frank Clark update: @hbtCHIEFS perfectly summarizes the information I got about Frank Clark’s possible return to Kansas City. Currently, I am working on talking to other sources to see if there is any movement on a deal.
I will say, DHop could make the situation a little…
— Cristian Martinez (@martinezc2424) May 29, 2023
Martinez clarified that this is not an official statement from the team, but merely a leak from an unnamed source. Considering the NFL offseason is littered with rumors, we shouldn’t take this as a stated fact, but it’s worth acknowledging to see if this report would make sense for both player and team.
First off, it’s rare to see a team release a player and sign him back in the same offseason. That being said, there is a reason to believe that Frank Clark and the Chiefs could be the exception to the rule. Kansas City saved a staggering $21 million in salary cap space by releasing Clark, and there was simply no way to justify that type of salary. As it is, the Chiefs only have $652,557 in cap space, so they would not have been able to build a competitive roster with an extra $21 million devoted to Clark.
With that in mind, the Chiefs could still use another veteran pass rusher. If the season started today, Kansas City would likely have George Karlaftis and first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah as their starting edge defenders. Both players have plenty of promise, but the team could use another veteran edge defender. Frank Clark would be a perfect fit, but there is one major hurdle standing between a Chiefs reunion.
Can the Chiefs Make the Money Work for Frank Clark?
As mentioned earlier, the Chiefs have essentially no salary cap space right now. While they could clear up some room by restructuring contracts, it’s unclear if the Chiefs would be willing to do that for Frank Clark.
Martinez reported that the Chiefs are interested in DeAndre Hopkins, and he’s far from the only person to make that connection. Kansas City has been linked for the former All Pro for months now, and it’s easy to see why. The Chiefs wide receiver depth chart leaves a lot to be desired, and Hopkins could be the missing piece to help this team become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots.
Multiple teams are going to be in on DeAndre Hopkins, and if a bidding war ensues, then Kansas City will need every last dollar they can find to secure his services. However, if the Chiefs lose out on Hopkins, then don’t be surprised if sign Frank Clark as a type of consolation prize.
Main Photo: Joe Rondone – USA Today Sports
