Romeo Crennel will earn $7 million not to coach the Chiefs

Romeo Crennel was fired on Black Monday and GM Scott Pioli was fired the following Friday. Crennel had two years remaining on his contract. Pioli had at least one year remaining on his, if not more depending on whether he signed a contract extension (it's a bit of a mystery).

Coaches contracts are usually guaranteed or at least include buyouts. It's expensive to fire a head coach and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt is finding that out.

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Crennel will be paid $3.5 million in each of the next two years not to coach the Chiefs.

This report comes under the context of the Saints reportedly interested in Crennel. His contract is off set which means whatever the Saints pay him just reduces the number the Chiefs owe him. He wouldn't earn any more money to coach the Saints. The Chiefs' obligation to him could be lowered, so I'm sure they're rooting for him to take that job.

Hunt has an idea of the cost of firing coaches because that's what he's been doing since taking over the team. Herm Edwards was fired. Todd Haley was fired. And now Crennel. (Well, that's if they paid Todd Haley the rest of his contract, which was in dispute at one point.)

No one knows what Pioli was getting paid but it was supposedly one of the highest GM contracts in the league. This tells us that Hunt is spending a lot of money to get it right in the front office.

It's not just the money you pay the guys that are fired. It's paying top dollar to attract the new coaches and GMs, too.