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With the Kansas City Chiefs set to begin their three-day rookie minicamp on Saturday afternoon, the reports of the team signing its draft picks to their rookie deals are beginning to roll in.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the first came through on Friday morning, with first-round defensive end George Karlaftis putting pen to paper.
Kansas City reached agreement with first-round pick George Karlaftis - the No. 30 overall selection - on a four-year, fully-guaranteed contract, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 6, 2022
The Chiefs selected the 21-year-old Karlaftis with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. CBS Sports’ Joel Corry projects Karlaftis’ fully-guaranteed four-year contract to be somewhere in the range of $11 million to $12 million. With Karlaftis being selected in the first round, the contract includes a team option for the fifth season.
Given the Chiefs’ lack of depth at the EDGE position, Karlaftis is expected to be the Day 1 starter at the left defensive end spot opposite Frank Clark. Karlaftis — and other rookies — turning in impact performances during their first four seasons is the ultimate salary-cap saver.
As a reminder, players are eligible to negotiate contract extensions after their third season. The expectation is for the Chiefs to complete many of these contracts sooner rather than later, especially with all the rookies in the building and on the practice field this weekend.
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