Chiefs Re-Sign Long Snapper James Winchester to One-Year, $1.75 Million Deal
The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back one of their most consistent players ahead of NFL free agency. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs have agreed to terms with long snapper James Winchester on a one-year, $1.75 million fully guaranteed deal. The contract keeps Winchester as the highest-paid long snapper in the NFL.
It is a quiet but meaningful move from a franchise that is trying to piece itself back together after one of the most difficult seasons in recent memory.
A Familiar Face Returns to Kansas City
For Chiefs fans, Winchester is about as reliable as it gets. The 36-year-old has been Kansas City’s long snapper since 2015, appearing in 181 games and collecting three Super Bowl rings over more than a decade of service. He is as much a part of the Chiefs’ dynasty as anyone in the building.
Winchester’s journey to becoming the NFL’s highest-paid long snapper was not a straight line. He originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma back in 2013. He was waived just weeks later during the preseason and did not find his footing until the Chiefs signed him to a two-year, $960,000 contract in 2015.
From there, his rise was steady. Kansas City locked him in on a five-year, $4.45 million extension in 2017. He became the league’s highest-paid long snapper in 2021 after signing a two-year extension, and he maintained that distinction through his most recent one-year deal worth $1.65 million in 2025. His new deal bumps that number to $1.75 million, all fully guaranteed.
The Context: A Chiefs Team in Transition
This re-signing comes at a critical moment for Kansas City. The Chiefs finished the 2025 regular season with a 6-11 record, their worst mark since 2012, and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. It was a season defined by adversity, most notably the injury to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL and LCL on Dec. 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He played just 14 games, finishing with a career-low 62.7 completion percentage, 3,587 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Rebuilding trust and continuity across the roster is going to be a priority this offseason. Bringing back Winchester is a small but symbolic piece of that. In a year when so much went wrong, he was one of the few players who never gave the organization reason to worry. He appeared in 17 games in 2025 and made three tackles on special teams, doing exactly what the Chiefs need him to do without incident.
Why Winchester Still Matters
Long snapping is one of those positions that only gets attention when something goes wrong. Winchester’s entire value to the Chiefs is built on the fact that nothing ever goes wrong. In a special teams unit that has been a consistent strength for Kansas City throughout its run of dominance, Winchester has been a foundational piece.
At 36, there are natural questions about how much longer he can continue at this level. But the Chiefs clearly believe he has at least one more productive season in him, and the fully guaranteed nature of the deal reflects that confidence. Kansas City is not hedging here. They want him back, and they are paying to make sure he stays.
What Comes Next for the Chiefs
With Winchester locked in, the Chiefs can now turn their attention to the more pressing questions surrounding this roster. Mahomes’ health and recovery from his knee injury will dominate the conversation, but Kansas City also has significant decisions to make on both sides of the ball as free agency opens.
The Winchester signing does not move the needle in terms of star power, but it signals something important: the Chiefs are committed to retaining the pieces that have worked, even as they look to rebuild around their franchise quarterback.
For a team that has been to the Super Bowl four times since 2020, continuity matters. Winchester is proof of that.
