Chiefs Will Not Tender Mike Caliendo, Making Super Bowl Starter a Free Agent

Jason Dayee
Mike Caliendo (66) of the Kansas City Chiefs lines up against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Mike Caliendo is heading to free agency.

The Kansas City Chiefs do not plan to pick up the offensive guard’s restricted tender, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. With his contract expiring Wednesday, Caliendo will be free to sign with any team in the league next week. It is a quiet but meaningful roster decision from a franchise that has leaned on the 27-year-old more than most outside the building probably realized.

Over three seasons in Kansas City, Caliendo made seven starts. That number does not tell the full story.

A Depth Piece Who Delivered When It Mattered Most

Caliendo signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan following the 2022 NFL Draft. He was waived during the preseason and spent his entire rookie year on the practice squad. Kansas City brought him back on a futures deal for 2023, and the Chiefs re-signed him as an exclusive rights free agent in each of the two seasons that followed.

That kind of organizational faith is not extended without reason.

In 2024, Caliendo appeared in all 17 regular season games and made three starts at guard. Then, with the Chiefs pushing for a third consecutive Super Bowl, head coach Andy Reid made a bold call before a Week 15 game at Cleveland. He moved All-Pro guard Joe Thuney out to left tackle to address a need, and slid Caliendo into Thuney’s spot at left guard. Caliendo held that position for six games, including the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run.

He started Super Bowl LIX.

For a player who entered the league without being drafted, that is a remarkable arc.

Stepping Up Again in 2025

Caliendo’s value was tested again during the 2025 season, and again he delivered. When Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith was sidelined by back and ankle injuries, Caliendo stepped in to start four games. He started the Week 8 Monday night win over Washington and filled in during three consecutive losses from Weeks 13 to 15.

The Week 13 Thanksgiving start at Dallas came just four days after friendly fire sprained Smith’s ankle in two places during the win against Indianapolis. Caliendo had already replaced Smith for much of the Week 7 win over Las Vegas, when Smith left the game with painful back spasms.

In short, Caliendo was the Chiefs’ answer whenever the offensive line needed him. He never complained. He just played.

Why Kansas City Is Moving On

The decision to part ways with Caliendo is tied to the organization’s long-term vision for its offensive line rather than any dissatisfaction with the player himself.

General manager Brett Veach drafted three offensive linemen in 2024, all of whom project as interior players. Kingsley Suamataia, taken 63rd overall, was initially deployed at left tackle before being successfully converted to left guard in 2025. The Chiefs also hold draft investments in Hunter Nourzad, a fifth-round pick, and C.J. Hanson, a seventh-round pick. Both players can play center or guard.

With Suamataia locked into the left guard role and younger players like Nourzad and Hanson waiting for their opportunities, Kansas City needs to see what those players can do. Keeping Caliendo would have limited that evaluation.

It is a business decision, but that does not make it a simple one.

What Comes Next for Caliendo

Because Caliendo had accumulated only three accrued NFL seasons, he was classified as a restricted free agent. Unrestricted free agency requires four accrued seasons, defined as appearing in six or more regular season games on a team’s active, injured reserve, or physically unable to perform list. By declining to offer a qualifying contract, the Chiefs have removed any tender protection, leaving Caliendo free to sign wherever he chooses.

At 6-foot-4 and 301 pounds, Caliendo is a starting-caliber guard who has proven he can handle pressure situations. He started a Super Bowl. He stepped in on four days’ notice on Thanksgiving. He filled in for an All-Pro.

There will be no shortage of teams interested in adding that kind of reliability to their offensive line.

For Kansas City, it is the end of a chapter. For Caliendo, it is the beginning of something new.

Originally from Staten Island, New York, I’ve spent most of my adult life in Arizona, where my passion for sports continues to grow. A proud University of Arizona graduate, I developed my journalism skills covering mostly football, basketball, and a few other sports for the Daily Wildcat and UATV-3.

Now covering the Kansas City Chiefs for Total Apex Sports, I aim to tell authentic stories that highlight the journeys, triumphs, and challenges of athletes today. I’m passionate about connecting with readers through honest and insightful coverage that reflects my deep love for the game.