THE Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots recently came together for a trade sending Josh Uche to Kansas City. The rich would apparently get richer here, as the undefeated Chiefs address their need for more passing juice as they eye a potential Super Bowl three-peat. Zachary Rotman of FanSided recently took a deeper dive into this trade, giving him an A- for the Chiefs and a C for the Patriots.

“Not long ago, the Chiefs and Patriots faced each other in the AFC Championship Game.” Rotman wrote. “Now, with the Patriots in an obvious rebuild and the Chiefs preparing for what they hope will result in a third straight Super Bowl victory, the Patriots have traded Uche to their old AFC rival.”

With Uche struggling over the past two seasons, the Patriots decided to cut him. But remember, just two years ago he recorded an 11.5 sack season for New England. If he returns to form and is brought back to Kansas City in 2025, he checks a big box for the Chiefs going forward – and so there will be a few players who will be removed from the roster.

The very first person who will feel the impact of this signing is the player at the bottom of the outside linebacker depth chart, Jack Cochrane.

Cochrane, 25, played in 39 total games for the Chiefs in three years with the team. During that span, he recorded 39 tackles, no sacks, no interceptions, no fumble recoveries, no forced fumbles and one pass defended. He makes the roster as a depth player, but he doesn’t have any playmaking ability that makes him the kind of player Kansas City wants to put on the field regularly.

Cochrane is also in the final year of his contract. He’s set to enter free agency this offseason, and Kansas City is unlikely to bring him back. It’s even more unlikely if they decide to re-sign Uche this offseason.

In football, when a team trades a player, the added position group will feel the effects of that trade. For the Chiefs, the player who will feel this effect, this year and during the offseason, is Cochrane. Even though Uche is an edge player and Cochrane is an off-ball linebacker, this trade still has a direct impact on him.

The Chiefs brought in Carson Wentz as their backup QB this year, but (thankfully) they haven’t needed to deploy him so far. Wentz is sitting on the Kansas City bench and making a few million dollars. But he only has a one-year contract, so when the offseason rolls around, he’ll be free to sign wherever he wants before 2025.

Given the current state of the NFL and its quarterbacks, there is a world in which Wentz is able to find a spot that gives him the opportunity to compete for a starting spot. At worst, Wentz will find a place willing to give him between $3 million and $5 million for the 2025 season, with some incentive bonuses if he can earn a starting job and play.

But Kansas City is unlikely to spend big money on a backup quarterback. If Uche starts to look like the player he was in 2022, the Chiefs won’t be able to afford to give Wentz $5 million to return in 2025. It won’t be a big deal for Kansas City, as their season goes down the drain if Patrick Mahomes gets hurt anyway. This is likely a mutual split this offseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs went out and brought in Hopkins to bolster their wide receiver room after multiple injuries ravaged the group. Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown are both expected to miss the season, and Hopkins is the player tasked with becoming the Chiefs’ go-to target for Mahomes on the outside.

But wide receivers are expensive. Hopkins is no exception, even at 32 years old, and he will hit the free agent market this offseason. With multiple teams likely to bid for his services, there’s almost no chance the Chiefs will spend the money to bring him back – especially if they want to stick with Uche. Uche, if he returns to form, will be looking at a decent sized deal himself. Pair that with other signings the Chiefs will need to make and it’s very unlikely Hopkins will be brought back in 2025.

Hopkins caught two passes for 29 yards in his Chiefs debut. Those numbers should only improve as he gains confidence and comfort in Andy Reid’s offense. If Hopkins can improve his production between now and the end of the year, he’ll get a heck of a payday this offseason, even if he’s not the force he once was.