Report: Chiefs to release DE Frank Clark after contract talks fall through
Frank Clark’s time with the Kansas City Chiefs is coming to an end.
The Chiefs are expected to release the defensive end in the coming days according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chiefs and Frank Clark’s agent Erik Burkhardt were unable to find common ground on a reworked deal during several conversations at the combine and the expectation now is that Kansas City will release the 29-year-old DE who is the NFL’s third all-time leading postseason sack… https://t.co/IqjwATIWSt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2023
Clark and the Chiefs have been trying to work out a new deal for the 29-year-old, however the two sides apparently couldn’t come to an agreement after their latest discussions last week at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
Clark was set to enter the final year of a two-year, $30 million deal. The move is expected to clear about $21 million in salary cap space.
Clark had 39 total tackles and five sacks last season while helping the Chiefs win a second Super Bowl in four years. He has 13.5 sacks in the postseason, which is the third-most in league history. He’s the highest active player on that list, too. Clark had one solo tackle in the Chiefs’ 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII last month.
It’s unclear where Clark will land once the Chiefs officially release him, though he’s sure to garner plenty of interest across the league. The former Michigan standout spent his first four seasons in the league with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft. He was then traded to Kansas City ahead of the 2019 draft.
The news about Clark’s release came after the Chiefs opted not to place a franchise tag on offensive tackle Orlando Brown. The two sides now have a week to agree on a new deal, or Brown will become a free agent.