The Kansas City Chiefs are making sure one of the most important players on their offensive line is going to be sticking around with the team for a while.
The team has reportedly signed starting center Creed Humphrey to a four-year, $72M contract extension that includes $50M in guarantees, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That contract makes Humphrey the highest-paid center in NFL history.
Humphrey joined the Chiefs as a second-round pick in 2021 and has been an instant starter and impact player on the Chiefs’ line. Center is not always viewed as a premium position — at least not compared to left tackle, quarterback or wide receiver on the offensive side of the ball — but they can be extremely valuable when teams hit a home run with a star at the position.
The Chiefs did exactly that with Humphrey.
They are basically the leader of the offensive line in terms of calling out assignments and protections, while Humphrey is also a dominant pass-protector for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Along with his pass protection skills, he has also been an extremely durable player and has not missed a game in his three seasons as a starter. He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, second-team All-Pro and a two-time Super Bowl champion.