The morning after another sobering Chiefs playoff exit, Tamba Hali set a loose timeline for his own career. The longtime Kansas City pass-rusher intends to play at least one more season, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).
Paylor adds Hali would like to play four more seasons, despite seeing his sack total decline considerably in 2016. Signed to his third Chiefs contract last March, he’s on Kansas City’s books for two more years.
Hali has battled injuries in recent years but has been available for the Chiefs when needed, having never missed more than a game during a season. And the AFC West champions required the veteran’s services this season due to Justin Houston‘s long absence. But the 33-year-old blindside rusher’s role decreased in his 11th season, with Dee Ford playing nearly 300 more snaps than the veteran’s 599. The former first-round pick finished with just 3.5 sacks — the second-fewest he’s registered in a season. Although, Hali still graded out as the Chiefs’ best edge defender in the opinion of Pro Football Focus.
Hali signed a three-year deal worth $21MM last year and stands to see his cap number balloon from $3.8MM this season to $8.58MM in 2017. The Chiefs’ method of backloading contracts included Hali’s, helping to give the franchise scant cap room with which to work as of now after it re-signed Hali, Derrick Johnson and Jaye Howard in the most recent free agency period.
Next season, the Chiefs figure to shift Hali to a pass-rushing specialist role as Ford and Houston stand to comprise the team’s first-string outside linebackers.
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