Frank Clark’s contract is extremely intriguing heading into the 2023 NFL offseason. Let’s take a look at Clark’s current contract, his 2023 salary cap number for the Kansas City Chiefs, and what options the team has when it comes to managing that cap.
Frank Clark’s Contract Details
Clark’s contract is a two-year, $30.175 million deal that includes $8.275 million in guarantees. His average annual salary is $15.088 million, and the contract contained a $4.55 million signing bonus. In 2023, Clark will count for $30.175 million against the Chiefs’ salary cap, with a base salary of $20.5 million.
This contract for Clark is intriguing because it replaces the final two years of his previous deal with the Chiefs. Following a trade in 2019, Clark had signed a five-year contract with Kansas City that was worth $104 million. However, with a cap number of over $26 million in 2022 and 2023 — and $40 million outstanding in cash — the Chiefs and Jones re-worked the deal.
MORE: 2023 NFL Salary Cap Space by Team
That has left Clark’s contract looking rather complicated. There is still $5.2 million a year in prorated signing bonus from that original deal, as well as $1.6 million a year in prorated money from a restructure. Therefore, the combined cap number of the two years of this deal is much higher than the sticker price of $30.175 million.
The 2023 season will see Clark count for that $30.175 million against Kansas City’s salary cap — the third-highest number for an edge rusher. Included in that cap number is $1.5 million from earned incentives in 2022. Jones earned a $1 million incentive for reaching 60% playing time and $500,000 for the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win. If Kansas City wins the Super Bowl, there will be another $1 million incentive to be added.
Jones’ 2023 cap number breaks down as follows:
- Salary: $20.5 million
- Signing Bonus (Prorated): $6.075 million
- Per-Game Active Bonus: $500,000
$29,411 per game (15 LTBE) - Restructure Bonus (Prorated): $1.6 million
- Earned Incentives: $1.5 million
>60% playing time + playoffs: $1 million
AFC Championship Win: $500,000 - 2023 Cap Number: $30.175 million
The Chiefs do have some options when it comes to Clark’s contract. With no remaining money guaranteed, releasing or trading Clark would leave behind $9.075 million in dead money.
Alternatively, Kansas City could look to either extend Jones or restructure the deal and add void years to spread some of the cap hit into 2024. The Chiefs could shift as much as around $16 million of his cap into the future if they extend the deal or add four void years.
Clark’s Net Worth
The majority of estimates of Clark’s net worth place it at $74 million. However, there is one estimate of Clark’s net worth at $20 million. The $74 million estimate seems high given Clark’s NFL career earnings of $81.327 million to this point. Yet, those estimates may take into account other ventures that Clark has.