The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to release one of their postseason heroes in Frank Clark, who is third on the all-time playoffs sack list.

Clark joined the team in 2019 via trade from the Seattle Seahawks after the 2018 AFC Championship game exposed the need for better pass rushers. This was especially true considering both Dee Ford and Justin Houston would be out of town the following season.

So the Chiefs traded for Clark, who at that time was coming off of a 13-sack season. He would then become a two-time Super Bowl champion, and register 23.5 regular-season sacks in four years for the Chiefs.

It's unclear as to whether or not Clark will play for the Chiefs in 2023. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the two sides were unable to find common ground on a reworked deal. Therefore, the Chiefs are expected to release Clark.

Per Spotrac, cutting Clark saves the Chiefs $21 million in salary cap space, so it was a move most saw coming, as he had the second-highest cap hit on the team behind Patrick Mahomes.

But, Clark's time in Kansas City may not be done.

Earlier this week, The Athletic's Nate Taylor reported that it was possible the Chiefs would cut Clark and then pursue him this free agency.

One of the most logical ways to achieve such a task is to release Clark prior to 3 p.m. CT on March 15, the start of free agency. Releasing Clark would create $21 million in salary-cap space while also taking a $7.6 million cap hit in dead money, according to Over The Cap.

If that possibility becomes a reality, Chiefs GM Brett Veach stressed that the Chiefs will be competitive in the open market to re-sign Clark, the nine-year defensive end who led the team in the postseason with 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits.

It's an interesting move, but a risky one, at best. There are plenty of teams that need pass-rush help and said teams just so happen to have a good amount of cap room. 

The Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons are the first three that come to mind and they all have at least $40 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.

In other words: They can pay Clark a lot of money.

The good part is the Chiefs and Clark have had such an illustrious relationship together over the last four seasons. Brett Veach made that more than clear when he spoke at the combine.

“The good thing for us is that we have these strong connections with these players that have played here a long time,” Veach told reporters, via The Athletic. “They love being here. That’s a good starting point for us. The bonds that we have with these players, and the fact that we have a long track record with them, helps us buy more time.”

That's certainly a help, but we're talking about a two-time Super Bowl champ that has one more chance at landing a big-time contract. Those two factors are plenty of reason to favor the money instead of giving the Chiefs a hometown discount.

It'll certainly be interesting to see how things play out from here.