As he pulled into a Salvation Army donation center in February, Dustin Colquitt reached for his phone, scrolled through his contacts and called a number toward the bottom of the list.

As the line trilled, pinging Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, Colquitt crossed his fingers.

His contract was up, and as a 36-year-old veteran, he was the oldest member of a team that seemed to get younger by the day.

A call to his blunt boss could either reassure him or give him a reason to start packing his bags.

Today's top news by email

The local news you need to start your day

Recaptcha requires verification.