The Chiefs’ preseason opener gave a much sharper look at where several roster fights stand, and in a few spots the picture already feels pretty settled.
Kansas City has until August 30 at 3 p.m. Arrowhead time to trim its roster to the initial 53, and this year’s process is a little different.
Instead of a string of smaller cut-down dates, the Chiefs will make the move all at once. That means the picture can still shift over the next few weeks, but the first preseason game already offered some useful clues.
At quarterback, the name that matters is Garrett Nussmeier. He looked good in his professional debut, and with the draft pedigree he brought into the 2025 season, it’s difficult to see the Chiefs getting him through to the practice squad. If Kansas City wants to keep the seventh-round pick, it likely has to do it on the 53-man roster.
Running back looks fairly straightforward. Kenneth Walker, Emari Demarcado, Emmett Johnson and Brashard Smith are the four projected to make it.
Smith and Johnson both handled a heavy workload in the opener, while Demarcado getting fourth-quarter snaps turned some heads. Still, his clearest path to meaningful snaps remains pass protection, where he stands out.
Johnson and Smith can also help in the return game.
The receiver room is more interesting at the margins than at the top. The main names are set, but Royals, Remigio and Armstrong are the ones to watch.
Remigio has apparently earned the all-important approval of special teams coordinator Dave Toub. Royals has had an uneven camp, but Kansas City may be hesitant to move on from a fourth-round pick after only one year.
Armstrong also helped his case with some notable blocking in the first preseason game, and if he can chip in on special teams, he has a real shot. The Chiefs have carried seven or eight receivers in recent years.
Tight end is expected to be a three-man group with Travis Kelce, Noah Gray and Jared Wiley. There have been flashes from undrafted players like Jake Briningstool and Tre Watson, but if Kansas City keeps three quarterbacks and seven receivers, the room elsewhere gets tight fast. Watson and Briningstool look more like practice squad candidates.
Up front, the biggest question is still the right tackle job and how much depth the Chiefs want to carry. Benson and Moore continue to trade reps, but both are considered locks.
Their ability to move around at tackle and guard makes it more realistic for Kansas City to keep just nine offensive linemen. Pole can handle either tackle spot, Caliendo can work at guard and Nourzad is the center option.
Even so, the depth is a concern, and a waiver claim would not be a surprise since the Chiefs are higher in the order than usual.
On the defensive line, the recent addition of Emmanuel Ogbah fills out the group. With only three interior defensive linemen, Anudike-Uzomah, Ogbah and Karlaftis may have to slide inside at times until Omarr Norman-Lott returns. There’s a pretty clear pecking order here, and the bubble looks thin.
Linebacker appears to be another area where Kansas City will lean heavier than many teams. Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Jeffrey Bassa, Cooper McDonald and Jack Cochrane are the projected five.
The Chiefs usually value linebacker depth because of special teams, and Bassa, McDonald and Cochrane all look like four-phase players. The real competition is mostly about LB4 and LB5.
The secondary is crowded, and that’s by design. Nohl Williams, Mansoor Delane, L'Jarius Sneed, Kristian Fulton, Chris Roland-Wallace, Jadon Canady, Kader Kohu, Alohi Gillman, Chamarri Conner, Jaden Hicks and Xavier Nwankwa are all projected to stick.
It’s a heavy group, but youth and injury risk are part of that. L'Jarius Sneed is on serious load management, and Kristian Fulton has never played 17 games in a season.
Right now, the slot job looks like Chris Roland-Wallace’s to lose. The one name that seems most vulnerable is Kader Kohu, who looks like the third option at slot and is on a one-year deal.
Rookie UDFA Xavier Nwankwa also appears to be in good shape as the fourth or fifth safety, depending on how Roland-Wallace is counted. He should contribute on special teams and as depth, and he’s done enough to make the team.
No surprises at specialist. Araiza has been developing into a very good punter, and Winchester is still the longest-tenured player on the roster.
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Simmons path to this point has already included a torn patellar tendon and a wrist injury, so the Chiefs knew they were betting on both talent and durability when they made him a premium selection. For now, the concern is less about a long-term alarm and more about keeping the line intact enough to get through camp with some continuity. Kansas City can afford patience in August, but every missed rep around Mahomes still feels a little more significant than it should. [Read more 🡒]