The Los Angeles Rams opened the 2026 preseason by beating the Kansas City Chiefs 20-12 on Saturday, and for Kansas City, the night was less about the final score than the roster tape it created.
That’s the reality of games like this. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice stayed on the sideline on offense, while Mansoor Delane, L’Jarius Sneed and Chamarri Conner did the same on defense. Even with so many familiar names out, the Chiefs still had plenty to sort through, especially on the back end of the roster.
One sequence changed the feel of the game. Kansas City was protecting a 9-6 lead and had to punt out of its own end zone.
Matt Araiza didn’t appear to get the hang time he wanted, Xavier Smith ripped off a 40-yard return, and the Rams suddenly had the field flipped in their favor. From the Chiefs’ 23-yard line, first-round rookie Ty Simpson and six-string running back Dean Conners needed just four plays to reach the end zone and put Los Angeles ahead 13-9.
For the Chiefs, safety Jaden Hicks was one of the clearest bright spots. The third-year defender has spent the past two seasons fighting for a bigger role after entering the league as a promising fourth-round pick, and Saturday gave him the kind of film he needed.
Steve Spagnuolo said before the game he wanted to see sound tackling, and Hicks answered with seven tackles in the first half, including an open-field stop on third down late in the second quarter. He also broke up a pass in the end zone after quick pressure from R Mason Thomas nearly turned it into an interception.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah also flashed in a way Andy Reid has been talking about. Reid has pointed to the defensive end’s improved get-off, and Saturday offered a strong example when Anudike-Uzomah was blatantly held and still got to the quarterback quickly after a botched third-down snap.
On offense, Kansas City gave its starting line one series, with Kahlil Benson at right guard and Jaylon Moore at right tackle. Benson looks locked in as a starter for now, and he’ll move back outside once Trey Smith is cleared from his hip injury.
At quarterback, Justin Fields looked sharper than he had for much of training camp. He went 4 for 4 for 41 yards before handing things over to rookie seventh-rounder Garrett Nussmeier in the second quarter.
Reid clearly wanted a longer look at Nussmeier, who stayed in the game into the fourth quarter. The rookie managed the offense well, but he missed Cyrus Allen on an underthrown pass that had touchdown potential.
That kind of chance is precious now with one fewer preseason game than before, and making that throw would have changed the tone of his night. He nearly made up for it later with a deep ball down the left sideline to Jason Brownlee, who looked to have simply dropped what could have become a 94-yard touchdown.
Allen’s camp form carried into the opener. He made two catches that stood out, including one where he had to go up for the ball and another he secured with tight coverage nearby. Jalen Royals caught both of his targets.
The run game brought another useful evaluation point. Emmett Johnson, a fifth-round pick this year, showed the kind of vision that got him drafted.
He may still need work as a pass protector, but his cuts showed up on a third-down screen late in the second quarter that was wiped out by a holding penalty, and again on his runs early in the second half. Johnson also had a touchdown erased by a questionable holding call on Hunter Nourzad.
He finished with 12 carries for 59 yards, a 4.9-yard average.
His workload said plenty too. Reid seems to view Brashard Smith as the second back right now, though Johnson may earn a longer look when training camp resumes Monday. Emari Demercado didn’t get his first touch until the fourth quarter.
The penalty count was another issue, and that’s the kind of thing Reid won’t like, even with backups on the field.
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