The Chiefs’ preseason opener will come with a few notable absences, starting at quarterback.
Kansas City is set to face the Los Angeles Rams today at Arrowhead, but the Rams are not planning to start top pick Ty Simpson, according to a report from Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. Instead, coach Sean McVay is expected to go with Stetson Bennett, a choice that lands with a bit of extra edge after McVay’s icy initial reaction when Simpson was unexpectedly taken in the first round.
Bennett is projected to back up quarterback Matthew Stafford, though Stafford will not play in this one. The fourth-round pick from 2023, who starred at Georgia, has still not appeared in a regular-season game. He’ll be trying to build on a strong preseason last year, when he completed 69 percent of his passes for 512 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions, finishing with a 105.7 passer rating, per Simmons.
The Rams also have rookie quarterback Matthew Caldwell on the roster, and he could see snaps as well, with Simpson expected to follow Bennett at some point.
On the Chiefs’ side, Patrick Mahomes will also be held out, so the first game action for Kansas City fans will come from the backups. That means a look at Justin Fields and Garrett Nussmeier.
Fields has been something of a forgotten man in camp while the Chiefs keep the spotlight on Mahomes, who is rehabbing his knee after a serious injury. The team has been working with Mahomes under center and using occasional rollouts, while also featuring Kenneth Walker III as the lead running back after his big free-agent contract.
Nussmeier, a seventh-round pick out of LSU, is another quarterback who has flown a little under the radar. He had initial success in the SEC, and Kansas City will still be focused on getting the offensive install work in no matter who is taking the snaps.
The Chiefs will also be without defensive star Myles Garrett and receiver Puka Nacua. Nacua is dealing with what’s been called “deep core muscle tightness” after a controversial offseason, while Garrett has been managing knee issues following a big offseason trade from the Cleveland Browns.
In Other News...
Chiefs Fans Facing Dangerous Arrowhead Heat For Saturday's Preseason Game
Saturdays preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium is shaping up to be a test of endurance before it is a test of football. With high temperatures and an even more punishing heat index expected, first responders are urging fans to treat the trip to the stadium like a serious heat safety event, not just another summer kickoff. The reminders are familiar but important: start hydrating early, keep water and electrolytes coming, and take advantage of any shade or cooling options available once inside.
For fans making the trek, the advice also includes easing up on alcohol and caffeine, both of which can make it harder to stay ahead of the heat. Stadium cooling stations are part of the plan, but the larger message is simple enough for a late-summer afternoon in Kansas City: prepare before you arrive, keep an eye on how you feel, and do not wait until you are already overheated to look for relief. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Could Find Tight End Help In One Overlooked Rams Battle
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One of them is Davis Allen, a fifth-round pick who has flashed as a blocker but has had limited chances to make his mark as a receiver because of the competition in front of him. Kansas City has reason to keep an eye on that matchup, especially as it looks for more help in tight end blocking, and the preseason meeting with the Rams offers a useful chance to see whether Allen fits that need if he becomes available. [Read more 🡒]
Ex Chiefs Safety Opens Up After Suspension And Painful Family Setback
Nazeeh Johnsons move away from Kansas City has already come with an unexpected hurdle, as the former Chiefs safety and cornerback, now with the Titans, was handed a six-game suspension by the NFL for violating the leagues PED policy. Johnson said the positive test stemmed from fertility medication he was taking while he and his wife were trying to conceive, and he said he was unaware the treatment contained a banned substance. It is the latest twist for a player who had carved out a role in Kansas City before seeking a fresh start elsewhere.
Johnson and his wife have also been open about the fertility challenges they have faced, adding a deeply personal layer to a situation that is usually discussed only through league discipline and roster fallout. The suspension has made an already difficult period even heavier, with the couples recent loss leaving the football side of the story secondary to everything happening off the field. For the Chiefs, it is a reminder that one of their former defensive backs is navigating far more than a standard NFL setback. [Read more 🡒]