The Chiefs are getting close to the hard part of roster season. In a couple of weeks, Kansas City will trim its offseason group from 90 players down to 53, and a lot of bodies will be pushed out of the picture. Some will land on practice squads, some will hit waivers, and some will simply be out of luck.
After the first preseason game, a few names already look like they need a fast turnaround. The trip to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday could be especially important for three players trying to change the conversation.
Jason Brownlee is one of them.
The wide receiver logged just 3 snaps in Preseason Week 1, a rough number for a player who was in a much better spot a year ago. Brownlee put together such a strong preseason last summer that the Chiefs carried him on the active roster into last season, but that momentum never really carried over. During the regular season, he played only 28 snaps across 5 games before ending up back on the practice squad.
This offseason, Brownlee was supposed to have a chance to build on that experience. Instead, he has been easy to overlook while other receivers, including Andrew Armstrong, have drawn more attention at camp.
After two seasons with the Jets, he came to Kansas City looking for a cleaner path forward. So far, though, the opener against the Rams gave him very little room to make that case.
EJ Smith is in a similar spot.
The rookie free agent out of Texas A&M has made it clear he wants to be known for more than being Emmitt Smith's son, and Kansas City gave him the chance to start writing his own NFL story. Running backs coach DeMarco Murray, who recruited him out of high school, had an early hand in bringing him in. But the rebuilt backfield has kept Smith from standing out, and his 3 snaps against the Rams did him no favors.
Smith actually saw less action than Jaydn Ott, another priority free agent who is also expected to be a likely cut when roster reductions arrive. Murray's support helped get Smith into camp, but the rest has to come from his own performance. Right now, his stay looks like it could be brief.
Then there’s Mason Pline, whose path to this point has already been anything but ordinary.
Pline made the jump to the NFL in 2024 after years at Ferris State and Furman, landing with the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie free agent. He stuck there for more than a year before getting cut ahead of his second season, then caught on with the New Orleans Saints, only to lose that chance to an IR stint.
Now he’s with the Chiefs after taking Wanya Morris’s spot in the trade with the Falcons. He’s trying to carve out a role in a tight end room that already includes fellow undrafted players Jake Briningstool and Tre Watson. The problem is that those players are already behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, with Jared Wiley also possibly ahead of him.
Pline got only 6 snaps in the first preseason game, which leaves him needing more chances against Tampa Bay just to get on the staff’s radar. For players like these, every snap matters now.
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Kareem Hunt Could Become A Familiar Chiefs Problem In The AFC West
Kareem Hunts return to Kansas City in 2024 gave the Chiefs a familiar presence in the backfield and produced his best rushing totals since 2020, a reminder that he could still be useful in the right role. Even so, Kansas City chose not to bring him back for the 2025 season, leaving the veteran running back on the open market after a stretch in which his touches had steadily been trimmed.
Now there is at least a possibility that Hunt could end up in the AFC West again, this time with the Raiders, who could use a seasoned runner to complement rookie Ashton Jeanty. For Chiefs fans, the idea of Hunt staying in the division is the kind of subplot that always gets attention, especially when it involves a player who already knows Kansas Citys system and could wind up in a spot where he might matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Fans Have One Chargers Cut To Watch Very Closely
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For the Chiefs, the interest goes beyond simple division rivalry. Their pass-rushing depth has been tested by injuries and uneven production, which means a young edge player with some pedigree could suddenly look a lot more attractive if he reaches waivers. Kennard may not be a headline name yet, but this is the kind of roster cutdown subplot that can matter in Kansas City if the right opening appears. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Bring Back A Familiar Name As Camp Concerns Grow
With training camp exposing some early depth questions, the Chiefs added two familiar faces to the mix by signing offensive lineman Kellen Diesch and linebacker Cam Jones. The moves come as Kansas City looks to shore up both the offensive line and special teams, areas that can quickly become problematic once the pads start coming on and roster battles intensify.
Jones brings a bit of team familiarity back into the building, having previously spent time with the Chiefs as well as the Jets and Giants, and his special teams background gives him a clear path to factor into the competition. To make room, Kansas City waived defensive end Anthony Dunn and offensive lineman Matt Waletzdo, a reminder that these camp transactions are as much about sorting out depth as they are about finding the right fit. [Read more 🡒]