The Kansas City Chiefs’ revamped secondary wasted no time showing why it’ll be one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 season. With so many new faces and young players stepping into bigger jobs, the first preseason game gave a useful first look at who’s already grabbing hold of opportunities.
Jaden Hicks was the clearest bright spot. He looked active from the jump, finishing with seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defensed.
Hicks was quick to the ball and helped cut down some early rushing production from the opposing offense. Just as important, he wrapped up well and didn’t miss those chances.
He has flashed versatility before, but this third season in the Chiefs’ system is about turning that into steady playing time. With the back end so different now, a performance like Saturday’s helps his push.
Kristian Fulton also drew attention, though for a different reason. He’s one of the harder players to read on the roster bubble.
Injuries limited him during training camp last year, and that lack of work showed in a role that never became what many expected. Even when he saw more action late in the season, the results were uneven.
That’s why his workload in the preseason opener stood out so much. Fulton was on the field for parts of several quarters, worked in coverage, came downhill against the run, and even took special teams reps.
That kind of usage suggests he still has plenty to prove if he wants to survive the roster crunch.
Among the undrafted rookie safeties, Xavier Nwankpa made the stronger impression over DeShon Singleton. Both were worth tracking, but Nwankpa seemed to find the ball more often and showed the kind of style that can matter when coaches start sorting out the back end.
His ability to contribute on special teams also fits what this staff tends to value. He didn’t separate himself completely, but he did enough to stay in the mix.
Jadon Canady, meanwhile, showed what the rookie learning curve looks like in the NFL. The speed of the game appeared to catch up to him at times.
He reacted late to route breaks, had to chase receivers down the sideline, and didn’t always take the best angles to the ball. It was a rougher debut than some of the other young Chiefs who flashed, and he’ll be looking for a cleaner showing in the next preseason game as he continues to work through the early stages of his development.
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Three Undrafted Chiefs Just Made Roster Cuts A Lot Harder
The Chiefs opened their 2026 preseason with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but the bigger takeaway for roster watchers was how many undrafted players helped make the picture more crowded. Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, tight end Jake Briningstool and cornerback Melvin Smith each found ways to get noticed, and that matters this time of year when every snap can shift a depth-chart conversation.
Armstrong flashed as a dependable target and showed he can contribute beyond the catch point, while Briningstool kept popping up as a reliable option in the passing game. Smith, meanwhile, is starting to draw attention as one of the lesser-known names trying to force his way into the discussion, and performances like this are exactly why the Chiefs final cuts may be tougher than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Roster Battle Just Got Much Tougher After First Preseason Game
The Chiefs are back in training camp after their first preseason game, and the loss to the Rams gave the staff another set of live reps to sort through before roster decisions start to harden. As always in August, the game itself mattered less than the auditions, and Kansas City came away with a sharper look at where the bottom of the 53-man roster is getting crowded and where the team still needs answers, especially after seeing how the quarterbacks and running back depth handled the moment.
A few of the postgame observations also point toward position groups that could become especially interesting once the Chiefs resume practices. The roster picture is still very much in motion, with coach comments and game-day usage offering clues about who is safe, who is fighting uphill and which players may be forcing the team to rethink some of its assumptions before the next preseason test. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Face One Massive Mahomes Problem Heading Into 2026
The Chiefs spent part of their offseason trying to take some of the burden off Patrick Mahomes, and the logic is easy to follow. Kansas City added Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado and Emmett Johnson as part of an effort to strengthen the running game and help in pass protection, a clear sign the team wants a more manageable path for its quarterback after last seasons injuries changed the feel of the offense.
Mahomes is back in training camp in 2026 and working with the first unit, which is encouraging on its face, but his return comes with an obvious layer of caution. The larger question for Kansas City is not whether he can line up and throw, but how comfortable the offense will look as he adjusts to playing with a knee brace and how much the Chiefs can lean on the ground game to keep him from having to carry everything again. [Read more 🡒]