Arrowhead Pride

Running back Demercado is part of the revamped running back room. The source expects the Chiefs will keep all four of Walker, Smith, Johnson, and Demercado on the final 53-man roster, though one will probably be declared inactive on game days.

Second-year running back Smith has widely been reported to be Kenneth Walker's immediate backup and is seeing substantial work with the starters. The source expects Smith to be kept on the final 53-man roster.

Rookie running back Johnson is competing for playing time in the revamped running back room. Whether Johnson is a major part of a new focus on the run game remains to be seen. At camp, second-year man Brashard Smith has widely been reported to be Kenneth Walker's immediate backup and is seeing substantial work with the starters. The source expects the Chiefs will keep all four of Walker, Smith, Johnson, and Emari Demercado on the final 53-man roster, though one will probably be declared inactive on game days.

Running back Walker, signed by the Chiefs, is expected to be heavily involved in the offense both as a runner and a pass catcher. The source notes the Chiefs didn't sign Walker to essentially leave a sports car parked in the garage, implying Andy Reid will call more running plays to utilize him. Walker is expected to be on the final 53-man roster.

Former Chiefs second-round pick Moore may not have developed into a serviceable NFL player, but Kansas City's coaches did him no favors early in his career. They instantly ignored the route running he showed at Western Michigan and tried to force return-game work on him while hoping for a Tyreek Hill clone.

Wide receiver Rice and Cyrus Allen probably both will always be best when lined up in the slot, but they are very different players. Rice has feasted on the yards-after-the-catch role when available, a strength that Allen's 5-11, 183-pound frame is not well-suited for.

Wide receiver Allen, a fifth-round pick, shows definite signs he could be in the starting lineup at some point this season and enter 2027 as a surefire starter. At 5-11 and 183 pounds, his frame is not well-suited for the yards-after-the-catch role that Rashee Rice has feasted on, but Mahomes has appeared to have a connection with Allen, who is probably already a better pure route runner than Rice will ever be. The source compared Allen to Emmanuel Sanders after the draft, and the Chiefs see similarities to now Washington Commanders wideout Stefon Diggs (also a one-time fifth-round selection). The team is allowing Allen to simply be himself rather than forcing return-game work on him as they did with Skyy Moore.

Tight end Watson is competing with Jared Wiley and Jake Briningstool for the tight end depth chart behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. The order among these three is one of the most important things to watch in the preseason.

Tight end Briningstool is competing for depth chart position behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. Prime opportunities for Briningstool could be interpreted as bad news for Gray's roster security.

Tight end Wiley is competing with Jake Briningstool and Trey Watson for the tight end depth chart behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. The order among these three is one of the most important things to watch in the preseason.

Tight end Gray had a brutal 2025 season and some camp reports have not been encouraging. With the Chiefs tight against the salary cap, Gray's non-guaranteed $4.7 million base salary is one of the few realistic moves to open spending room. Gray will likely play with whichever starters suit up in the preseason, but the source has a hard time seeing the Chiefs moving on from him given the inexperience in the rest of the tight end room. However, prime opportunities for similar player Jared Briningstool could be interpreted as bad news for Gray.

Kelce is expected to have a light workload (if any) in the preseason as Patrick Mahomes is likely to have limited action. The source does not expect to see much of Kelce until the games matter.

Rookie Nussmeier has performed well in camp and shown strong improvement from the offseason program, but virtually every reported highlight shows him throwing to the team's deep depth skill players. There are no signs the Chiefs are thinking of Nussmeier supplanting Justin Fields as Patrick Mahomes' primary backup. His primary goal is to play well enough in the preseason to scare the Chiefs into thinking he could be claimed on waivers if they try to sneak him onto the practice squad; strong play paired with film room smarts would give him a good chance to be the Chiefs' primary backup passer in 2027.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson expressed uncertainty about his offseason trade request, stating 'I haven't really talked to my agent about that recently, I haven't really talked to anyone about that recently, so I'm not necessarily sure what's going on with that.' Reports from Indianapolis training camp suggest poor prospects for Richardson winning the backup job behind starter Daniel Jones, with head coach Shane Steichen indicating that Richardson and Riley Leonard will split snaps in the preseason opener against New England, with the starting assignment still undecided.

Star running back Christian McCaffrey missed his first training camp practice on Monday with what the team called 'tightness,' though the specific location was not disclosed. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak indicated the 49ers are not concerned about the injury, characterizing it as injury management: 'No, just managing. A little sore, but he's doing fine, so we're just managing him as we go.'

Patrick Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl MVP, has participated in every 11-on-11 segment of training camp and continues to work his way back from last season's knee injury. He demonstrated his classic off-balance throwing ability on Saturday, firing a pair of near-identical passes across his body while on the run to receivers in the middle of the field, including throws to Andrew Armstrong and Nikko Remigio.

The source identifies Rashee Rice as key to the Chiefs' offensive explosiveness, stating 'It all depends on if they can trust and count on Rashee Rice' for the team to have an explosive passing game. This frames Rice's reliability and trustworthiness as central to the offense's ability to perform at a high level.

Cyrus Allen has demonstrated two standout traits in training camp: he has a feel for finding open space on the field that pairs well with Patrick Mahomes' style, as shown in a 7-on-7 drill where he found open space behind linebackers Nick Bolton and Jack Cochrane in the corner of the end zone; and he actively works back to the football rather than waiting passively for the ball to arrive, positioning himself to make receptions or draw penalty flags.

Reserve tight end in competition for snaps in tight end rotation; Andy Reid pointed to Watson as being right in the mix alongside Jake Briningstool when discussing competition in the tight end room; part of good group of young, big, strong guys competing for positioning.

Second-year tight end in competition for snaps in tight end rotation; praised Bieniemy's return, noting his voice, coaching points, and energy are infectious; Andy Reid highlighted Briningstool's ability to stay on the field as his key challenge and noted he has been doing that; competing alongside Tre Watson as reserve tight end.

Incumbent tight end competing for snaps behind Travis Kelce; jockeying with Noah Gray for positioning in tight end rotation; part of competitive group that Andy Reid noted is battling for snaps.

Incumbent tight end competing for snaps behind Travis Kelce; jockeying with Jared Wiley for positioning in tight end rotation; part of competitive group that Andy Reid noted is battling for snaps.

Star tight end in his 14th camp; making it difficult for coaches to evaluate backups due to his dominance and reluctance to leave the field; Andy Reid noted that Kelce will fight to stay in if he likes the next play, and shares competitive energy with younger tight ends while challenging them; his presence is beneficial for development of backup tight ends.

Starting wide receiver had biggest day of all team receivers on Monday; Patrick Mahomes made two beautiful passes to Thornton streaking downfield in seven-on-seven periods, both finishing as deep touchdowns; demonstrating strong connection with quarterback.

Rookie wide receiver back in mix with starting offense in team periods; scored touchdown in seven-on-seven red zone period, demonstrating chemistry with Patrick Mahomes in scramble drill; showing early promise in competitive receiver room.

Second-year wide receiver from Utah State starting in camp alongside Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton; has had an up-and-down camp with flashes on Saturday but quieter performance on Monday; Andy Reid noted he is getting better and faster every day but emphasized need to stack good days and not drop off in performance.

Starting wide receiver for Kansas City Chiefs; part of starting three-receiver group alongside Tyquan Thornton and Jalen Royals during Monday's practice.

Wide receiver walked down the hill in pads on Monday but did not participate in team periods for the most part, indicating limited availability or role in team drills during this camp practice.

Undrafted rookie running back whiffed on pass-protection rep against undrafted rookie linebacker Wesley Bissainthe during one-on-one period; Bieniemy loudly critiqued the rep and made the two repeat it, indicating development need in pass protection.

Running back received hands-on coaching from Bieniemy during pass-protection drill, with intensity applied after each rep; part of running back rotation being developed under returning offensive coordinator.

Running back received hands-on coaching from Bieniemy during pass-protection drill, with intensity applied after each rep; part of running back rotation being developed under returning offensive coordinator.

Wide receiver with a knee injury increased his participation in practice on Monday, completing most of the practice; Reid noted 'Rice did most of the practice.'

Wide receiver with a shin bruise increased his participation in practice on Monday; Reid provided positive feedback, saying 'Cyrus got some good work in today.'

Wide receiver returned to the field on Monday in limited fashion after a shoulder injury.

Remigio has maximized his role in Kansas City and the return job should be handed off to Brashard Smith. The source notes there is 'more to find out about Royals and Armstrong,' but 'that's more than can be said about Remigio,' suggesting limited upside ahead. Remigio was an exclusive-rights free agent returning with a new contract extension in March.

Nussmeier has an extended opportunity to compete for the QB3 job, and his preseason performance could have massive implications for his roster status. He will receive his first real opportunity to play with the rest of the squad and may receive snaps with first-team starters. If he plays poorly, the Chiefs could decide to run with two quarterbacks on the active roster and leave Chris Oladokun on the practice squad. Nussmeier cannot be placed on the practice squad like Oladokun as a drafted rookie and would have to clear waivers first.

Johnson, a fifth-round draft pick from Nebraska, is competing for the second running back role. He has been getting reps with the second team in recent practices. The Chiefs are looking to improve explosive runs and identify their top short-yardage back from the second RB group.

Demercado is competing for the second running back role behind Kenneth Walker. He has been getting most of the second-team reps in recent practices alongside Brashard Smith and Emmett Johnson. The Chiefs are looking to identify their top short-yardage back from this group.

Smith is the only Chiefs player in the second RB group returning from last season and is the most versatile option. Andy Reid emphasized that the team is 'moving him all over the place' and singled out Smith's improved pass-blocking ability. Smith is competing for the second running back role and getting second-team reps in recent practices.

Mahomes is recovering well from his knee injury and has participated in every 11-on-11 segment of training camp so far. The source notes that every report out of camp reads like he isn't coming off a nasty knee injury, suggesting he is completely fine. Head coach Andy Reid seems to be strongly 'leaning' toward Mahomes not playing in the preseason opener against the Rams.