3 Chiefs on the Hot Seat During the Second Half of Season

The Kansas City Chiefs just suffered their first loss of the 2024 season, a pretty remarkable feat all things considered. Everyone gives the Chiefs their best game every week, and the Chiefs have lost just one game since last Christmas (against the Las Vegas Raiders).

Pretty impressive, to say the least.

But along with that expectation of winning comes an expectation of consistent performance. The Chiefs have had several players stepping up this season due to injuries on the roster, and a handful of those players are set to return shortly.

Given what's at stake for the Chiefs in the coming weeks/months, which players could be benched if they don't do their part?

1. JuJu Smith-Schuster/Mecole Hardman

The Kansas City Chiefs have had a lot of moving parts at the wide receiver position this year, but they might suddenly find themselves with an embarrassment of riches.

The Chiefs lost Rashee Rice to injury and we don't know exactly when he will or could be coming back. Rice's loss prompted the Chiefs to bring in the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster after he was cut by the Patriots and then traded for DeAndre Hopkins, who has been a nice fit for them so far.

One player we have yet to see on the field for a regular season game is Hollywood Brown, who was hurt on the first play of the preseason. Brown could be making his way back onto the field in December, and if that's the case, then the guys who are getting reps for the Chiefs at receiver right now need to take advantage of every opportunity.

Hardman and Smith-Schuster have already taken a backseat to a lot of other players in the Kansas City offensive arsenal. But they must continue proving their worth before Brown returns to the fold.