The Kansas City Chiefs played their second game of the preseason on Friday night, losing 33-16 to the Seattle Seahawks. One of the more surprising parts of this game was the fact that the Chiefs didn't play some key starters. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Trent McDuffie, and Chris Jones all sat out.
Typically, head coach Andy Reid has all the Chiefs starters play at least one drive in every preseason game. While Reid never provided a reason for why he chose to sit some starters this week, he already provided clarity on what the plan is for the final preseason game.
According to Harold Kuntz of Fox4KC, Reid announced on the radio broadcast last night that the ones will play against the Bears next Friday. Reid added, that was always the plan.
Per Andy Reid on the Radio Broadcast: "The one's are going to get some time against the Bears." Mentions that was plan all along #Chiefs
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) August 16, 2025
Chiefs Starters to Play in Preseason Finale
Reid's comments are what Chiefs Kingdom has been accustomed to during Mahomes' tenure as quarterback. Having the starters play in the final week of the preseason is smart since they won't be in pads again until Friday, September 5, against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil.
Moreover, it will be a good test to see where the Chiefs' starting offense is going into the season. Although the coverage on defense will be vanilla, the Chicago Bears' defense has been causing fits for opposing offenses during joint practices. This past Friday, Chicago hosted one of Kansas City's biggest rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
During that practice, the Bears' defense intercepted Josh Allen twice and recorded multiple different pass breakups. The week prior, Chicago dominated the Miami Dolphins, picking Tua Tagovailoa off three times. Entering that practice, Tua had thrown one interception in training camp.
If Chicago trots out their starters, Mahomes and the offense could use the game as a tune-up for two very important games to open the season. As mentioned earlier, Kansas City plays the Chargers in Week 1. Coming out the victor in that game gives the Chiefs an early lead in the division.
The following week, Kansas City has its Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though Chicago's defense isn't up to the level of the Eagles right now, it may not end up being too far off by the end of the 2025 season.
If Mahomes and the Chiefs' starting offense are able to perform well against the Bears' starting defense next week, it could mean big things are coming for the Chiefs' offense in 2025. Chiefs Kingdom should definitely be watching the starters with lots of intention next Friday.