The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 3 preseason tie with the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks by a measly score of 9-9 was the calm before the storm that is cutdown day across the NFL. By 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 30, every team across the league will have to cut their roster down from the current 90-man squad into a band of just 53 men to make the active roster ahead of the regular season.
Kansas City's roster will look much different from a year ago in some position rooms, and somewhat identical in others. General manager Brett Veach made sure of both. It'll be up to him, Andy Reid, and the rest of the Chiefs' front office and coaching staff to come to a conclusion on how they want the '26 roster to shape out in its first iteration.
Keep in mind that due to the Chiefs' poor 6-11 season a year ago, they "benefit" from having the ninth slot in the waiver wire. After each roster is whittled down to 53 players, within the next 24 hours, by 12 p.m. Arrowhead time on Monday, Aug. 31, teams, in order of the wire, will basically have a draft of players to pick up who didn't make it to sign to either their 53-man roster or 17-player practice squad.
All of this is to say that the top 45 or so guys on the Chiefs' initial final roster are likely safe and will not be demoted for a new player from a different team within the span of less than a day. However, those last few guys who barely squeak by and make the roster? They are not safe.
With all that in mind, let's get to it!
Brett Veach and company have some tough decisions to make ahead of cutdown day on Sunday, August 30
Quarterback (3) - Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier
I know it's shocking; Patrick Mahomes made the team. What many did not expect, however, is that as you're reading this, the expectation far and wide is that the three-time Super Bowl MVP will be ready to go for Week 1 on Sept. 14, despite tearing his ACL roughly eight months ago.
Justin Fields performed admirably in the preseason, controlling the offense well and utilizing his versatility in the run game to make plays. He should be Mahomes' backup for the duration of the season. It's rare for Reid and the Chiefs to keep three signal-callers on the active roster, but Nussmeier's preseason performances should be enough to make the Chiefs believe he'd be scooped up by another team if they try to stash the seventh-round rookie on the practice squad.
Running Backs (4) - Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado, Emmett Johnson, Brashard Smith
A completely remade running back room is exactly what the Chiefs have needed for a couple of years, and now they finally have it. Reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III should bring not only an elite weapon in both the run and pass game, but also create explosive plays left and right. He adds proven star power to an offense that, quite frankly, has not had much of that since Tyreek Hill left, aside from Mahomes and an aging Travis Kelce.
The three behind Walker all provide KC with a different flair. Demercado is the team's best pass-blocking back and has been the Chiefs' first option as a third-down pass-catcher out of the backfield in the preseason. The fifth-round rookie Johnson looked more like a day-one or two pick on the field in preseason action, and Brashard Smith sealed his spot on the roster with an impressive performance yesterday and should act as this team's secondary returner and gadget guy on offense.
Wide Receiver (7) - Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals, Cyrus Allen, Nikko Remigio, Andrew Armstrong
Rice, Worthy, and Thornton have been roster locks from day one. What each will be able to consistently provide is a different question. I'm both excited for the ceiling that could be, and terrified for what we know the floor is. Jalen Royals enters year two, and I thought looked the best he ever has in a Chiefs jersey versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second preseason game.
Another fifth-round playmaking rookie who flashed all training camp and preseason long has been Cyrus Allen. I think the first few weeks will be somewhat quiet from him, as Reid typically refrains from playing rookies all that much. But once the season gets older, I think Allen finds his way into more snaps game by game and pretty soon becomes a valuable piece of this offense.
Part of this list is what I think the Chiefs should do, and part of it is what I think the Chiefs will do, perhaps to my dismay. Nikko Remigio, sadly, falls in the latter part of that. He clearly remains Dave Toub's favorite option as the primary return man on special teams. The last spot was a tough one and came down to whether the Chiefs decide to keep four tight ends or seven wide receivers. I chose second-year UDFA Andrew Armstrong, who had his best showing last night with over 50 yards on five catches.
Tight End (3) - Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jake Briningstool
It's a thin room, no doubt about that. But what the Chiefs and I should not do is plug in another body just to shore up the depth, even if that player is not deserving of a spot, i.e, Jared Wiley. Travis Kelce enters his age-37 season and remains a top-six option at the position. He may not be Mahomes' primary target on every snap. That should be Rice and Worthy. But Kelce can still go out there and give KC 700-800 solid yards and a few scores.
Perhaps the most pivotal upcoming season for his football career, Noah Gray needs to bounce back from a putrid 2025 season and not only pick up some of the receiving slack, but also be at least an average blocker despite his smaller frame. Rookie UDFA Jake Briningstool has looked better than any other Chiefs tight end in the receiving game, and at 6'6", 240 lbs at least has the bigger body of a good blocker.
Offensive Tackle (4) - Josh Simmons, Jaylon Moore, Kahlil Benson, Esa Pole
Tackle is another room that has slowly begun to scare me over the last couple of weeks, and with good reason. Josh Simmons' back injury continues to be a mystery and something that sounds like it could seep into the regular season. Nevertheless, when healthy, the first-round pick from a year ago has the potential to be an All-Pro left tackle.
Jaylon Moore and Kahlil Benson's battle for superiority on the right side has been ongoing, but I think it was sealed in the Bucs game. Neither looked good, but Benson was atrocious, making way for the veteran Moore to own the spot for now. Esa Pole hasn't impressed by any means, but the Chiefs don't have many options here, and he knows the system well.
Offensive Guard (3) - Trey Smith, Kingsley Suamataia, Joshua Ezeudu
This should be pretty easy to sum up. Trey Smith is awesome and one of the best right guards in the game. Kingsley Suamataia's ascension last season, switching from left tackle to left guard, was one of the best coaching jobs last year. And recently traded for, career guard/tackle hybrid Joshua Ezeudu provides this team with some proven experience as well as some upside. Also, I will be apoplectic if the Chiefs decide to give Mike Caliendo the nod.
Center (2) - Creed Humphrey, Hunter Nourzad
Perhaps less shocking than Mahomes making the roster is Creed Humphrey. He's the best center in football, and it's not particularly close. Hunter Nourzad is really the team's only option at backup center, but that doesn't mean he's terrible. In fact, I feel like the Chiefs would be okay if Humphrey were to miss a couple of games and Nourzad had to perform in his absence.
Defensive Tackle (4) - Chris Jones, Khyiris Tonga, Peter Woods, Marcus Harris, Omarr Norman-Lott (PUP)
No, I haven't gone insane; I know there are five names up there for d-tackle. Omarr Norman-Lott tore his ACL in Week 7 last season, and while his recovery, by all accounts, has gone well and he's getting closer to a return, stashing him on the PUP list for the first four weeks of the season seems like the obvious decision. He wouldn't count against the roster during that time, and it would give him ample time to get back to the field 100%.
In other news, Chris Jones made the roster because he's a pretty darn good football player. Free agent addition Khyiris Tonga should be the best nose tackle the Chiefs have employed in a number of years. He also, believe it or not, at nearly 340 lbs, provides some juice in the pass rush.
First-round rookie out of Clemson, Peter Woods, impressed throughout training camp and got better each preseason game. He shouldn't see many double teams next to Jones and Tonga, making him a sneaky threat as a guy who could make a living torturing lesser guards in one-on-ones. The Chiefs may have found something in backup nose tackle Marcus Harris. He had a fantastic performance versus the Seahawks last night and is on track to make his first-ever 53-man roster as a soon-to-be 26-year-old.
Defensive End (5) - George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Emmanuel Ogbah
Karlaftis is an easy lock and a guy the Chiefs should feel blessed to have, who can play 80% of the snaps game in and game out. Because the rest of this room has a lot of unknowns. Ashton Gillotte's progression from a foot injury remains just that: a progression. There's no guarantee he'll be able to suit up Week 1.
Which forces second-round rookie R Mason Thomas and former first-round draft bust Felix Anudike-Uzomah into the fire. Both have looked impressive this preseason, and to an even greater extent, Thomas, whose explosiveness and tight bend on the edge have been something to behold.
And then we have Chiefs 2019 Super Bowl champ Emmanuel Ogbah, who returns to the team healthy. His name probably carries more weight than his current version on the football field at 32 years old. But he can't be worse than Mike Danna last year. Right?
Linebacker (5) - Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Jeffrey Bassa, Jack Cochrane, Cooper McDonald
One of the more underrated free agency departures in my mind is Leo Chenal. He did so many things for the Chiefs in so many different areas, which is hard to replicate. Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill are the team's top two starters and will play nearly every snap there is when healthy.
Jeffrey Bassa has gotten better every step of the way, and Steve Spagnuolo seems to trust him enough to put him on the field for first-team reps. His speed and athleticism will be a huge boost to this unit. Jack Cochrane is still on this team, maybe to some people's dismay. And rookie Cooper McDonald is another UDFA who has been slowly rising up the depth chart throughout the summer.
Cornerback (6) - Nohl Williams, Mansoor Delane, L'Jarius Sneed, Chris Roland-Wallace, Kristian Fulton, Jadon Canady
Losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson is notable, no doubt. But the fact that second-year man Nohl Williams has looked every bit a rising star this offseason, and sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane has flashed insane potential lately, eases my concerns about the Chiefs' CB room.
Veterans L'Jarius Sneed and Kristian Fulton hopefully each have one more good season left as primary backups. Jadon Canady, this year's fourth-round selection, hasn't made much noise, good or bad. His 2026 season should be mostly watching and learning all he can.
And Chris Roland-Wallace, who could've been slotted at corner or safety, is one of the Chiefs' X-factors on defense this season. He's got years of knowledge now in the system, can play multiple spots, and brings a little fire to the room.
Safety (4) - Alohi Gilman, Chamarri Conner, Jaden Hicks, Xavier Nwankpa
The veteran safety free-agent addition, Gilman, has a lot on his plate from the jump. He is meant to be Spagnuolo's mind and voice on the back end of the defense, as well as performing his job to a high standard. Chamarri Conner should be in store for a solid season, hopefully seeing more reps at safety than nickel corner.
Jaden Hicks enters year three and looks like he's taken a jump physically, but even more important, mentally. If he can diagnose plays and be in the right spots at the right times, Hicks' stock should only continue to rise. Yet another rookie UDFA, Xavier Nwankpa, makes the team, as the 6'2" safety out of Iowa has flashed in preseason and seen a surprising amount of first-team reps.
Special Teams (3) - Harrison Butker, Matt Araiza, James Winchester
The Chiefs would have gone 2-1 in the preseason had Harrison Butker just made all of his kicks. Sure, the 69-yard bomb was awesome and eased concerns over his power, but the consistency has been the bigger issue as of late. The Chiefs' special teams performance starts with him. He's paid like the best kicker in the world; he needs to go out and prove why.
Matt Araiza has gotten better, I think, in his time with the Chiefs and hopefully has a little control over where the ball ends up, as his power is of no concern. James Winchester is the long snapper and the second-longest-tenured Chiefs player on this team behind Kelce.
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