6 Chiefs Playing for Their Jobs in Training Camp
The Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII victory is firmly in the rearview mirror now that this year's training camp is right around the corner. It's an exciting time to be a Chiefs fan as head coach Andy Reid's staff weeds out the roster pretenders from the contenders, hoping to walk away with the best 53-man group possible to chase a third consecutive championship.
Some players — like Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones — will enter training camp without a worry as their roster spots are more than secure. Not every Chiefs player has that luxury, though, as some individuals will be fighting just for the chance to be considered for a backup role.
With that in mind, here are six Chiefs who are fighting for their jobs in training camp 2024.
1. Deneric Prince, RB
The top of the Chiefs' backfield will be unchanged from last year as Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are both returning to lead the charge. The pair formed a reliable tandem in 2023 as they combined for 1,158 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 275 total carries.
Second-year RB Deneric Prince is also set to return, however, his roster spot is less than secure.
Prince, 24, joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Tulsa rusher garned attention during the preseason by turning 22 carries into 79 rushing yards and a touchdown, earning himself a spot on Kansas City's practice squad for the regular season. Even though he was activated twice, he played all 15 of his snaps on special teams.
While some Chiefs fans were ready for Prince to see an expanded role, he has some competition in his way. For starters, Kansas City also brought back Keaontay Ingram, who tallied 181 scrimmages yards and a touchdown with the Arizona Cardinals across the two previous seasons.
Secondly, there's also rugby-turned-football player Louis Rees-Zammit, who's slated to compete for the RB3 spot, per The Athletic's Nate Taylor. Taking the NFL's new kickoff rules into account, it's easy to see why the Welsh product might have an edge in this competition.
Unless he shows at training camp that he can be No. 3 on the RB pecking order, Prince might spend next season on the practice squad again (or with another organization entirely).