The Kansas City Chiefs capped off a six-day streak of training camp practices Saturday morning and will enjoy a well-needed and deserved off day on Sunday before they get right back at it for another four straight.
Tempers were high today as multiple small scuffles broke out among Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Kingsley Suamataia, getting into a shoving match, as well as Kenneth Walker basically plowing Alohi Gilman to the ground after words were exchanged following a hard shoulder-to-shoulder bump.
Boys, I’m a K9 guy. pic.twitter.com/66WQpsfUsU
— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) August 8, 2026
Head coach Andy Reid has never encouraged these types of high-energy shoving battles during camp, but a hard-nosed football coach like him, of course, behind closed doors is all smiles when he sees things like this. Guys are fighting for their jobs day after day. And they're three weeks in, battling in 90-degree weather, living in tiny shared dorms at Missouri Western State University. And as long as nothing goes overboard, it's all well-spirited competition.
Walker was without a doubt the Chiefs' most meaningful addition on the offensive side of the ball. His arrival in KC immediately elevated the entire running back room worlds better than the past couple of seasons. But where does every offensive position unit rank going into the 2026 season as currently constructed?
Chiefs should see major improvement on offense following key addition and updated scheme
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes still exists, so quarterback remains the strongest position unit on offense. And by all accounts from reports out of camp, aside from wearing a protective brace on his left knee, you'd never know Mahomes tore both his ACL and LCL seven months ago. He's running around, putting pressure on it, and as always, zipping the ball down the field.
But let's not forget backup Justin Fields, who is probably the most Mahomes-like backup the Chiefs have had over the past decade. Fields provides mobility, speed, and athleticism to the QB room as well as 53 career starts. And rookie seventh-round pick Garrett Nussmeier has been impressing through camp and may force the Chiefs to carry three QB's on the 53-man roster, something they don't usually do.
Offensive Line
Despite what the vast majority of the NFL media has spread, the Chiefs' offensive line enters the 2026 season with the potential to be a truly elite unit. We know what Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith provide at center and right guard, respectively. Simply outstanding, top-tier play. And Kingsley Suamataia had quite the second-year breakout last season, taking over at left guard, allowing only three sacks on nearly 1,100 snaps.
Where the rubber will meet the road is at offensive tackle. Josh Simmons, last year's first-round pick, has performed tremendously in camp so far and could very well prove to be Mahomes' blindside protector for the rest of the quarterback's career. As of now, there seems to be a two-man battle at right tackle between veteran Jaylon Moore and UDFA Kahlil Benson. Either way, 80% of the Chiefs' offensive line projects to play anywhere from really good to All-Pro level, with a serviceable RT. That has the makeup of a special front five.
Running Back
We already touched on Walker, but his addition to the Chiefs cannot be overstated. The reigning Super Bowl MVP has amassed over 1,100 yards from scrimmage three of his four years, and ranked sixth in the league last season with 33 explosive runs (10-plus yards). He's the best running back Mahomes has had the pleasure of playing alongside since the beginning of the 2018 season, when he got to enjoy 11 games out of prime Kareem Hunt, who scored 14 touchdowns in that span.
Emari Demercado is a solid backup who also provides a little bit of everything. He's explosive in the running game, strong at a stout 5'9", 215 lbs, is a good receiving threat, and an excellent pass-protector. Rookie fifth-rounder Emmett Johnson has flashed in camp, as has second-year man Brashard Smith, who may just be this offense's Swiss Army Knife this year.
Wide Receiver
Receiver is the first position group that I begin to have some serious doubts about. But if everything goes well, then they could be really dangerous. This offense's number one target, once again, projects to be fourth-year man Rashee Rice. Despite his off-field troubles, Rice enters 2026 healthy, with nothing looming over his head in quite some time. If he plays a full season at his capacity, lots of problems will be solved.
Next is Xavier Worthy, the former first-round selection who enters a pivotal year three. Tyquan Thornton impressed last year, garnering career-high numbers in catches, yards and TDs. He's becoming a favorite target of Mahomes. And rookie fifth-rounder Cyrus Allen, believe it or not, is getting compared to four-time pro-bowler Stefon Diggs by people inside the Chiefs building, according to SI's Albert Breer.
After that, the depth chart is barren of proven talent. Nikko Remigio is a returner only. Jalen Royals might simply be what his draft pedigree says he is. A fourth-rounder. And other than Andrew Armstrong, who has created some hype, there is no one else worth mentioning. If the trio of Rice-Worthy-Thornton can stay healthy and play well, then great. Add in Cyrus Allen providing some real production, great. But those are a lot of IF's that have yet to be answered.
Tight End
It feels wrong having tight end last on this list when Travis Kelce is still bumbling around the practice fields. He prepares for his 14th and what might be his last NFL season. However, the soon to be 37-year old and recently married to somebody named Taylor Swift, tight end still put up over 800 yards and five scores in 2025. I have no doubts Kelce will provide the same production this season.
Multi-year backup Noah Gray expects to put together a bounce-back campaign after a career-worst 56.8 catch percentage in 2025 and fewer than 200 yards. After those top two, the Chiefs possess a bevy of young guys hungry to prove themselves, but the lack of blocking-first tight ends on the roster is all too apparent and a major concern. Especially for a team that wants to get back to displaying more under-center runs and play-action dropbacks.
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