As the first real week of Chiefs training camp continues, the offensive side of the ball expects to look much different this year. Perhaps not much in personnel aside from Kenneth Walker III, hopefully playing a big part in reinvigorating the run game, but more in scheme and tactics.
Patrick Mahomes, by all accounts, looks better than anybody could have imagined coming off a torn ACL roughly seven months ago. While Chiefs fans all expect the three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback to return to his rightful spot atop the league's best signal-callers, the pieces around him need to step up to the plate, teammates and coaches alike.
Mahomes’ knee looking good. pic.twitter.com/Xo7DGp8DtT
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) July 30, 2026
Walker is a good start, but a healthy offensive line would do wonders for a guy like Mahomes, who may not be as mobile as he would be had he not been coming off such a massive surgical procedure. Everybody needs to step up, and below are three offensive players who, even if they perform well in 2026, could very well be playing their last season in a Chiefs jersey.
Who is on the chopping block after the 2026 season for the Chiefs on offense?
Rashee Rice
Rice enters his fourth campaign, with everything at his fingertips. His staying healthy for all 17 games and producing 110-1,200-8 is a very real possibility and would put Brett Veach in a very difficult scenario next offseason to either franchise tag and trade him or sign the much-maligned receiver to a long-term deal.
But if Rice either reaggravates his still-healing knee or gets into some more hot off-the field legal trouble at any point within the next 6-8 months, he could probably kiss his time in Kansas City goodbye. You couldn't ask for a more pivotal football season for a player than what awaits the 26-year-old, Rashee Rice.
Noah Gray
Entering last season, Gray was coming off a career year. Over 400 yards on 40 grabs and a handful of touchdowns was production enough to make it seem like his newly signed three-year, $18 million extension was more than worth it as Travis Kelce's backup.
But a career-worst 56.8 catch percentage last year on only 8.5 yards per catch, along with 21 grabs and zero scores, soured Chiefs fans quickly on Gray. He remains the entrenched TE2 behind the future Hall of Famer Kelce, and needs to have a bounce-back season. If not, Kansas City can easily cut ties with Gray and save $6 million in cap space in 2027.
Jaylon Moore
The lone big man not fully guaranteed a starting spot on this year's offensive line is right tackle Jaylon Moore. Currently in the last year of his two-year deal with the Chiefs and a pricey $18.6 million cap hit this year, it seems, based on financials, that it should be the veteran Moore's job to lose.
It appears that Kahlil Benson will get his second straight day of work at starting right tackle.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) July 31, 2026
However, early in training camp, it's been 2026 UDFA Kahlil Benson who's been making some noise and may just Moore out of a spot. The Chiefs could use some cap space by cutting Moore and saving roughly $8 million to shore up the defensive edge unit or perhaps add another pass-catcher. Either way, it doesn't feel like Moore is in the Chiefs' future.
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