The first real football action for the Kansas City Chiefs was back Saturday afternoon, as KC hosted the Los Angeles Rams for a Week 1 preseason showdown. While neither starting quarterback played, among other superstar talents, like any NFL game, there are still things to take away.
The final score of 20-12 was not in favor of the Chiefs, as they failed to score a touchdown, managing a total of four Harrison Butker field goals. It was a good day from Butker with a long of 59 yards, and a mixed day from special teams in general. As has been the case for years under Dave Toub.
Much of the game was decided in the fourth quarter when the Rams found the end zone twice, icing the game well before the clock hit zero. It marks the seventh consecutive preseason loss for the Chiefs dating back to the 2024 season.
Despite that, some players still showed out today in a big way. Others, not so much. So let's get into the Chiefs' biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of preseason.
Winners
Garrett Nussmeier
The seventh-round rookie quarterback performed quite well in his first-ever real NFL action. He played the entirety of quarters two and three, leading three field-goal drives under constant pressure from the Rams' front four and having to overcome countless penalties from a weak backup Chiefs offensive line.
Nussmeier finished the game 13-for-19 through the air for 98 yards and would have tacked on an incredible 94-yard, would-be touchdown had fourth-year receiver Jason Brownlee hauled in the easy catch. It looks like the Chiefs might have a long-term backup option for the rest of Mahomes' career.
Emmett Johnson/Brashard Smith
Both Johnson and Smith shared the workload of touches out of the backfield for the first three quarters. Johnson was the more efficient runner with 59 yards on 12 carries, bouncing off would-be tacklers and making multiple 10-plus-yard plays, while Smith only had 21 yards on eight carries, but he tacked on a couple of catches and got a long run play called back. His pass-game prowess and acceleration were in full effect.
Smith was a guy who needed to show improvement from year one to year two during this three-game preseason stretch to cement himself a spot on the final 53-man roster. And so far, he's off to a good start. It might sound like hyperbole, but based on Johnson's limited work, he could very well have been the best running back on the roster last year. And Kenneth Walker III didn't even play more than three snaps, pointing to an exciting Chiefs backfield for the first time in years.
Jaden Hicks
The third-year safety is entering a pivotal campaign where he will either rise or fall behind for good. Saturday's game was a step in the right direction toward being taken out of Steve Spagnuolo's doghouse. Much of Hicks' production came in the first half, where he led the team with six tackles (one TFL), along with a pass deflection in the end zone to prevent a touchdown.
Hicks is a bulkier build at safety at 6'1", 215 lbs, and could really be an imposing presence among the Chiefs backend alongisde veteran Alohi Gilman and Chamarri Conner. Spags loves to run three-safety looks, so he should be encouraged by Hicks' performance today.
Losers
Entire Chiefs backup O-line
If you tuned into any part of the game, you probably caught a flag or two called on the Chiefs' offensive line. Well, there were more than just a couple. It was constant, and seemingly a different guy every time. The Chiefs ended the game with 12 team penalties for 83 yards, much of it coming from the backup line.
While starters Creed Humphrey, Kingsley Suamataia, and Josh Simmons performed well in very limited action, when they came off the field, it was a different story. This is one of the exact reasons Eric Bieniemy was brought in as the returning offensive coordinator. Because when he sees a problem, it's addressed to the max until it is fixed. Expect a much better performance from the big fellas up front going forward.
Jalen Royals
The Chiefs' depth at receiver is questionable, to say the least. Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton are the entrenched starters. And while Cyrus Allen has been a training camp darling and Nikko Remigio projects to make the team based on his returning duties, second-year man Jalen Royals continues to get passed over on the depth chart.
His performance today didn't exactly help him all that much, as he tallied just two catches for 17 yards and got called for offensive pass interference on a would-be big play from Brashard Smith in the running game. My gut still tells me that Royals makes this team, but his role doesn't seem to be growing, and if he doesn't put together strong back-to-back games going forward to close out the preseason he might get left in the dust.
Add us as a preferred source on Google