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[Kansas City Chiefs]

Mike Pennel signs with the Bengals

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel has been signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad.

Veteran DT Mike Pennel is signing with the #Bengals, per source. Practice squad initially with active roster capabilities.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 1, 2025

Pennel, 34, was a surprise release during the team’s final roster cutdown on Tuesday. It was initially assumed that this was the first move in a maneuver that would put another player on the practice squad after the initial 53-man roster had been set — but speaking to reporters on Thursday, general manager Brett Veach put a different spin on it.

“I think with every position group, we’re trying to get better, and we’re trying to add competition,” he said, per Chiefs Digest. “I think that was one position group we were trying to continually get deeper, get younger, get more athletic.”

Toward that end, Veach revealed that the team had been in negotiations with the Cleveland Browns to acquire defensive tackle Jowon Briggs, who was ultimately traded to the New York Jets. So the Chiefs traded with the Jets to re-acquire 29-year-old defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi. That led to Pennel’s release.

“I think when it came to Derrick, [it was] probably [a] similar level of play [to] what we’ve seen [from Pennel] — but both those guys have, over the years, played and helped us out in games,” explained Veach. “But I do think you take in [the] consideration [of] just the length of the season.”

This appeared to suggest that Kansas City was concerned Pennel might no longer be able to handle a full season with the Chiefs. It seems likely that in such a situation, the team would have wanted to put Pennel on its practice squad. Social media posts that some have interpreted to mean Pennel is angry with the team could indicate that he refused an offer to be on the Chiefs’ practice squad — but if that were the case, why would the Topeka native then accept an offer to be on the Cincinnati practice squad? Being signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad is exactly how he returned to Kansas City two years ago.

On Thursday, Veach indicated the team would welcome Pennel back in the right circumstances.

“I think we’d always be open to that for sure,” said Veach. “Mike’s a guy that, I mean, he’s a special human being — and we love Mike. He’s one of those guys that I feel every time we’ve gotten him back in short spurts, it’s been the best he has.

“I mean, even at his age, he’s a juice guy [and] he’s an energy guy. We love him, so [we’re] certainly keeping that door open as well. I think all options are open for us at that position.”

Pennel’s signing with the Bengals doesn’t necessarily close the door on a return to Kansas City. As long as he hasn’t been activated to the Cincinnati roster, the Chiefs could poach him at any time. And let’s not forget: the defensive tackle had been on two other NFL teams before he returned to Kansas City in 2023.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kansas-city-chiefs-roster/180578/mike-pennel-signs-with-the-bengals

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Arrowheadlines: Sim of 2025 season has the Chiefs and Eagles missing the playoffs

The latest​

2025 NFL season sim: Predictions, surprises, playoff teams | ESPN

Both Super Bowl LIX teams miss playoffs
Eleven months after the Chiefs and Eagles squared off in Super Bowl LIX, both teams cleaned out their lockers following Week 18. Neither managed to make it back to the playoffs, easily the shocker of the 2025 campaign in this simulation.
The Eagles were actually done before the final week. Thought to be infallible heading into the season, the Eagles were 5-4 after Week 10 — a game behind the Cowboys but still seemingly in control of their postseason destiny. But that turned into a 6-8 record, leaving Philadelphia in pure panic mode. In the end, the Eagles couldn’t make up the gap, falling short in the NFC East and wild-card battle.
The Chiefs’ collapse was much more startling. Kansas City controlled its destiny in the AFC West after beating the Broncos on Christmas Day to improve to 9-7. It needed to only to beat the Raiders to secure its 11th straight playoff spot. But Patrick Mahomes‘ clutch gene was nowhere to be found as the Chiefs fell 28-19, allowing the Broncos — who won their Week 18 game — to win the division on a tiebreaker. No wild-card bid for the Chiefs either.
The two defending conference champions weren’t the only surprising teams to miss the playoffs in 2025. The Commanders, 49ers and Packers all missed the postseason, too.

Each NFL team’s ceiling and floor for 2025: Who can knock off Eagles, Chiefs? Teams with no shot at winning? | CBS Sports

Ceiling: 15-2, win Super Bowl

The expectation in Kansas City is a world championship. The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in the past six years and have been to five of them in that span. They have the best head coach-quarterback duo in Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, never missing a conference championship game since Mahomes became the starting quarterback. Josh Simmons should solve the left tackle problem and Mahomes looks primed to have another MVP-caliber season. Let’s not forget the offense has more downfield playmakers and Travis Kelce appears ready for a bounce-back year. The Chiefs are going to be very good again.

Floor: 12-5, lose in conference championship game

A down year for the Chiefs is a conference championship game loss. That’s the standard Kansas City has set for itself in the Reid-Mahomes era. There are some cracks in the pipe for the Chiefs, as the left side of the offensive line has its flaws (even with Simmons) and the depth of this team will be tested. They also have won a lot of one-score games (11-0 last year), so a reversal of fortune may be in order. Regardless, the Chiefs are still one of the best teams in football. If Mahomes is on the field, they have an excellent shot at making a deep playoff run.

NFL Schedule 2025: Ranking Every Week 18 Option for ‘Sunday Night Football’ Flex | SI

10. Chiefs at Raiders

It seems fitting to have the Chiefs one spot ahead of the Cowboys, given the conversation in recent years about whether Kansas City has overtaken Dallas as the new king of television ratings. NBC similarly would be thrilled to have a bonus Chiefs game on the schedule in January. However, the schedule makers didn’t pair up K.C. with either of the AFC West teams that earned wild-card spots last season and are expected to contend. If Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly have the Raiders in the mix, this would be a great rivalry game to finish out the season. But in a world where the league really does prioritize playoff stakes over ratings for this time slot, this game has a ceiling.

Kansas City Chiefs Announce Partnership with Cheez-It as They Launch in Germany | The Mothership

Cheez-It, a fan favorite in the United States for more than a century, officially launched in Germany in August 2025 and is now available in more than 40,000 locations nationwide, including supermarkets, gas stations, and vending machines. Like the Chiefs, Cheez-It stands for excitement, entertainment, and loyal fans – making the two a natural fit.

“Cheez-It is one of America’s most beloved snack brands, and this partnership is a great way to share that tradition with fans in Germany,” said Kellen Begnoche, Chiefs Vice President of Partnership Strategy. “With Cheez-It making its debut, we’re thrilled to give fans another way to experience the thrill and flavor of NFL game day.”

Andreas Billker, Senior Marketing Activation Manager Salty Snacks for Kellanova adds: “Cheez-It is more than just a snack – it’s a cultural icon with deep roots in American fandom. Partnering with the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the most iconic franchises in American sports, is a natural fit for us. As we expand into Germany, we’re excited to bring the energy, passion and game-day spirit of both our brands to a whole new fanbase.”

2025 NFL projected win totals: Floor & ceiling for each AFC team | NFL.com

11.2 wins

Kansas City Chiefs

AFC WEST CHAMPIONS

Ceiling: 13.4

Floor: 9.5

Even with Rashee Rice suspended to start the season, I think we’ll see Patrick Mahomes bounce back near the top five of the passing leaderboards; he ranks in the top five in passing TDs in just over 35 percent of simulations. (For context, Joe Burrow has the highest odds to be in the top five, doing so in 57 percent of simulations.) Mahomes is my QB6 in fantasy (and Travis Kelce is my TE6).

Around the NFL​

Rams’ Matthew Stafford expected to start opener against Texans | ESPN

Stafford missed nearly the first month of training camp while dealing with the injury but has been a full participant in practice since his Aug. 18 return. McVay said Monday that Stafford will participate in the full week of practice leading up to the Rams’ Week 1 game against the Texans.

McVay also said left tackle Alaric Jackson, who is dealing with lower leg blood clots, participated in Monday’s practice. McVay said that although the blood clots will “always [be] something that you have to manage,” the plan is for Jackson to play against Houston.

“I do believe that we’ll be at our best with him out there,” McVay said.

Steelers starting RB Jaylen Warren signs 2-year extension | ESPN

The deal includes $12 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The deal also includes a $5.95M signing bonus, upping Warren’s pay to $7-plus-million in 2025 (he was due $5.346M on a restricted tender), a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Warren gets $5.05M in 2026 and $5.15M in 2027 for a total of $17.25M over three years, a source told Fowler.

Warren, who initially made the Steelers’ roster as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2022 after turning heads in his first training camp, enters the 2025 season as the team’s starting running back after three seasons as a complementary player to former first-round pick Najee Harris. The Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option and let him walk in free agency earlier this year, leaving Warren leading a position group that also includes rookie third-round pick Kaleb Johnson and former Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride​

Chiefs Roster: GM Brett Veach gives clarity wideouts, Mike Pennel cut

Without Rice — who is clearly the team’s top wideout — there will be more pressure on other wide receivers to produce during the opening weeks of the season. Veach believes rookie wideout Jalen Royals has a similar skill set, but he’s presently battling tendonitis. Still, Veach thinks there’s another wideout who can pitch in — and as long as veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster is on the team, Veach isn’t worried.

“I think both of those guys have a similar skill set,” said Veach. “Obviously JuJu’s been here for a while, and JuJu — to his credit — I think he looked better with this camp than he did the last camp he was here. He’s really taking care of his body, so that’s a good thing because we’re getting JuJu fresh and at the beginning of the season.”

Veach also addressed the situation with 34-year-old defensive tackle Mike Pennel — a fan favorite who was released at final cutdown. There was immediate speculation that Pennel would be brought back after another player had been placed on the Reserve/Injured list — a common tactic among GMs working to get their rosters to 53 men — but Veach said there is more to the story than that.

“I think with every position group, we’re trying to get better, and we’re trying to add competition,” he said, per Chiefs Digest. “I think that was one position group we were trying to continually get deeper, get younger, get more athletic.”

Social media to make you think​

Keep this in mind about the Chiefs during Prediction Week…. pic.twitter.com/OaVHyNqOsW

— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) September 1, 2025

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Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...as-the-chiefs-and-eagles-missing-the-playoffs

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs-Chargers Tuesday injury report: Only Jalen Royals is held out

Each practice day of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs release an official injury report leading up to the next game. This week, the Chiefs will be in São Paulo, Brazil to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday at 7 p.m. Arrowhead Time.

Here is the Chiefs’ first official injury report of the week:

Chiefs​

Player	Ps	Injury	Tue	Wed	Thu	Status
Jalen Royals	WR	Knee	DNP	–	–	–
Omarr Norman-Lott	DL	Ankle	LP	–	–	–
Jared Wiley	TE	Knee	FP	–	–	–
Hollywood Brown	WR	Ankle	FP	–	–	–
Jawaan Taylor	T	Knee	FP	–	–	–
Jack Cochrane	LB	Knee	FP	–	–	–
Drue Tranquill	LB	Back	FP	–	–	–
Kristian Fulton	CB	Knee	FP	–	–	–

Chargers​

Check back soon for the Chargers’ official injury report.

Some notes​

• Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid said that only rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) had been held out of that day’s practice.
• “Everybody else practiced [and] had a good day today,” said the coach, adding that the team will fly to Brazil on Wednesday and do a walkthrough practice (which the team would do on Saturday for a Sunday game) on Thursday.
• Reid didn’t mention that second-round rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (ankle) was a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice. We’ll see if he improves enough to play on Friday.
• It appears that all the other players who have been struggling with injuries in the last couple of weeks will be good-to-go for the game — including cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee), right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee), linebacker Drue Tranquill (back) and wide receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle).
• Asked how he was feeling, Brown had a direct answer for reporters. “Feeling good,” he said. “Blessed. Real good.”

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...y-injury-report-only-jalen-royals-is-held-out

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs open 2025 season against Chargers: Everything we know

• Chiefs-Chargers Wednesday injury report: Jalen Royals staying home
• Dave Toub: ‘We’ll see’ about potential field issues against Chargers in Brazil
• Chiefs-Chargers Tuesday injury report: Only Jalen Royals is held out
• Rookie Josh Simmons is ready for first NFL test in Brazil
• Chiefs open as favorites over the Chargers in Week 1
• NFL power rankings Week 1 roundup: Chiefs near the top
• Steve Spagnuolo: It takes a while before you know what you have on defense
• Chargers WR Ladd McConkey has the Chiefs’ attention
• Chiefs preparing to see familiar — but highly respected — Chargers squad
• Chiefs may have to count on JuJu Smith-Schuster to fill Rashee Rice’s role

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...25-season-against-chargers-everything-we-know

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs-Chargers Wednesday injury report: Jalen Royals staying home

Each practice day of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs release an official injury report leading up to the next game. This week, the Chiefs will be in São Paulo, Brazil to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday at 7 p.m. Arrowhead Time.

Here is the Chiefs’ second official injury report of the week, which is an estimated statement:

Chiefs​

Player	Ps	Injury	Tue	Wed	Thu	Status
Jalen Royals	WR	Knee	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT
Omarr Norman-Lott	DL	Ankle	LP	LP	–	–
Jared Wiley	TE	Knee	FP	FP	–	–
Hollywood Brown	WR	Ankle	FP	FP	–	–
Jawaan Taylor	T	Knee	FP	FP	–	–
Jack Cochrane	LB	Knee	FP	FP	–	–
Drue Tranquill	LB	Back	FP	FP	–	–
Kristian Fulton	CB	Knee	FP	FP	–	–

Chargers​

Check back soon for the Chargers’ official injury report.

Some notes​

• Since the Chiefs are spending the day traveling to Brazil, there was no Wednesday practice. So this week’s second injury report is estimated; today’s entries are the same as yesterday’s.
• The team has announced that rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals is not making the trip to São Paulo. He has officially been declared out for Friday’s game.
• Second-round rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (ankle) was a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice. We’ll see if he improves enough to play on Friday.
• It appears that all the other players who have recently been struggling with injuries will be good-to-go for the game — including cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee), right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee), linebacker Drue Tranquill (back) and wide receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle).
• The team will do a walkthrough practice (which the team would do on Saturday for a Sunday game) on Thursday. The final injury report will be issued after that session.

For the Tuesday injury report, click here.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...eek-1-injury-report-jalen-royals-staying-home

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Let’s Argue: There is little to complain about

In our “Let’s Argue” series, our Mark Gunnels considers the hot takes, wacky predictions and unpopular opinions of Kansas City Chiefs fans from all over the world.

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The Chiefs’ defense has a lower ceiling in 2025​

I think the defense has a lower ceiling this season.

— Squabb Tonyan  (@emceereach) August 25, 2025

I actually believe the opposite.

With the losses of Justin Reid, Turk Wharton and Mike Pennel, it’s clear general manager Brett Veach and company are going with the youth movement — although the unit’s core with Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie remains intact.

But it’s going to come down to players like George Karlaftis, Leo Chenal, Jaden Hicks, and others to determine how good or bad this unit will be. That’s why I believe the ceiling is higher, while the floor is probably lower.

At the end of the day, I trust defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

The Chiefs should have kept Justin Reid​

Shoulda never let J Reid go.

— Rx13yz (@Rx13yz) August 26, 2025

This ties into what I just said.

While they aren’t exactly equivalent players, Justin Reid played Tyrann Mathieu’s defensive role during the past three seasons. Reid brought tenacity, physicality and leadership to the back end.

Now, it’ll be up to Bryan Cook and Jaden Hicks to take over that role.

The Chiefs should lock up Isiah Pacheco​

I think the Chiefs should lock up Pacheco now while his 4th year still offers much cap flexibility.

— Mr.Brownstone (@FFBallAppraiser) August 26, 2025

The Pacheco discussion has been flying under the radar.

All the talk — and deservedly so — has been about the future of two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. According to reports, the two sides are holding off on contract discussions until after the season. There’s no doubt in my mind that both want to get a deal done.

Chris Jones has been the defensive anchor for the last seven years. As he grows older, it would make sense for McDuffie to start assuming his role as the unit’s leader.

There’s even been some whispers of a potential Rashee Rice contract in 2026.

But as far as Pacheco goes, we haven’t really heard much. Before the 2026 season, he’ll turn 27. That isn’t old by any means, but it’s trending toward the running back’s dreaded thirtieth birthday.

While he clearly wasn’t the same after returning from injury last season, Pacheco has now had a full offseason to recover — and after seeing him run in the preseason, it looks like he’s got his juice back.

Considering how thin the team is at running back — and assuming Pacheco stays healthy — I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Chiefs bring him back on a two or three-year deal.

There is little to complain about​

There is little to complain about.

— Reagan’s America (@ReaganGOP8084) August 26, 2025

I absolutely love this response.

If you’ve been a Chiefs fan before this run, you should have a great appreciation for what we’ve witnessed over the last seven years.

Far too often, Kansas City fans complain about the organization’s front office and coaching decisions. I’m not going to say that Brett Veach, Andy Reid and the rest are above criticism.

Nonetheless, 31 other fanbases would gladly trade places with Chiefs Kingdom.

We should never forget that.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...-hots-takes-there-is-little-to-complain-about

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

The Chiefs’ 3 biggest questions against the Chargers

Throughout the season, I’ll be looking at three questions I have for each of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ upcoming opponents. For Week 1, Kansas City faces a familiar foe: its AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers. Here’s what I’ll be looking for when the game starts.

1. Can the Chiefs’ pass rush overwhelm the Chargers’ offensive line?​

Season-ending injuries are terrible — particularly when they happen before it gets underway. During the offseason, the Chargers’ Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater tore his patellar tendon. He will not play in 2025.

But even before the injury, there were some question marks about the Los Angeles offensive line. While Slater and Joe Alt looked elite at tackle, the interior of the offensive line wasn’t even close to that level. And despite being bad in 2024, the Chargers didn’t do much about it for 2025.

Los Angeles did sign Mehki Becton from the Philadelphia Eagles — but while he had a great 2024 season, he has health concerns. He missed three weeks of training camp with an undisclosed injury. But aside from him, the Chargers have the same interior players who struggled last year.

And with Slater out, they must now deal with a concern at right tackle, because Alt has moved to the left side. Going into the season, this might be a bottom-5 offensive line. This allows Kansas City to get its pass rush going early. If I’m to believe the defensive line can improve from a subpar 2024, I’ll need to see the Chiefs impact the pocket throughout the game.

2. Can the Chiefs’ offense be explosive against Jesse Minter’s defense?​

One of last season’s surprises was how well the Los Angeles defense played. In the Brandon Staley era, the unit was a disaster. The team didn’t make any meaningful personnel moves before defensive coordinator Jesse Minter took over, so it was unclear whether the former Michigan coach could make a big improvement.

But in his first season, the Chargers’ defense dramatically exceeded expectations. Even with some shaky performances against top offenses, Los Angeles finished seventh in total success rate — fourth in passing and 15th against the run. Considering his personnel limitations, Minter did a tremendous job — and his defense played a big role in getting the Chargers into the playoffs.

Minter’s defense got the job done by keeping a lid on explosive downfield plays, relying on deep zone coverage to protect it over the top. This allowed defenders to rally to the ball. Since it didn’t have the bodies for it, the unit didn’t blitz or use man coverage. Instead, it forced opposing offenses into long drives — and made enough stops to make it a top-10 defense.

So for the Chiefs, the challenge will be to find explosive plays against Minter’s defense. Throughout the offseason, we’ve heard about Kansas City taking more deep shots — but against the Chargers’ defense, those might not be available. How can the Chiefs create some explosive plays?

Los Angeles plays with very light boxes, so there should be opportunities for the Chiefs to be explosive on the ground. If Isiah Pacheco is going to have a great year, we should be able to see him get into space on Friday night. This will also be a great test for Kansas City’s wide receivers. Will they be able to break tackles — something they couldn’t do often enough in 2024? The wideouts are clearly more dynamic. Will that translate to success?

3. What can we expect from the Chiefs’ run defense?​

During the preseason, we saw Kansas City’s run defense struggle — especially against the Seahawks, who gained 268 yards on the ground. I try not to take much away from any preseason game — but in Seattle, the run defense looked pretty shaky.

Besides… we know the Chargers are going to run the ball. Even with their bad offensive line (and poor running backs) in 2024, they were committed to establishing that identity — because that’s what any team with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman will do. While the offensive line is still an issue for this season, Los Angeles did invest a first-round pick into running back Omarion Hampton — and signed Najee Harris in free agency, too.

In this game, Hampton will probably be the main rusher. His combination of power and explosiveness reminds me of Joe Mixon — and I think the Chargers will feed him touches to limit what their offensive line has to do in pass protection.

For the Chiefs, I’m primarily interested in seeing how the safeties will do against the run. In 2024, Justin Reid played a key role in the run defense. He could target and tackle running backs one-on-one, which allowed the team to have a great run defense — even while using a quarters-based coverage scheme. Will the guys replacing Reid be able to do that? Hampton is a home-run threat on any play, so Kansas City’s safeties will be the last line of defense. I’ll be interested to see how they perform.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...5/3-biggest-questions-against-chargers-week-1

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

5 things to watch as the Chiefs play the Chargers in Week 1

On Friday night, the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs will open up the 2025 season against the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil. After a long offseason, the Patrick Mahomes era continues — giving Kansas City another chance to compete for an NFL Championship in Super Bowl LX.

Entering their second season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles hopes to build upon a strong 2024 campaign in which it made the postseason, but was eliminated by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.

This early AFC West showdown could end up being an important factor in the 2025 season.

1. Field conditions​

In last season’s inaugural NFL game in Brazil — a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles — the headlines weren’t about the Eagles’ victory. Instead, they were dominated by the field conditions — which appeared to have played a role in an injury sustained by Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love.

The NFL has assured both teams that field conditions have been improved, but it will be worth watching whether this poses an issue to either team.

2. Defensive tackle rotations​

The Chiefs made headlines by releasing veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel at the 53-man cutdown. After being a key piece on the 2019 and 2020 teams, Pennel rejoined the team in 2023, adding another Super Bowl ring and playing a crucial role on the defense’s running downs.

Pennel then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad, which effectively ended his second Kansas City stint. Since he had been in the team’s starting rotation for most of training camp, Pennel’s release was surprising — even though right before his release, the Chiefs had made a trade to bring defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi back to the squad. In March, the team had allowed Nnadi to walk after seven seasons with the team.

But even with Nnadi back in the fold, Kansas City is thin at the position. All-Pro Chris Jones headlines the group, which also includes new veteran Jerry Tillery and rookie Omarr Norman-Lott. We’ll probably see defensive end Mike Danna rotate inside on some passing downs, too.

In 2024, the Chargers were one of the league’s best rushing teams — and with first-round rookie Omarion Hampton poised to take most of the carries, stopping the run will be a major priority for the defensive line.

3. The left side of the offensive line​

Rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and left guard Kingsley Suamataia will have their work cut out for them against a solid Charger defensive front — one that includes future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack. One of the league’s fiercest pass rushers, he’ll be facing a rookie in his first career start.

Early on, the Chargers will probably challenge both Simmons and Suamataia with a combination of blitzes and line stunts that use Mack and edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, who finished 2024 with 8.5 sacks. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has also shown exotic looks on third down. We should watch for him to give the inexperienced part of the Kansas City’s line lots of different tricks.

Simmons and Suamatia will need to remain true to their training, finding a way to balance the highs and lows they might face.

4. When will the Chiefs go deep?​

Ever since the offseason began, the Chiefs have been emphasizing pushing the ball downfield — getting back to the explosive offense that was the hallmark of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ early years. With star receiver Rashee Rice suspended for the first six games of the season, the Chiefs could try to make up for his absence by going downfield.

Former first-round pick Xavier Worthy is primed for a breakout season. Alongside Hollywood Brown and Tyquan Thornton, he should provide the downfield speed the team hasn’t had since trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.

Throughout training camp, Mahomes threw the ball downfield with confidence. Watch to see how quickly Kansas City will turn to its downfield passing game — and how well it works. Given time, the Chiefs could transform an offense that has played pretty conservatively over the last couple of seasons.

5. Trent McDuffie against Ladd McConkey​

The matchup between these two Macs — the Kansas City cornerback and the Los Angeles wide receiver — will be important. McDuffie is emerging as one of the NFL’s best slot defenders, while McConkey is becoming one of the top slot receivers. Both are key cogs in their teams’ systems, and the matchup between the two players could be one of the game’s deciding factors.

In 2024, McDuffie made his second All-Pro team — while McConkey finished his rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

While McConkey didn’t play against the Chiefs in last season’s Week 14, he caught five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Week 4 matchup. Now established as a favorite target for quarterback Justin Herbert, McConkey could see a big 2025 — but in the season opener, he will have to face one of the league’s best.

It should be quite a show.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...2/chiefs-chargers-5-things-to-watch-in-week-1