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[Kansas City Chiefs]

Jalen Royals is gaining the trust of Patrick Mahomes — and his teammates

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Kansas City’s rookie wide receiver is making big strides during the team’s training camp in St. Joseph.

Over the last two years, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has turned in less-than-spectacular passing numbers — even as he led his team to the Super Bowl in each of those seasons.

But general manager Brett Veach has continued to add wide receiver talent to the team. In 2023, SMU’s Rashee Rice fell just short of becoming the first Kansas City rookie to collect 1,000 receiving yards. Unfortunately, he was also the only wideout to total at least 500 on the season.

In 2024, first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy unexpectedly had to shoulder the load after Rice was injured in Week 4. By then, the team had already lost recently signed wideout Hollywood Brown to injury on the opening snap of the preseason. Mahomes ended up hitting career lows in both passing yards and touchdowns.

But Rice, Worthy and Brown are all back for 2025 — and Veach has added fourth-round pick Jalen Royals to the roster. Halfway through training camp, the former Utah State wide receiver is drawing terrific reviews from his coaches — and from his teammates.

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“He’s catching the football well,” noted head coach Andy Reid after Sunday’s training camp practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. “[He’s] strong [and] looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you just kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”

“I think he is a visualizer,” observed offensive coordinator Matt Nagy after the first week of camp. “So when he sees it, it takes him one time. Then the next time, he comes back and does a good job.”

“He is learning real fast,” said Rice on Saturday. “I wouldn’t necessarily say he is like me — because he is his own person — but he is going to be a dog his rookie year, for sure.”

JuJu Smith-Schuster — who is now the wide receiver room’s most experienced veteran — characterized him as a strong, quiet player who works very hard.

“He’s a guy that’s going to show up every day and just work,” he declared. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s very coachable. He’s a sponge. He’s a great dude to be around in that room.”

Brown is the room’s other “old hand” — and sees the same thing.

“[He’s] a quick learner,” he told reporters last week. “He’s taken advantage of his opportunities, making plays. I think he’s going to make some plays for us.”

In contrast, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has thus far chosen to display his confidence in Royals where it counts the most: on the field.

In 7-on-7, Mahomes connected with WR Jalen Royals on a beautiful back-shoulder pass. Royals had an impressive week and continues to see time on the field with Mahomes and the first-team offense. Watson had another breakup in 7s on a Mahomes ball intended for TE Travis Kelce.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) July 25, 2025​

#Chiefs have a tunnel screen called for Jalen Royals, Mahomes has good touch on it. It may have gone the distance in a game. #ChiefsCamp2025

— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) August 2, 2025​

Vs. air, but Mahomes connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Royals for TDs on back-to-back plays.

— Nick Roesch (@Nicolas_Roesch) July 23, 2025​

This connection with Mahomes is happening because Royals is working hard to create it — by “learning from him and [doing] what he says.”

“In the meeting room,” the rookie told reporters on Sunday, “[Mahomes] tells me everything I need to do. Then, after the meetings — while I’m just out here — he’ll tell me corrections and stuff like that. Then obviously, after the play, he’ll let me know on the sidelines.”

But that’s not to say that Royals yet enjoys the kind of relationship with his quarterback that someone like tight end Travis Kelce enjoys.

“It’s complicated,” he explained. “I’m still a rookie at the end of the day, so I’m trying to learn everything — and he’s wanting me to be up to speed. So it’s just balancing that.”

Still, this is a far cry from what we typically hear from young wide receivers in Reid’s offense, who are often struggling to master the playbook — much less take direction from Mahomes.

Royals credits the veterans around him for their support.

“It’s great having those type of guys,” he said of teammates like Smith-Schuster, Brown, Rice and Worthy. “I feel like they provide a great mental aspect to me. They’re always pushing me to keep going — even when the long drive drill is tough. Then, even in the meetings, they’re correcting me when I [make] mistakes.”

And he’s building a brotherhood with his fellow rookies, too.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“We’re all in the same dorm,” he reminded his listeners. “We’re all right there, so we’re all going through this process together — learning the playbook, learning how coach Reid likes his offense and [how] coach [Connor] Embree runs his receiver room. We’re all just learning — and trying to stick together.”

When the NFL season begins in September, Rice will almost certainly be the team’s top receiver — and there’s a good chance his looming NFL suspension may sideline him for an unknown number of games. With every practice, Royals comes closer to being someone who can play a significant role in filling that void — and helping Mahomes (along with the rest of his new teammates) get back to the top of the heap.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...er-jalen-royals-patrick-mahomes-trust-at-camp

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Can you guess this Chiefs linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Sunday, August 3, 2025
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Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

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The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/8/4/24480622/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

8 things that matter in the Chiefs’ initial depth chart

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Kansas City has released its first unofficial depth chart of the preseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs will begin the preseason on Saturday, August 9, facing the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

As part of its weekly release, the team published its first unofficial depth chart of the season. Remember: the depth chart is unofficial — and subject to change throughout the preseason.

Offense​

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First​

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Second​

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Third​

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Fourth​

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WR​

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Rashee Rice​

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Hollywood Brown​

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Skyy Moore​

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Nikko Remigio​

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-​

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-​

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Mac Dalena​

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Jimmy Holiday​

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Hal Presley​

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WR​

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Xavier Worthy​

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JuJu Smith-Schuster​

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Tyquan Thornton​

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Jalen Royals​

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-​

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-​

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Jason Brownlee​

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Elijhah Badger​

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Key'Shawn Smith​

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LT​

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Josh Simmons​

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Wanya Morris​

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Esa Pole​

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-​

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LG​

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Kingsley Suamataia​

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Mike Caliendo​

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Dalton Cooper​

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-​

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C​

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Creed Humphrey​

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Hunter Nourzad​

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Joey Lombard​

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RG​

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Trey Smith​

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C.J. Hanson​

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Ethan Driskell​

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-​

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RT​

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Jawaan Taylor​

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Jaylon Moore​

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Chukwuebuka Godrick​

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TE​

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Travis Kelce​

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Noah Gray​

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Robert Tonyan​

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Jared Wiley​

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-​

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-​

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Jake Briningstool​

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Geor'Quarius Spivey​

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Tre Watson​

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QB​

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Patrick Mahomes​

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Gardner Minshew​

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Bailey Zappe​

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Chris Oladokun​

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RB​

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Isiah Pacheco​

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Kareem Hunt​

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Elijah Mitchell​

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Brashard Smith​

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-​

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-​

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Elijah Young​

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FB​

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Carson Steele​

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Josh Simmons is the starting left tackle​

This is not a surprise, but here’s what matters: At this time a year ago, one of the things we noticed was that Kingsley Suamataia was the starting left tackle. This seems like an improvement.

Kingsley Suamataia is the starting left guard​

This is also not a surprise. Although Jaylon Moore has rotated in for some snaps at this position during training camp, he’s clearly considered the backup; he’s also been rotating in for Jawaan Taylor at right tackle. At this point — for better or for worse — the job is Suamataia’s to lose.

Skyy Moore could make the team​

This chart suggests that the team is looking at Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore and Tyquan Thornton as the top six wide receivers. As a fourth-round draft selection, Jalen Royals will make the roster. If the Chiefs keep seven wideouts — which is certainly possible — Nikko Remgio would be fighting for the last spot, pushing Moore or Thornton off the list. Remember: take the initial unofficial depth chart with a grain of salt.

Robert Tonyan could make the team​

The veteran tight end isn’t particularly flashy, but neither was Blake Bell. Kansas City has a role he can play. That could mean Jake Briningstool might spend the season on the Reserve/Injured list. In 2026, we’ll see what he can do.

Defense​

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Fourth​

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DE​

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Mike Danna​

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Ashton Gillotte​

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Felix Anudike-Uzomah​

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-​

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DT​

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Mike Pennel​

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Omarr Norman-Lott​

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Marlon Tuipulotu​

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DT​

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Chris Jones​

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Jerry Tillery​

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Fabien Lovett​

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Coziah Izzard​

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DE​

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George Karlaftis​

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Charles Omenihu​

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Malik Herring​

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Janarius Robinson​

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Drue Tranquill​

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Cam Jones​

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Jeffrey Bassa​

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Nick Bolton​

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Jack Cochrane​

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Brandon George​

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Leo Chenal​

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Cole Christiansen​

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Cooper McDonald​

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Trent McDuffie​

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Nohl Williams​

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Melvin Smith​

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Kevin Knowles​

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Ajani Carter​

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Jaylen Watson​

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Nazeeh Johnson​

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Joshua Williams​

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Chris Roland-Wallace​

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-​

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Azizi Hearn​

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S​

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Bryan Cook​

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Jaden Hicks​

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Deon Bush​

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Major Williams​

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S​

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Chamarri Conner​

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Mike Edwards​

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Glendon Miller​

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Jacobe Covington​

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Omarr Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte will play key roles​

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn’t known for playing rookies, but it appears he’s making an exception for these two defensive linemen. They’re not likely to be starters, but it looks like they’ll have significant playing time as rotational players. Meanwhile, it seems likely that only one of Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Marlon Tuipulotu, Fabien Lovett and Malik Herring will make the opening day roster.

Which players make room for Jeff Bassa?​

If the team has five linebackers on the opening roster — like they did in 2024 — this chart suggests the team will have some hard choices to make. Cam Jones, Jack Cochrane and Cole Christensen have all displayed special-teams upside. It’s hard to see a 53-man roster without Bassa — who has also shown special teams ability — so which two of the existing reserve linebackers will have to go?

Kristian Fulton is not on this chart​

We presume that this is because the newly signed free-agent cornerback remains on the team’s Active/PUP list — and is, therefore, not expected to play on Saturday. Head coach Andy Reid says that Fulton has started running. That’s good, but the team needs him to be running in practice.

Chamarri Conner is starting ahead of Jaden Hicks​

This is a bit of a surprise — but it might be because Conner has been playing in the slot so much as the nickel corner. If that continues to be the case (and it probably will be as long as Fulton isn’t playing), Hicks will still see plenty of playing time across from Bryan Cook.

Specialists​

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Second​

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K​

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Harrison Butker​

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-​

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H​

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Matt Araiza​

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-​

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P​

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Matt Araiza​

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-​

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LS​

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James Winchester​

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-​

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PR​

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Nikko Remigio​

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Brashard Smith​

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KR​

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Nikko Remigio​

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Brashard Smith​

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Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...chart-8-things-that-matter-in-initial-release

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Arrowheadlines: Jared Allen officially inducted into the Hall of Fame

The latest​

Former Chiefs, Vikings star Jared Allen inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame: All-Pro was true sack artist | CBS Sports

A third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004, Allen wasted no time establishing himself as a Pro Bowl talent, logging nine and 11 sacks in his first two seasons, respectively. Then came the true breakout: He led the NFL with 15.5 quarterback takedowns in 2007, his fourth season, earning the first of four career All-Pro nods.

Jared Allen's special moment in Canton pic.twitter.com/CQsW1VJUhO

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 3, 2025

Most Important Contract Decision for Every NFL Team Ahead of 2025 Season | Bleacher Report

Kansas City Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie

The Chiefs signed one of their two 2022 first-rounders, striking a deal with edge-rusher George Karlaftis before training camp. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they worked out an extension with McDuffie, who was their top pick from that year.

McDuffie has been effective on the boundary and in the slot, earning first- and second-team All-Pro honors over the last two terms. Despite his struggles with penalties (11) last season, he allowed an 82.9 passer rating in coverage. Kansas City exercised the fifth-year option in his contract and an extension could be next on its agenda.

Former Kansas City Chiefs TE to sign with the Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs Wire

The Kansas City Chiefs made a few moves after the 2025 NFL draft on May 1st to accommodate incoming rookies. Former Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Baylor Cupp was one of the releases and has reportedly found a new home during training camp.

According to a report from CBS Sports, Cupp is signing with the Baltimore Ravens as they deal with injuries at the tight end position. Starting tight end Isaiah Likely notably went down with a foot injury in camp, requiring surgery.

Has Rashee Rice truly learned from his terrible decision? | USA Today

The third-year Kansas City Chiefs receiver on Saturday made his first public comments since being sentenced last month to 30 days in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to two third-degree felony charges stemming from the high-speed racing incident that caused a multi-car collision.

Discipline from the NFL is likely looming, probably in the form of a multi-game suspension that will keep the starting wideout out of the lineup at the start of the season.

“I’ve completely changed,” Rice said after the morning practice at Missouri Western State University. “Honestly, you’ve got to learn from things like that. So, I’ve learned and I’ve taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.”

Rice sure sounded like a man who has grown from his ordeal, as unnecessary as the freeway race was. Whether that reflects contrition, maturity, getting coached up on talking points or any combination of such represents just part of the takeaway from his media session.

Biggest games on the 2025 NFL schedule | NBC Sports

AFC Championship Game rematch: Chiefs-Bills has become one of the NFL’s best rivalries, and this year is likely to be no exception. They’ll meet in Buffalo in Week Nine on Sunday, November 2 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday: Kansas City at Dallas on Thanksgiving afternoon may be the most-watched game of the season. Detroit will also host Thanksgiving as part of their annual tradition, with the Packers coming to town. And in prime time, the Bengals will visit the Ravens on NBC and Peacock. The Eagles will host the Bears on Black Friday.

Around the NFL​

NFLPA elects David White as interim executive director | ESPN

White is the CEO of 3CG Ventures, an executive coaching and strategic firm, and he serves as the board chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He has extensive labor experience, having served as the leader of the SAG-AFTRA union, with 160,000 members who work in the entertainment industry, from 2009 to 2021.

“I am grateful to the NFLPA’s player leadership for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility to guide their union as interim executive director,” White said in a statement. “It’s a duty I do not take lightly, and I’m committed to re-establishing trust and ensuring the union is serving its members best. I look forward to working with the entire NFLPA team to protect players’ health and safety, secure their financial well-being, and further strengthen their voice to shape their futures.”

A representative from each of the 32 NFL teams participated in a Board of Player Representatives vote Sunday night, via video conference, after conducting interviews with each candidate over the past two weeks, a union source told ESPN.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride​

Chiefs Roster: Rookie Jalen Royals gaining the trust of Patrick Mahomes

But Rice, Worthy and Brown are all back for 2025 — and Veach has added fourth-round pick Jalen Royals to the roster. Halfway through training camp, the former Utah State wide receiver is drawing terrific reviews from his coaches — and from his teammates.

“He’s catching the football well,” noted head coach Andy Reid after Sunday’s training camp practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. “[He’s] strong [and] looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you just kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”

“I think he is a visualizer,” observed offensive coordinator Matt Nagy after the first week of camp. “So when he sees it, it takes him one time. Then the next time, he comes back and does a good job.”

“He is learning real fast,” said Rice on Saturday. “I wouldn’t necessarily say he is like me — because he is his own person — but he is going to be a dog his rookie year, for sure.”

JuJu Smith-Schuster — who is now the wide receiver room’s most experienced veteran — characterized him as a strong, quiet player who works very hard.

“He’s a guy that’s going to show up every day and just work,” he declared. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s very coachable. He’s a sponge. He’s a great dude to be around in that room.”

Social media to make you think​

Jared Allen spoke about his time with the #Chiefs during his Hall of Fame speech. pic.twitter.com/R2RiUN76Nt

— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) August 2, 2025

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Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...len-officially-inducted-into-the-hall-of-fame

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Patrick Mahomes looked in midseason form in Tuesday’s practice look

It’s always impressive to watch Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at any practice.

Yet Tuesday’s Day 12 workout in St. Joseph felt particularly special.

On the second 11-on-11 snap, Mahomes hit wide receiver Tyquan Thornton on an intermediate out, threading it between two defenders in front of the right sideline.

Later, in 7-on-7, he dropped a corner-route dime, right in front of defensive back Chamarri Conner in a place where only Thornton could catch it. On the next play, Mahomes flashed a sidearm pass to tight end Travis Kelce. During the practice’s final 11-on-11 period, flushed to the right, sideline, he zipped a ball on a 30-degree angle back toward the middle of the field, hitting wide receiver Xavier Worthy in stride.

With the Chiefs’ initial preseason game set for Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals, the two-time MVP already looks in midseason form.

“I really felt like today was one of our — as a group and in particular with Pat — one of our better days with those type of throws,” said offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. “Some downfield stuff where the timing element [clicked]. It wasn’t one of those deals where you’re scrambling and throwing the ball away and catching a ball off-timing. These were all on-timing throws, and guys were making great catches. I was really pleased with that.”

The last time Mahomes played in a game was the nightmare of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Without blitzing, the Philadelphia Eagles pressured the quarterback 16 times throughout the game, sacking him six times and preventing him from ever finding a rhythm.

Now, with an offensive line boosted by rookie left tackle Josh Simmons, the prevailing thought is that Mahomes’ sense of feeling protected will lead him back into the MVP conversation.

“He’s really excited,” added Nagy. “He’s motivated in the right way — it’s just how he is, it’s who he is. We spent a lot of time in OTAs going back to the basics on a lot of stuff. We’re graduating now with these wide receivers — working on that timing — and I think you’re seeing a trust element with him and several guys. You’ll get to see some of that too with these guys in the preseason. We’ll get some people that stand out and get to show what they can do. Every year we probably say the same thing with Pat, but he creates [his] own edge for him. He wants to be great. He wants to be the best. And he wants to be coached hard. So that’s what we try to do.”

Nagy has said that the staff emphasizes Mahomes’ timing and footwork every offseason, always careful not to dampen his improvisation. In Nagy’s eyes, the fundamentals can always be seasoned; when it comes to Mahomes’ mental makeup, however, he would be hard-pressed to find anyone better.

“We all see what he does out here — whether it’s people videoing plays on their phones at practice in training camp — but we see it in practice when it’s closed to the public,” explained Nagy. “What a lot of people don’t get to see, even [those] in the building, is how he prepares when he gets locked in. I think about during the week — from usually a Wednesday to a Saturday — every morning at 7 o’clock, he has a routine he follows.

“There’s an obsession that he has with being perfect at what he does on the mental side. He doesn’t take calling a play for granted — getting the formation right. He wants to be great at that. And when the guys and his teammates see that, it goes onto them as well.”

Mahomes’ in-week grind is long and tiresome, but according to Nagy, the weekly Sunday showcase makes it all worth it.

Four weeks ago, FanDuelTV’s Kay Adams asked Mahomes about his mentality coming off such a disappointing finish.

“I’ve had to sit back and listen to people talk and talk,” started the quarterback, “like, let’s just play football and handle it all out there. I don’t really want to talk about it. I just want to go out there and show who we are as the Kansas City Chiefs.”

In other words, Mahomes has heard the noise.

“That burn to win is at the highest level of probably any player in the NFL,” finished Nagy. “He’s built different that way. And I think when you have that, it goes on to these other players on the team — offense, defense, special teams. To us as coaches, you have that. You want to make sure you’re doing everything possible. He’s a competitor, so every game is going to be close when you have him on your side. You know he’s going to give you a great chance. That’s where he’s at.

“When we lost that Super Bowl, it was the very next day — he’s ready to go. We just know that it’s a great, high standard that we all have, and coach [Andy] Reid’s at the top of that. So it’s been good.”

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...d-in-midseason-form-in-tuesdays-practice-look

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs hold 2 new players out of Wednesday’s practice

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs ran their 13th training camp session at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, which was moved inside after less than an hour.

Just as on Tuesday, safety Deon Bush (hamstring) and tight end Jared Wiley (hamstring) were full participants. But two new players were held out: wide receiver Rashee Rice and linebacker Cam Jones.

Four other players added to their missed practice time.

Cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee) remained on the team’s Active/PUP (physically-unable-to-perform) list. He has missed all 13 training camp sessions. So far, no timeline has been given for his return.

Tight end Jake Briningstool (hamstring) missed his ninth straight day. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle) was out for his fifth practice. Linebacker Drue Tranquill (back) did not participate in his fourth consecutive session.

No new injuries were observed during the outdoor portion of Wednesday’s session. The team moved indoors as thunderstorms came into the area.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...ce-cam-jones-4-others-miss-wednesday-practice

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Wedensday training camp notebook: In Year 13, Kelce still longs for one more Super Bowl

For the 12th time and in his 13th season, Travis Kelce has made his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, on the campus of Missouri Western State University. Kelce’s life looks much different now than in Year 1.

Widely regarded as a “future Pro Football Hall of Famer,” the tight end’s IMDb page has begun to fill, most recently with Happy Gilmore 2. The “New Heights” podcast he shares with his brother, Jason, has 2.5 million subscribers — and his ongoing relationship with the world’s biggest pop star has bred a level of fame he surely never imagined.

Yet, there he stood in front of media members on Wednesday after his 13th practice, content to be one of the guys with February dreams.

[We’re] trying to win Super Bowls, man,“ said Kelce. ”[Working hard is] the only way you get there. I think it starts in the offseason, and when you get out here to St. Joe and you get into training camp, it really signifies coming together — the chemistry, the culture that you need to have to keep getting better every single day, every single week throughout the year, and hopefully playing your best football by December, January, and February.“

Due to inclement weather on Wednesday, the Chiefs were forced to move practice into the indoor facility, providing a break from what on some days has been uncomfortable, blistering heat. Head coach Andy Reid is known for some of the league’s most strenuous training-camp practices. For Kelce, it’s the norm: he’s never had it any other way.

“Once you’re here, it’s all about football, man,“ said Kelce. ”You eat, breathe and sleep football. You try and be there for the guys next to you — the new guys that are coming in, trying to get acclimated. It really hasn’t changed since I’ve been here. Coach Reid does a great job of putting a plan in place — putting a regimen in place [that] gives you a chance to succeed… and find out what you’re made of.“

Entering his age-35 season, Kelce said he lost weight, hoping to regain some of the explosiveness he may have lost during 2024’s campaign. Kelce began his career as a tight end for Alex Smith, but 2025 marks his eighth season as a target for two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes.

The duo has now spent nearly a decade playing together, yet Kelce senses a new level of hunger from Mahomes.

“Just how fast his mind is moving — it seems like he’s always a step ahead,” said the tight end of his quarterback. “His arm is alive right now. It’s fun to see him know the play, know where he’s going before the snap happens. On top of that, just being a leader — being our biggest, fearless competitor. He’s really leading this team right now, working hard and getting right.”

Kansas City hopes to transition Kelce to a complementary role this season, with wide receiver Rashee Rice as the focal point, whenever he gets back from an expected suspension. In addition, wide receiver Xavier Worthy is expected to take a step forward, and Noah Gray will already be in his fifth year as Kelce’s protégé.

“If you’ve been out here, you’ve noticed how good Noah Gray’s been, man,” said Kelce. “He’s really taken it up to the next level. He’s an absolute stud. I don’t think I’ve seen him lose a single rep yet. He’s awesome right now and it’s fun to see him kind of take those next steps, getting higher and higher on the board.”

Gray appreciates the support, crediting his mentor for the ongoing guidance.

“Every year, he just gets wiser and wiser,” said Gray in late July. “Every year, he’s continuing to pour into guys like me, the young guys… everybody, everybody in that room. We’re just taking it all in. He just keeps giving more and more information about what he’s seeing on the field. Watching him and his practice habits, and the way he works always rubs off on us. So, when you [have] a leader like that, that continues to lead the room, [and] continues to lead the team, it rubs off on everybody else and it makes a huge difference.”

Kelce refers to St. Joseph and Missouri Western State as his “sanctuary,” his summer home where he and his friends — the coaches, players and even equipment staff members — reassemble to achieve their one common goal: another Super Bowl championship. It is grueling work, but it is easy to tell that it’s that grind that Kelce understands will miss someday.

Whether this is truly “it” or not, Kelce’s end is far closer than the beginning — and having been there from the start makes this potential beginning-of-the-end all the sweeter.

“I think that gives me more juice than anything else, is the fact that we’ve created this culture,” he said. “We’ve created this machine. When you do it the right way, it works, and you get to win football games because of it. That alone gives you the excitement that what we’re doing here is special.”

Injury report​

• Returned to practice: N/A
• Out of practice (due to injury): TE Jake Briningstool (out with hamstring since 7/26), WR Hollywood Brown (out with ankle since 7/30), LB Cam Jones (undisclosed since 8/6) WR Rashee Rice (out with groin since 8/6), LB Drue Tranquill (out with back since 8/2)
• Left practice early (due to injury): N/A
• Non-football injury (NFI) list: DL BJ Thompson
• Physically unable to perform (PUP) list: CB Kristian Fulton (out with knee since 7/22)

Post of the day​

Our John Dixon compiled all of Wednesday’s posts here. Here is the post of the day:

Definitely something to keep an eye on in preseason. Josh Simmons, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith are locks. Interested to see how well Jaylon Moore holds up at LG with Jawaan Taylor at RT.#Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom #ChiefsCamp2025 https://t.co/l62URmalhm

— Eddie Resurreccion (@EdmarResurrecc1) August 6, 2025

I have a quiet hunch that this will be the opening-day rotation.

Quote of the day​

Tight end Travis Kelce on his favorite memory of St. Joseph, if it is indeed his last trip: “Ask me that when I retire.”

What’s next?​

Tuesday’s practice leads into the final practice of the week on Thursday at 9:15 a.m. Arrowhead Time. Following the practice, head coach Andy Reid will address the media while the entire team signs autographs. It is officially designated as a exclusive season-ticket holder day.

Here’s the complete 2025 training camp schedule.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...-13-kelce-still-longs-for-one-more-super-bowl

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs’ training camp observations from Thursday’s Day 14

On Thursday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to the practice field at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph for the 14th full practice of the team’s 2025 training camp.

This was one of 17 sessions scheduled for the team’s practice field next to MWSU’s Spratt Stadium. Three public practices remain. Click here for details and a full schedule.

Arrowhead Pride editor-in-chief Pete Sweeney was there. He posted some observations on social media about what felt like the longest practice of training camp.

Practice on Thursday was warm, beginning in the low 80s and building into the mid-80s by the time it was finished. Didn't clock it, but it felt like the longest workout of camp heading into the preseason game.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The former San Francisco 49ers tackle went back to filling in on the right.

As we have seen most of camp, Jawaan Taylor rotated with Jaylon Moore at right tackle. I wonder what this looks like on Saturday. There is always a chance that Taylor could rest, considering he is still coming back from the offseason knee surgery.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo stuck with his usual crew in the secondary.

At cornerback, the Chiefs again had Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson outside with Chamarri Conner inside. With the second team, Nazeeh Johnson and Nohl Williams worked outside with Chris Roland-Wallace inside. After practice, Roland-Wallace said McDuffie has helped him there.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

But he now has another one almost ready to play.

It was good to see CB Kristian Fulton (knee) and LB Drue Tranquill (back) return to the field. Both did only individual work, but they are taking their initial step back. Neither should be expected to play Saturday.

Andy Reid confirmed that Rashee Rice's groin injury is minor.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The former Texas wideout had a good day.

In the first play of practice (11-on-11), WR Xavier Worthy made a sliding catch. Worthy later ran a nice comeback going up against McDuffie, who slipped up, allowed Worthy to bring it in. This was just the beginning of a really nice day of practice for the second-year player.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

Pete noted Thursday’s running back order.

In the first play of practice (11-on-11), WR Xavier Worthy made a sliding catch. Worthy later ran a nice comeback going up against McDuffie, who slipped up, allowed Worthy to bring it in. This was just the beginning of a really nice day of practice for the second-year player.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The GOAT tight end took an opportunity to shine.

During the next 11-on-11 period, Travis Kelce fought off a defender to make a tough catch. Mahomes threw a deep touchdown to Worthy, who had only a step or two on Conner, but it was perfectly placed on his back shoulder.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

And a promising rookie made a play.

Roster hopeful Cooper McDonald stepped in front of a Gardner Minshew pass intended for Mitchell, intercepting it and going the other way. Another roster hopeful, CB Kevin Knowles, continues to see some work with the twos.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

JuJu was involved in some voodoo that he do.

Continued 11-on-11: Mahomes dished it to JuJu Smith-Schuster, who completed a lateral back to Mahomes. Jason Brownlee high-pointed a ball for a touchdown up against Bryan Cook, who was playing good coverage. Brownlee just went up and got it.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

Two new wideouts are getting more work than we might have expected.

It's worth noting here that with Rice and Hollywood Brown out, Tyquan Thornton and Brownlee have become more important. I asked Mahomes about both players after the workout.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

Mahomes: "[Brownlee and Thornton] got to step up and make plays and they have done that. That speaks to the depth of our receiving room this year… coach Reid, Veach, all those guys, brought in a lot of great talented players, and they're making plays whenever they get the…

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The special teams got some work done.

The next period was special teams (punt), with the returner order Remigio, Smith, Moore and Thornton. Late in practice, the kickoff gunners were Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson. The KR pairs were Remigio/Smith, Williams/Williams and Royals/Moore.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

Several defensive backs stepped up in one stretch.

In 7-on-7, Thornton bobbled a deep pass from Mahomes that Cook ripped out of the air for an interception. Making up for earlier in the workout, Conner managed to stay with Worthy on a double-move to come up with a pass breakup. Knowles broke up a pass by Minshew.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The long-drive drill ended with a score.

The final 11-on-11 was the long-drive period that went 14 plays for Mahomes and the top team. Worthy won a one-on-one rep up against Watson, who had good coverage. Worthy ripped it away for a long touchdown. For all the talk of small size, he played big on Thursday.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

Mahomes shined again — but the Purdue defensive end had his moments, too.

George Karlaftis would have registered a sack against Mahomes, before he threw touchdowns on 3 of the final 4 plays of practice: a sidearm to Pacheco, a leaping touchdown by Noah Gray up against Hicks and a quick pass to Jared Wiley on a slant.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The backup quarterback won some — and lost some.

Minshew had a touchdown to Brownlee on an out-breaking route in the end zone. Brownlee held onto the ball as he rolled to the ground. Roland-Wallace broke up the pass to Brownlee on the next play.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

BTW… T.O. was in St. Joe.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens attended practice.https://t.co/FqqwBZHkLt

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

And Pete tallied up Mahomes’ targets.

Mahomes targets (11-on-11): Worthy (6), Kelce (3), Pacheco (3), Gray (2), Royals (2), Smith-Schuster (2), Brownlee, Hunt, Thornton, Wiley

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

The next practice will be at 10:15 a.m. Arrowhead Time on Monday, the first of three public practices to close camp. As always, we will have live updates after it begins. When it is over, wide receivers and tight ends will sign autographs, while head coach Andy Reid will be among those speaking to reporters.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...fs-training-camp-day-14-observations-august-7

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

10 Biggest Questions: Can the Chiefs bring back explosive offensive plays?

For the third straight year, I’m considering the 10 biggest questions I have about the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.

Also in this series:

• How well will Jaden Hicks replace Justin Reid?
• Can the Chiefs improve their pass rush this season?
• Which 2022 draft pick will have the best contract year?
• What will be the Chiefs’ best offensive line?
• Where should Trent McDuffie play this season?
• What are the ceilings (and floors) at left tackle?
• How will the Chiefs manage their slot receivers?

In 2024, the Chiefs ran an efficient offense. They finished eighth in offensive success rate. Their success rate on dropbacks ranked 10th, while they ranked eighth in rushing. Despite having poor play at left tackle — and too many injuries among their wide receivers and running backs — these were strong offensive rankings.

Still, Kansas City lacked an important offensive element: explosive plays. The team recorded just 42 passes of 20 or more yards, which was 27th in the NFL. On the ground, the Chiefs generated only seven running plays of at least 20 yards, which also ranked 27th.

Eventually, this caught up with them. In Super Bowl LIX — when the Philadelphia Eagles were able to squeeze the airspace — the Chiefs had no way to take the top off the defense. The team had no one who could break a tackle and make a play. The Eagles’ defense was able to rally against the underneath routes and tackle slower ball carriers, forcing Kansas City out of its ground game.

This has been an issue for the last two seasons. The team must find more ways to generate explosive plays. Fortunately, the Chiefs’ offseason moves suggest they recognize the problem — and are taking steps to correct it.

Passing offense​

While we covered this last week, it bears repeating: Kansas City has deliberately assembled a wide receiver corps with four players — Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and Jalen Royals — who can be explosive downfield. When Rice and Brown went down early in 2024, the Chiefs had no way to fill that void. By itself, the return of Rice — who can take any underneath reception and turn it into a 30-yard gain — will be a tremendous boon for the offense.

Rice’s return will also help Worthy, who struggles to break tackles. That has been an issue during his time with both the Texas Longhorns and the Chiefs. But with Rice available underneath, Worthy will be able to concentrate more on downfield routes that he can run very well — especially when he gets a free release. Without Rice in 2024, Kansas City had to use Worthy underneath. This season, however, the Chiefs will be able to maximize the strengths of both players.

The presence of Josh Simmons at left tackle is likely to be another significant factor. If he is immediately able to play at a high level, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be able to run deeper dropbacks and have more time to throw. That automatically improves the deep passing game.

So I’m very optimistic that the Chiefs will be able to get more explosive plays in the passing game.

Running offense​

Unfortunately, that optimism doesn’t extend to Kansas City’s ground game.

This is, in fact, my primary offseason gripe: the Chiefs didn’t do enough at running back. In 2024, their elite interior run blocking unit couldn’t do anything with the team’s main running backs — and in 2025, they will once again be Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.

We could hope that a healthier Pacheco will have more explosive potential — but he wasn’t explosive in 2023, either. He just hasn’t shown the vision (or creativity in his cuts) to generate big runs. The line has to block almost perfectly to get him into space.

And Hunt? He is still a useful player. But at this stage of his career, he doesn’t have the juice for long runs.

That leaves us with the offensive line.

In his limited 2024 film, Simmons showed he is a very good run blocker. He can truly do it all: he’s athletic in zone blocking and powerful when he blocks downhill. That is excellent news — because at left tackle, Kansas City’s run blocking has been atrocious since 2022. If he plays as expected, Simmons will be a big help.

The real question is at left guard — whether it’s Kingsley Suamataia or someone else.

If it’s Suamataia, there’s a wide range of possible outcomes. He has all the tools needed to be an excellent run-blocking guard. He’s not only massive, but also hyper-athletic in space. He can crush defensive tackles while playing in a phone booth — and can also move in space at crazy speeds for his size. If Suamataia pans out at his new position, Kansas City’s offensive line could be outstanding at run blocking.

But right now, there’s no real evidence that Suamataia can do it; he’s just going to have to prove it. So as things now stand, I’m still very skeptical the Chiefs are going to get much out of their left guard — where Joe Thuney was a rock.

The bottom line​

I think this storyline is the biggest question of the season. If the Chiefs can get more explosive plays, their offense should be among the league’s top three. But they have to prove it, too.

Will the offensive line be good enough to protect Patrick Mahomes — and make the running game work? Can the Chiefs use the skillsets of their wide receivers to build an offense that is not only efficient, but explosive? Can a healthy Pacheco improve the running game?

The Chiefs will need more explosive plays to reach another Super Bowl — and win it, too.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...s-roster-can-explosive-offensive-plays-return

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

How to watch the Chiefs’ preseason Week 1 matchup

The Game​

On Saturday night, the Kansas City Chiefs open their preseason schedule with a road game against the Arizona Cardinals. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Arrowhead Time on Kansas City’s KSHB/41 and Chiefs Television Network affiliates. The game can also be heard on KFNZ (96.5 FM and 610 AM-Kansas City) and Chiefs Radio Network affiliates.

The Chiefs enter this game after a 2024 season in which they appeared in their third straight Super Bowl, becoming the first team in history to reach the championship game after back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Unfortunately, the team was soundly defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

In the preseason opener, fans will be very interested in seeing first-round rookie Josh Simmons play his first game as the team’s starting left tackle. A year ago, second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia opened the preseason at left tackle. On Saturday night, he will start at left guard.

Other players to watch include a number of drafted rookies, including second-round defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, third-round defensive end Ashton Gillotte, third-round cornerback Nohl Williams, fourth-round wide receiver Jalen Royals, fifth-round safety Jeff Bassa and seventh-round running back Brashard Smith.

Fans should also be interested in new veterans like wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, tight end Robert Tonyan, running back Elijah Mitchell and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery — along with undrafted free agents like wide receiver Elijhah Badger, linebacker Brandon George, cornerback Kevin Knowles and linebacker Cooper McDonald.

Head coach Andy Reid said he plans for the starters to play in the first quarter, but history suggests that most of them — especially quarterback Patrick Mahomes — will leave the preseason opener well before the second quarter begins.

Nuts and bolts​

• Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
• Playing surface: Natural grass
• Game time: 7 p.m. Arrowhead Time, Saturday, August 9, 2025
• Weather forecast: Game played indoors
• Matchup history: 10-3-1 Chiefs (regular season)
• Odds: Chiefs -2.5, per FanDuel Sportsbook
• Officials: Referee Land Clark (130), umpire Paul King (121), down judge Tom Stephan (68), line judge Jeff Hutcheon (46), field judge Jabir Walker (26), side judge Dominique Pender (114), back judge Brad Freeman (88), replay official Bob Hubbell and replay assistant Jim Van Geffen
• Chiefs television broadcast: with Ari Wolfe, Trent Green, Kimmi Chex and Matt McMullen on KSHB (NBC/41-Kansas City) and Chiefs Television Network affiliates
• Cardinals television broadcast: with Dave Pasch and Sam Acho on KPHO (CBS/3-Phoenix)
• Online Stream: Fubo.TV
• Chiefs radio broadcast: with Mitch Holthus, Danan Hughes and Josh Klingler on KFNZ (96.5 FM and 610 AM-Kansas City), WDAF (106.5 FM-Kansas City), Chiefs Mobile App and Chiefs Radio Network affiliates
• Chiefs Spanish radio broadcast: with Oscar Monterroso, Hannah Bassham and Alvaro Alvarez on the Audacy app (“Chiefs en Español”), KSSA (105.9 FM-Garden City, Kansas) and KSMM (1470 AM-Liberal, Kansas), Chiefs Mobile App, Tico-Sports.com and NFL+
• Cardinals radio broadcast on KTAR (98.7 FM-Phoenix) and Cardinals Radio Network affiliates
• SiriusXM broadcast: Channel 383
• Enemy SB Nation site: Revenge of the Birds
• X: Arrowhead Pride
• Facebook: Please like us!

2025 Preseason Schedule​

Wk 1	Sat Aug 9	@Cardinals	State Farm Stadium Glendale, AZ	KSHB/41 7:00 PM
Wk 2	Fri Aug 15	@Seahawks	Lumen Field Seattle	KSHB/41 NFLN 9:00 PM
Wk 3	Fri Aug 22	Bears	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	KSHB/41 7:20 PM

2025 Schedule​

Wk 1	Fri Sep 5	@Chargers	Arena Corinthians São Paulo, Brazil	YouTube (Free) 7:00 PM
Wk 2	Sun Sep 14	Eagles	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	FOX 3:25 PM
Wk 3	Sun Sep 21	@Giants	MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, NJ	NBC 7:20 PM
Wk 4	Sun Sep 28	Ravens	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	CBS 3:25 PM
Wk 5	Mon Oct 6	@Jaguars	EverBank Stadium Jacksonville	ESPN/ABC 7:15 PM
Wk 6	Sun Oct 12	Lions	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	NBC 7:20 PM
Wk 7	Sun Oct 19	Raiders	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	CBS 12:00 PM
Wk 8	Mon Oct 27	Commanders	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	ESPN/ABC 7:15 PM
Wk 9	Sun Nov 2	@Bills	Highmark Stadium Orchard Park, NY	CBS 3:25 PM
Wk 10	BYE	–	–	–
Wk 11	Sun Nov 16	@Broncos	Empower Field Denver	CBS 3:25 PM
Wk 12	Sun Nov 23	Colts	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	CBS 12:00 PM
Wk 13	Thu Nov 27	@Cowboys	AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX	CBS 3:30 PM
Wk 14	Sun Dec 7	Texans	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	NBC 7:20 PM
Wk 15	Sun Dec 14	Chargers	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	CBS 12:00 PM
Wk 16	Sun Dec 21	@Titans	Nissan Stadium Nashville	CBS 12:00 PM
Wk 17	Thu Dec 25	Broncos	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Kansas City	Amazon Prime 7:15 PM
Wk 18	Sun Jan 4	@Raiders	Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas	TBA TBA

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...-tv-channel-schedule-odds-how-to-watch-online

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Josh Simmons ready to learn from first NFL action

Kansas City’s first-round selection spoke after Saturday’s preseason loss in Arizona.

Although the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a 20-17 loss in their preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, the night was a success on one of the team’s most important metrics.

Rookie left tackle Josh Simmons — seeing his first game action since suffering a knee injury while at Ohio State last October — played Kansas City’s first 11 offensive snaps. The first-year pro held up well in his night’s work, frequently shutting down former Denver Broncos edge rusher Baron Browning — who had two sacks when he last faced Kansas City in 2023.

After the game, Simmons was happy to have gotten some work with his new teammates, but he knows he can still find areas for improvement.

“First of all,” he remarked, “it was a lot of fun with the guys. You see the work from camp go ahead and translate onto the field. I think we had a great first quarter. Obviously, the whole team just had one, but [there’s] good nuggets that you can learn from going into practice next week.”

Simmons did have to adjust to a new opponent after facing only his teammates for the past few weeks.

“They rush different from our guys,” he observed of the Cardinals. “So, that’s probably a bigger adjustment you have to be able to adjust to because people may line up wider. They line up a lot wider than we do, so you’re going to have to set a little bit deeper and keep that position between you and the quarterback and make quarterback a lot more accurate. It’s probably that suggestion on the fly.”

Even so, Simmons believes the teammates he has faced in practice at training camp — particularly pass rushers Chris Jones and George Karlaftis — have adequately prepared him.

“We train really hard,” he declared. “I’m going against the standard every day in Chris Jones and Karlaftis. So when you go against these guys, it’s different, but I wouldn’t say it’s overwhelming.”

Speaking after the loss, head coach Andy Reid was high on the efforts of Simmons and second-year pro Kingsley Suamataia, who started next to him at left guard.

“I wasn’t screaming at him, so I figured he did okay,” Reid joked of Simmons’ night. “He looked like he had a solid day, especially for his first game. He’s been working his tail off. That kid never complains about anything; he just goes. He and Kingsley are trying to develop something over there, and they haven’t missed any snaps. We’ll see how it all works out and sorts out, but I thought for the first time out, they did a nice job.”

Whatever Reid’s true thoughts are, Simmons will be receptive to the feedback. Citing Jones and center Creed Humphrey as influences, he pledged to continue listening to coaches to build on his performance.

“The way you become like a guy like 52 [Humphrey] or 95 [Jones],” he explained, “is you have to soak everything in like a sponge — no matter if it’s going back to the basics or learning something that you’re totally uncomfortable with. So, I try to keep my ears as open as possible, because I know anything as a rookie can definitely help me.”

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...-simmons-ready-to-learn-from-first-nfl-action

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

In his first action with the Chiefs, Josh Simmons was impressive

On Saturday night, the Kansas City Chiefs dropped their preseason opener to the Arizona Cardinals, recording a 20-17 loss at State Farm Stadium in suburban Phoenix. But even so, Kansas City’s starters looked crisp in the opening quarter, giving a glimpse of what the 2025 team might look like.

This included the highly anticipated pro debut for the team’s left tackle Josh Simmons. During the Chiefs’ training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, no other rookie has drawn more attention — either locally or nationally — than the team’s first-round pick from Ohio State.

On Saturday night, Simmons played for only two drives — a total of 10 snaps — but it was enough to demonstrate that what we have seen in St.Joseph hasn’t been a fluke.

Film evaluation​

The game began with a gift for Kansas City’s first-team offense: the Cardinals lost a fumble on the opening kickoff. This gave the Chiefs great field position and a chance to take an early lead.

After a few successful running plays and a penalty, the Chiefs were knocking on the door.

I love how effortless Simmons looks loading the weight on his inside leg and then driving off of it into his slide. He wins the inside hand battle and locks up the edge. Quick win. Ohh yeah… and that Mahomes guy. pic.twitter.com/fvGSbo0Evv

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) August 10, 2025

On the snap, Simmons explodes out of his stance, patiently waiting for the edge rusher to work his way up the field. As the defender starts to close in, Simmons fires his hands, quickly locking up his opponent to win the play. Left unmolested in the pocket, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is able to hit wide receiver Jason Brownlee for the touchdown.

While this play only took a few seconds (and was a fairly easy rep), seeing Simmons work so effortlessly out of his stance displayed his fundamentals and his explosiveness.

On the next offensive drive, we saw Simmons’ pass protection in some extended plays.

I thought this was Simmons' best block of the night. Quick out of his stance, perfect relation from the edge to the QB. Great leverage, great hands. Anchors, locks in, and then mirrors to finish the play. pic.twitter.com/SnI11IKmus

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) August 10, 2025

Here, Simmons is 1-on-1 with the edge rusher. On the snap, he fires out of his stance, transferring the power from his inside drive foot to his slide foot. Keeping his feet close to the ground, he takes short, powerful steps — and when the edge comes in close, Simmons sinks his hips and fires his hands into the defender’s frame. While the whistle hasn’t yet blown, the play between these two men is essentially over. While mirroring the edge down the line, Simmons remains locked on through the end of the play. This highlights his strong core and grip, along with the flexibility and power he possesses in his lower half.

A few plays later, Simmons made his first blunder of the evening.

Simmons doesn't get his hands inside till the end, but his base and anchor help him to sit down on the bull rush, and he sits it down before being knocked into the QB. Opposite Moore with a smooth pass set, lands inside hands, and works the defender up the field. pic.twitter.com/oJTN9jWmSR

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) August 10, 2025

On this play, Simmons does a good job of getting out of his stance, but misses wide with his hands. This allows the edge rusher to gain control of the inside positioning. He starts to work a bull rush, but Simmons anchors himself to the ground to slow it down — and eventually regains hand position to win the leverage battle.

The snap was far from perfect. But Simmons displayed the ability to recover after being beaten off the snap. That’s a key trait that we see in nearly all of the league’s high-level offensive linemen.

The bottom line​

This was, of course, a very small sample size. But it showed that when the game is being played at full speed, Simmons continues to show the traits we have observed in training camp. These few plays also established a nice baseline from which he can build as the preseason continues.

The Chiefs’ vanilla offensive game plan provided Simmons with only a few 1-on-1 plays in pass protection — and the team didn’t run the ball in his direction very much. So we’ll need to see a lot more to really get a handle on where this young player stands.

But in Friday’s road exhibition game against the Seattle Seahawks, Simmons (and the rest of the projected starters) are likely to get substantially more playing time as the team continues to ramp up to the opening game of the season. We’ll probably see a little more variety in the plays that are called, too.

Saturday’s sample size was small, but it was promising, too. On Friday night, all eyes will continue to be on the left side of the Chiefs’ offensive line.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...impressive-against-cardinals-preseason-week-1

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

What do the Chiefs-Cardinals snap counts tell us about the depth chart?

At the beginning of last week, the Kansas City Chiefs released their first unofficial depth chart of the season. We use the word “unofficial” because history shows that these depth charts can be significantly off-base. But they still come from the team, so we pay some attention to them.

In recent years, NFL stats nerds have developed a new way to chart snap counts. It provides little value in the regular season — but during the preseason, it’s a valuable tool that can help us puzzle out a team’s depth chart.

Let’s see how Anthony Reinhard (StatButler.com) charted Saturday’s game between the Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals.

By looking at this data, we can estimate that going into Saturday’s game, Kansas City’s depth charts probably looked something like these.

Offense​

Pos	1st	2nd/5th	3rd/6th	4th/7th
WR1	Rashee Rice	Hollywood Brown	Tyquan Thornton	Jalen Royals
–	–	Skyy Moore	Jimmy Holiday	Hal Presley
WR2	Xavier Worthy	JuJu Smith-Shuster	Jason Brownlee	Nikko Remigo
–	–	Mac Dalena	Elijhah Badger	Key’Shawn Smith
LT	Josh Simmons	Wanya Morris	Chu Godrick	–
LG	Kingsley Suamataia	Mike Caliendo	Dalton Cooper	–
C	Creed Humprhey	Hunter Nourzad	Joey Lombard	–
RG	Trey Smith	C.J. Hanson	Ethan Driskell	–
RT	Jawaan Taylor	Jaylon Moore	Esa Pole	–
TE	Travis Kelce	Noah Gray	Robert Tonyan	Jared Wiley
–	–	Jake Briningstool	Tre Watson	Geof’Quarius Spivey
QB	Patrick Mahomes	Gardner Minshew	Bailey Zappe	Chris Oladokun
RB	Isiah Pacheco	Kareem Hunt	Elijah Mitchell	Brashard Smith
–	–	Elijah Young	–	–
FB	Carson Steele	–	–	–

Defense​

Pos	1st	2nd/5th	3rd/6th	4th/7th
DE	Mike Danna	Charles Omenihu	Felix Anudike-Uzomah	Janarius Robinson
DT	Chris Jones	Jerry Tillery	Marlon Tuipulotu	Coziah Izzard
DT	Mike Pennel	Omarr Norman-Lott	Fabien Lovett	–
DE	George Karlaftis	Ashton Gillotte	Malik Herring	–
LB	Nick Bolton	Jack Cochrane	Brandon George	–
LB	Drue Tranquill	Cole Christiansen	Cooper McDonald	–
LB	Leo Chenal	Jeff Bassa	–	–
CB1	Trent McDuffie	Kristian Fulton	Christian Roland-Wallace	Joshua Williams
–	–	Melvin Smith	Ajani Carter	–
CB2	Jaylen Watson	Nazeeh Johnson	Nohl Willams	Kevin Knowles
–	–	Azizi Hearn	Jacobe Covington	–
S	Bryan Cook	Jaden Hicks	Deon Bush	Major Williams
S	Chamarri Conner	Mike Edwards	Glendon Miller	–

Some notes​

• During the preseason, we should expect depth charts to be fluid. Based on what happened during Saturday’s game, these have probably changed already. They could change again tomorrow.
• Strictly based snap counts, some players might have been higher on the depth chart going into Saturday night. But it’s probably unwise to depend exclusively on snap counts, because sometimes teams hope to generate trade interest by featuring a player they don’t think they’ll keep.
• We’re projecting cornerback Kristian Fulton — who did not play on Saturday — as a second-string player, based on where he played during Monday’s training camp practice. He was not listed on the team’s unofficial depth chart last week.
• For unknown reasons, Reinhard listed linebacker Cooper McDonald and cornerback Jacobe Covington as edge rushers.

We’ll look forward to seeing how this data changes when the Chiefs play the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...nals-preaseaon-week-1-snap-counts-depth-chart

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs make 4 roster moves after Saturday’s serious injuries

During Saturday night’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs safety Deon Bush suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. Then defensive end Janarius Robinson fractured his foot.

According to the NFL transactions report, the Chiefs placed both players on their Reserve/Injured list on Monday, reducing their offseason roster to 88 players.

One of them was replaced on Monday, when the team signed a player with local roots: defensive end Nate Matlack, who played at Olathe East before three years with Kansas State and one season with Pittsburgh. He participated in the team’s rookie minicamp in June. Checking in at 6 feet 5 and 241 pounds, he was wearing No. 57 at his first Kansas City practice.

Then on Tuesday morning, Kansas City signed former Washington Commanders running back Michael Wiley, bringing the roster back to full strength. The 5-foot-10, 209-pound Arizona product was an undrafted free agent for the Commanders following the 2024 NFL Draft, but spent last season on their practice squad. Washington waived him (with a non-football injury designation) on July 22, just after signing pass rusher Von Miller. It appears that the injury wasn’t serious, as he was on the Chiefs’ practice field wearing No. 39 on Tuesday morning.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...binson-on-ir-nate-matlack-michael-wily-signed

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs’ training camp observations from Tuesday’s Day 16

On Tuesday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to the practice field at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph for the 16th full practice of the team’s 2025 training camp.

This was one of 17 sessions scheduled for the team’s practice field next to MWSU’s Spratt Stadium. Just one public practice remains. Click here for details and a full schedule.

Arrowhead Pride editor-in-chief Pete Sweeney was there. He posted some observations on social media — starting with a warm day.

Practice on Thursday was warm, beginning in the low 80s and building into the mid-80s by the time it was finished. Didn't clock it, but it felt like the longest workout of camp heading into the preseason game.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 7, 2025

In a fully padded practice, the defense had the edge — at least on this day.

After a 10-10-10 day on Monday, the #Chiefs were back for a fully padded practice on Tuesday. Generally speaking, the defense won the day. Tough for the offense to get anything going, with mistimed throws and drops throughout.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

Four players were held out — and two others went to the Reserve/Injured list.

The following players did not practice: WR Hollywood Brown, TE Jake Briningstool, OL Ethan Driskell, S Deon Bush (IR), CB Jaylen Watson and DE Janarius Robinson (IR).

Andy Reid has said Brown has started to run, and Watson was on hand — but he did not work.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

The defense got the upper hand right away.

As mentioned, the defense shined, especially early. In 11-on-11, Nick Bolton intercepted Patrick Mahomes, and Chris Jones would have had two would-be sacks. A couple of reps within the team have mentioned that Jones has entered this camp in outstanding shape.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

DL coach Joe Cullen: "[Jones] hasn't missed a rep. Long drive drill, 9-on-7, one-on-one pass rush, phenomenal. He's in great physical shape, and he's on a mission."

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

But the offense still had some moments.

During 7-on-7, Travis Kelce caught a 20-yard pass on an out-breaking route that really stuck out in the mind of pass-game coordinator Joe Bleymaier in terms of what Kelce means to the club.

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

Bleymaier: "We started off slow on offense, Trav gets a route one-on-one, and we hadn't seen many completions out there today. Trav beats his man one-on-one, breaks out for a 20-yard gain and kind of sets the tone for everybody… when everyone was pushing through the dog days of…

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

Some things stayed the same — while others changed.

A couple lineup notes:

– Jawaan Taylor once again rotated with Jaylon Moore at right tackle.
– At cornerback, with Watson out, Trent McDuffie and Nazeeh Johnson were outside with Chamarri Conner inside. Kristian Fulton, Nohl Williams and Chris Roland-Wallace with the second…

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

Pete tallied up the running backs’ carries…

9-on-7 RB order of touch (total carries)

First team: Pacheco (3), Hunt (2), Steele (1), Mitchell (2)
Second team: Steele (4), Smith (2)
Third team: Young (3), Smith (1)

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

…and Patrick Mahomes’ targets.

Mahomes targets (11-on-11): Kelce (4), Rice (3), Hunt (2), Tonyan (2), Royals, Smith-Schuster, Worthy

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 12, 2025

Wednesday’s final public practice will also be the team’s annual Military Appreciation Day. As always, we will have live updates after it begins. When it is over, head coach Andy Reid will be among those speaking to reporters. Since Wednesday will be a light 10-10-10 practice, this will be our last set of training camp observations for 2025. Thanks for reading!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...ining-camp-day-16-observations-from-august-12

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce unlikely to play against Seahawks

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce are unlikely to play on Friday night in the club’s second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

“There’s a chance I sit a couple of the starters or at least be short with them,” said head coach Andy Reid after the team’s final training camp practice on Wednesday. “We want to make sure we get a good look at these young guys, so we’ll just see how it all rolls going forward.”

During Wednesday’s practice, both Mahomes and Kelce worked with the scout team.

“It’s fun,” said Mahomes. “You get to try stuff even more than you would try at a regular training camp practice, and so worked on my fakes and stuff like that — trying to get a defense to bite on fakes and stuff. tried to throw it into tighter windows. Sometimes those things are circled but you still want to try to fit it in there and get the completions. It’s a different type of competitive thing that you go through, and you’re trying to beat the defense whenever they are set up to succeed.”

Backup Gardner Minshew was under center with the first-team offensive line, indicating he will earn the start.

“There’s a good chance he doesn’t [play],” said Reid of Mahomes. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Of course, the quarterback said he would be on the field if it were up to him.

“I always want to play,” said Mahomes. “I always want to be out there and playing. You could say that you don’t want to play and then you get to the game and it’s like, ‘Man, I want to be in the game and playing a game with my teammates.

“At the end of the day, I trust in coach Reid and his process. He has a reason for everything that he does. Like I said, I’ll be ready to play this week… If I get to play, I’ll be ready to go, and if I don’t, I’ll be ready to go again the next week. And if not, I’ll be just as energized on the sideline as if I was playing in the game.”

After Seattle, the Chiefs return home the following Friday, August 22, to take on the Chicago Bears in their final preseason game. Reid left the door open for Mahomes and Kelce to play in that contest.

“There’s a chance they play a little bit more in the third game,” concluded the head coach.

Reid also confirmed several Chiefs players will be unavailable due to injury: tight end Jake Briningstool (hamstring), wide receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle) and offensive tackle Ethan Driskell (appendectomy). Running back Kareem Hunt is considered questionable after being held out on Wednesday with a quad contusion.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...ravis-kelce-unlikely-to-play-against-seahawks

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

NFL disciplinary hearing for Rashee Rice street racing case set for September 30

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the NFL has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice for Tuesday, September 30 in New York.

The hearing will consider Rice’s potential suspension for his involvement in a six-vehicle crash on Saturday, March 30, 2024, which occurred when Rice and some friends were racing sports cars on a Dallas expressway. After turning himself in, Rice cooperated with police, who initially charged him with six counts of collision causing bodily injury, one count of collision causing serious bodily injury and one count of aggravated assault.

On July 17, the criminal case against Rice ended when he pleaded guilty to two of those charges in exchange for a five-year probation and a 30-day jail sentence that may be served at any point during those five years. If he completes the probation without incident, the charges will be dismissed.

Rice’s NFL hearing will take place two days after the Chiefs’ Week 4 game, meaning that he will very likely be available for the games against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, Philadelphia Eagles at home, New York Giants on the road and Baltimore Ravens at home.

We cannot predict the length of an NFL suspension Rice might receive — although last week, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Chiefs expect he will be suspended from four to six weeks. Following Rice’s hearing, Kansas City’s next six opponents will be the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...-hearing-for-rashee-rice-set-for-september-30

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

10 Biggest Questions: Can Patrick Mahomes master deep passing?

For the third straight year, I’m considering the 10 biggest questions I have about the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.

Also in this series:

• How well will Jaden Hicks replace Justin Reid?
• Can the Chiefs improve their pass rush this season?
• Which 2022 draft pick will have the best contract year?
• What will be the Chiefs’ best offensive line?
• Where should Trent McDuffie play this season?
• What are the ceilings (and floors) at left tackle?
• How will the Chiefs manage their slot receivers?
• Can the Chiefs bring back explosive offensive plays?

If you’ve been following this series, we’re in familiar territory: the Chiefs need more explosive plays.

At left tackle, Josh Simmons could give quarterback Patrick Mahomes more time in the pocket to launch the ball downfield. Having wide receiver Rashee Rice back could help generate more explosive plays from the quick throws on which he thrives. Rice’s presence should also allow fellow wideout Xavier Worthy to specialize in downfield routes more often.

In short: we’ve already covered a lot of things that can help Kansas City become more explosive this season.

But we haven’t yet addressed the elephant in the room: Mahomes himself.

I don’t write about Mahomes very often, because there aren’t usually a lot of new things to say about him. He’s the greatest quarterback I’ve ever seen. He plays at an incredible level every week. He’s one of the smartest quarterbacks I’ve ever witnessed. He’s tremendous both in and out of the pocket.

It comes down to this: I like to cover the other areas of the team — because I know Mahomes is going to be great.

But Mahomes does contribute to some of the problems the Chiefs have had with explosive plays.

That’s because ever since the team traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, Mahomes’ biggest weakness has been a lack of downfield accuracy. Without Hill, Kansas City’s vertical passing game has become significantly worse.

Completion Percentage on Deep Passes [Since 2022]
+ min. 80 deep pass attempts

1. Tua Tagovailoa (67.6%)
t2. Geno Smith (65.4%)
t2. Brock Purdy (65.4%)
4. Joe Burrow (64.7%)
…
Dead Last / 28. Patrick Mahomes (49.4%) pic.twitter.com/DUqIva3eDx

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) July 1, 2025

Patrick Mahomes is one of the worst deep-ball throwers in the NFL. He has only been accurate on 38.24% of deep passes, putting him outside the top 20 amongst starting QBs. pic.twitter.com/qxBkHhVGId

— Joe (@JoeA_NFL) December 19, 2024

Why has this been the case? It’s complicated.

First, the play of the offensive tackles over the last few seasons has hurt Mahomes’ ability to launch passes downfield. When he took over the offense in 2018, Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz were protecting him on the outside. He could take long dropbacks, drift and create a big launching platform.

But since their departure, the pocket has been condensed. Mahomes can no longer drop 10-11 yards back. Instead, he’s limited to seven or eight yards. While the Chiefs do have a fantastic interior offensive line, it’s still a congested space from which it is difficult to throw deep passes. It can also affect a quarterback’s footwork — and thus, the throwing platform from which they pass.

Second, the Chiefs have lacked wide receivers who can win downfield. While Kansas City has never built its wide receiver group to succeed with contested catches, this skill has been sorely lacking during the past three seasons — and right now, none of the team’s wideouts are good at catching in traffic. There’s not much margin for error if a quarterback can’t trust his receivers to make a play.

That’s exactly what made Hill so special. While he stood only 5 feet 10, he was very strong, could jump 40 inches into the air and was very good at tracking the ball. The Chiefs don’t have anyone who can even come close to replicating that.

Finally… in the last two seasons, Kansas City didn’t have a burner. Drafting Worthy was a step in the right direction. But before that, the team’s main deep threat was Justin Watson. He was fine for what he was. But if a player like him is your main downfield threat, there’s a problem.

Still, it’s necessary to place some of the blame on Mahomes — particularly last season, when the tape reveals that Worthy showed an ability to get downfield. His speed played a big role in that — but even as a rookie, he was a pretty good route runner who could set up moves and angles to get himself downfield. So he was open pretty regularly. It’s just that Mahomes was often missing him.

So can it get better this year? There’s reason to believe it will. A second season with Worthy will clean up some of the timing and accuracy issues. There’s also plenty of room for Rice to run downfield routes; I would love to see the Chiefs let him run more Go routes to see what he can do. And the offensive tackle play will be better — on at least one side, anyway.

But it will also be up to Mahomes to improve his deep accuracy — and I have no reason to believe he can’t do it. He might have the best arm in NFL history; he’s shown he can make any throw. And throughout his career, when he’s been challenged to improve, he’s been able to do it. His pocket presence is better. His football IQ has improved. In the present circumstances, I think he can really master deep passing. He just needs to do it.

And here’s the good news: if Mahomes can improve enough to be an average deep passer, that’s going to make Kansas City’s offense a whole lot better. Connecting on even a few more downfield passes would drastically improve the team’s offensive efficiency. Yes… over the season, we might be talking about only five or six more completions. But if those passes all go for touchdowns, now we’re talking about something significant.

There’s a lot of untapped potential with the deep passing in the offense — and if Mahomes can master that in 2025, the Chiefs’ offense might become the best in the league.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...oster-can-patrick-mahomes-master-deep-passing

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

5 things to watch in the Chiefs’ second preseason game

On Friday night, the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Seattle Seahawks in their second preseason game. The game won’t kick off until 9 p.m. Arrowhead Time, but it will give the Chiefs another chance to continue preparing for the upcoming season. Some developments from the final day of training camp on Wednesday foreshadowed what the Chiefs’ game plan could be for the game.

While some of the key starters may rest, there will still be plenty to keep an eye on.

1. How will Gardner Minshew look?​

During the Chiefs’ final practice of training camp on Wednesday, Gardner Minshew drew attention by taking a majority of the snaps with the Chiefs’ first team.

Minshew getting in alot of work with the first and second team this morning.

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) August 13, 2025

After practice, it became clear why.

Andy Reid says there’s a “good chance” Patrick Mahomes does not play Friday night — which was indicated in practice Wednesday. Also of note is that Travis Kelce worked scout team with Mahomes. I wouldn’t expect him to play vs. Seattle either. https://t.co/S4H6Vu3vQm

— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 13, 2025

With the news of Mahomes’ sitting coming into play, it is clear that the Chiefs’ coaching staff is going to give Minshew a chance to line up and take as many snaps as possible. The Chiefs are likely willing to leave nothing to chance with the funky game time — 9 p.m. Central Time — and time change from the trip to the West Coast.

Mahomes will rest, and Minshew will get a chance to continue to put good football on tape.

In the preseason opener in Arizona, Minshew went 6 for 9 and ran in a touchdown with the second team. It was announced that the starting offensive line would play, along with the rest of the core starters outside of Travis Kelce, so Minshew will get a chance to show what he can do with most of the Chiefs’ weapons.

2. Who will win the battle at punt returner?​

The Chiefs appear to have narrowed the returner battle down to four candidates after giving multiple players looks in camp.

Nikko Remigio, Brashard Smith, Skyy Moore and Tyquan Thornton were the four players to return punts during the practice. Last week, Thornton and Moore both returned one punt each, with incumbent returner Remigio not seeing any snaps.

This move was surprising, since Remigio had a solid season last year returning kickoffs and punts.

That said, the Chiefs have a crowded roster, and finding versatile players like Thornton and Smith who could turn into long-term contributors on offense and special teams will give them an edge on cut-down day if they prove they can be reliable.

3. How will Steve Spagnuolo deploy the cornerbacks?​

The Chiefs’ depth at cornerback was tested early last week when Jaylen Watson left the game under concussion protocol. If he doesn’t play in this game, who starts in his place will be worth watching.

Rookie Nohl Williams stood out among the crowd last week, looking strong at the point of attack and making plays on the football. Second-year player Christian Roland-Wallace also made a few nice plays when given snaps, and he might have done enough to put his name in contention to make the roster for a second consecutive season.

The question marks will come with Nazeeh Johnson and Joshua Williams. Both players have been in the Chiefs’ system for a few seasons, but now, both have found themselves playing late snaps in the first game of the preseason.

Looking at the corner groupings in the Chiefs’ base defense should give a good indicator of where the coaching staff is with the depth chart and which players they are favoring to possibly make the roster.

4. Who is the Chiefs’ third tight end?​

There need not be any conversation over the Chiefs’ starting tight end, and Noah Gray appears to be pushing more into the 1B position as far as tight end goes, but the Chiefs still have plenty of competition up in the air for the third (and possibly fourth) tight end spot.

After a few relatively unassuming seasons as a journeyman, Robert Tonyan has built momentum through training camp and the first preseason game as a likely candidate to be the Chiefs’ third tight end. Tonyan led all players last week with three receptions for 49 yards, with his longest play being for 20 yards.

Tonyan has been competing for the third tight end spot with second-year player Jared Wiley. With just one catch for 2 yards, Wiley didn’t have much of a chance to get anything going. Recovering from an ACL injury that cost him the second half of the season hampered his development, but his progression back has been going well — at least from what it appears in camp.

With Kelce likely joining Mahomes on the sidelines, the Chiefs’ personnel rotations for multiple tight end sets will be worth watching. It does seem likely that the Chiefs keep four tight ends on the roster, but the third man has the luxury of being safe.

5. Will the pass rushers get to the quarterback?​

It seems likely that Chris Jones will join Mahomes and Kelce on the sidelines for the game, and this should give some players along the defensive line a better opportunity to rush the passer. The Chiefs mostly played base defense during the first preseason game, but they were able to generate little to no pressure without the use of a blitz.

The Chiefs have invested heavily in the defensive line via the draft and free agency the past three seasons, so the lack of pass rush in the first preseason game was somewhat surprising. The only defensive linemen to generate any pressure were Janarius Robinson, who was put on the IR with a foot injury he suffered late in the game.

The unit struggled to create pressure last game, but hopefully, a week of motivation via a screaming Joe Cullen will be enough to light a fire. Notable players to watch will be Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Omarr Norman-Lott, Ashton Gillotte, Malike Herring and Jerry Tillery.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/kans...-to-watch-in-the-chiefs-second-preseason-game

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Arrowheadlines: The Chiefs defense had a tough night

The latest​

NFL Preseason Week 2 Winners and Losers | Bleacher Report

Loser: Chiefs Run Defense

Unreliable offensive line play, especially along the interior, was one of Seattle’s biggest problems in 2024. On Friday, the Seahawks’ first- and second-team units looked like one of the best in the NFL.

The Seahawks racked up 174 rushing yards before intermission and 268 in total. That reflects well on Seahawks running backs like Zach Charbonnet, George Holani and Damien Martinez—along with rookie guard Grey Zabel—but it also highlights how poorly Kansas City’s run defense performed.

Kansas City was regularly blown off the line of scrimmage, while linebackers struggled to close on ball-carriers. It’s safe to say that the Chiefs have plenty to clean up defensively between now and Week 1.

2025 NFL preseason, Week 2: What We Learned from Friday’s doubleheader | NFL.com

Tonyan makes most of opportunity. Tight end Robert Tonyan had a nice showing as the veteran addition is looking to solidify a spot in the Chiefs’ TE room. He surely made his case. On a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Gardner Minshew was forced to scramble to his right and managed to sneak the ball to Tonyan, who quickly faked a Seahawks defender for a score. He finished the night with five receptions for 41 yards. Listed as the fourth-string TE on Kansas City’s depth chart, Tonyan is certainly fighting for a spot behind Travis Kelce, Noah Gray and rookie Jake Briningstool. After playing for three different squads in the NFC North over the course of the last three seasons, Tonyan made his case that he could contribute when called upon.

2025 NFL preseason Week 2: Takeaways, analysis | ESPN

Chiefs: All four of the Chiefs’ prominent rookies on defense — tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, end Ashton Gillotte, cornerback Nohl Williams and linebacker Jeffrey Bassa — struggled with extending playing time Friday. The Chiefs’ defense gave up huge chunks of rushing yards in the first half as Norman-Lott and Gillotte weren’t able to make much of an impact. Bassa, who was a star in the preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, was exploited by the Seahawks’ misdirection plays. Williams showed his physicality again, but he left the game in the third quarter with a concussion. — Nate Taylor

NFL initially proposed double-digit game suspension for Chiefs’ Rashee Rice, per report | CBS Sports

However, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported on Friday that the league initially proposed a double-digit game suspension for Rice that would’ve sidelined him for at least half of the season. The NFL Players Association, along with Rice’s attorney and agent, lobbied for a much shorter suspension, arguing that there is no precedent for suspending a player half the season in a similar case, according to Pelissero.

It’s also possible a settlement could be reached before the start of the season, according to the report, that would suspend Rice for the start of the 2025 campaign as opposed to after the hearing at the end of next month.

Around the NFL​

4 NFL trades that should happen before the regular season | SB Nation

Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings

It’s wild to look at the Vikings as a team that needs receiver help, but here we are. The paramount concern for Minnesota this year is to get J.J. McCarthy started off on the right foot, and that will be extremely difficult with Jordan Addison serving a three game suspension, and now Rondale Moore suffering a season-ending knee injury.

As it stands the opening day receivers for Minnesota will be Justin Jefferson, Tai Felton, and Jalen Nailor in the slot. That’s a bad, bad unit.

Enter an old friend in Adam Thielen. The Carolina Panthers love Thielen, but they have a problem of their own at receiver: They have too many to know what to do with. All signs point to Tetairoa McMillan being their No. 1, with Xavier Legette across from him, and Thielen in the slot. That leaves 2024 breakout UDFA Jalen Coker, Hunter Renfrow, and promising rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. all riding the pine.

The Panthers have often said Thielen is their veteran leadership, glue guy — but depending on how the front office feels about the maturity of the unit, Thielen could be expendable. He would be an ideal fit for Minnesota as a bridge WR, who can offer punch on the outside immediately, and transition to the slot when Addison returns.

Titans’ Ward happy for ‘more reps’ in shaky preseason start | ESPN

The second preseason game wasn’t kind to rookie quarterback Cameron Ward and the Tennessee Titans‘ first-team offense Friday night. Ward completed only two of his seven pass attempts for 42 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in Tennessee’s 23-20 win.

Titans coach Brian Callahan planned to have Ward play two series. But that changed after the offense struggled on the first two series.

“I wanted to send them back out there,” Callahan said after the game. “I think just the play number was still low. Those penalties kind of knocked us out of some of those favorable down distances and we didn’t convert third downs, and so we wanted to get them one more series because the play count was still relatively low. So, I felt like it was good for him to go back out there.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride​

Seahawks Beat Chiefs: 5 things we learned on a rainy night in Seattle

4. Jalen Royals is a viable option at kick returner

One of Friday’s few bright spots was Kansas City’s kick returners. Skyy Moore not only managed to catch a punt, but also — somehow — returned it for a touchdown. While it was the special teams’ highlight of the night, we need to be honest: it was too little, too late.

But Jalen Royals taking his lone kickoff return back for 49 yards — and nearly taking it to the house — is another thing entirely. A week ago, Royals showed himself to be a capable receiver on offense. If he can also win the kick returner job, the battle that’s now taking place in the Chiefs’ wide receiver room will become very interesting for players like Nikko Remigio.

Social media to make you think​

Chiefs WR Skyy Moore says his physical gifts are what got him an NFL opportunity, but right now, 90% of the game feels like it's mental for him because of his past struggles: "Everybody that plays in this league goes through those mental obstacles. And I feel like it's about how…

— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) August 16, 2025

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