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[Kansas City Chiefs]

AP Premier: The tricky scenarios that still face the Chiefs

What is Arrowhead Pride Premier? Arrowhead Pride Premier is our tri-weekly newsletter, one that provides analysis and exclusive insights directly from Arrowhead Stadium, delivered straight to your inbox. Below is a preview of the latest edition. Click here for the last preview.

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Playing best-case/worst-case for the Chiefs​

By Pete Sweeney

We’re at a bit of a standstill in terms of fresh stories involving the 2025 Kansas City Chiefs. Free agency has passed – and now we patiently wait for the start of the annual “Camp Pat” workouts (which usually happen in mid-April) followed by the NFL Draft at the end of the month.

In my view, general manager Brett Veach and his personnel staff have done it again, once again assembling a 90-man roster and depth chart that could confidently line up right now.

After the announcement of compensatory picks, the Chiefs now have eight selections to use throughout draft weekend. For a quick reference, they have a first-rounder (No. 31 overall), a second-rounder (No. 63 overall), two third-rounders (Nos. 66 and 95), a fourth-rounder (No. 133) and three seventh-rounders (Nos. 226, 251 and 257).

Recent history might suggest Veach will trade up multiple times and end up with somewhere around six selections. However, given Kansas City’s great number of needs, we might see the team trade back once or twice and secure a deeper class.

Even with the roster in good shape, Kansas City still has some lingering questions. In today’s newsletter, I’ll present the best and worst-case scenarios regarding those questions.

Will Trey Smith play on the franchise tag?

Best-case scenario: No. And I’ll share a phrase that transcends football: Deadlines make deals. The Chiefs and Smith have a deadline of July 15 to get a long-term contract done, and so far, both sides have made some leverage plays. Smith has already signed his $23.4 million tag, signaling good faith and avoiding a holdout, while the Chiefs created cap flexibility by restructuring Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones – restoring some leverage in negotiations. Now, it’s up to the deadline.

Worst-case scenario: Yes. And this particular worst-case scenario isn’t that bad. Smith plays one season on that number, motivated to position himself for an even higher contract next offseason. The two sides kick the can down the road, and if he plays great, perhaps there is more room to operate then. The two sides delay completing a deal until the cap rises further, which could actually help them get something done later rather than sooner.

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What else is in this edition?​

• Pete presents two more of the biggest scenarios still facing the Chiefs this offseason.
• Our John Dixon provides a full breakdown of a clear shift in the direction of Kansas City’s mock drafts.
• A link to the full hour-long episode of the “Editors Show” (preview below).

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The Editors Show​

Here is a preview of this week’s Editors Show featuring Pete Sweeney and John Dixon.

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What else is included in a subscription?​

During the offseason, we provide a weekly update on Wednesday, with additional coverage on major events, such as free agency and the NFL Draft. During the season, You can expect 3 weekly newsletters, as outlined below:

• In our game preview newsletter on Thursdays, Pete shares his three thoughts heading into the game, Rocky Magaña highlights a pivotal matchup to watch — and John Dixon shares some background on one of the upcoming game’s biggest storylines.
• In our post-game newsletter, Pete shares his three thoughts stemming from each performance, Ron Kopp delivers his very first look at the film — and Jared Sapp captures everything being said about the turning point of the game.
• Brandon Kiley is our in-season Arrowhead Pride Premier Tuesday columnist.

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How to sign up for Arrowhead Pride Premier​

Subscribe today through this link for even more Chiefs coverage this season — and right now, we have a coupon code to give you 25% off for the entire year.

Enter coupon code PODCAST25 to receive 25% off your annual subscription.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/4/2/24399869/chiefs-news-tricky-offfseason-scenarios-kansas-city

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs pushing to become ‘permanent fixture’ on Christmas Day

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Chiefs headlines for Thursday, April 3.

The latest​

Chiefs making push to be permanent fixture on Christmas Day | Awful Announcing

Just as the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys are synonymous with Thanksgiving football, the Kansas City Chiefs are making a play to own Christmas Day.

According to The Athletic, after back-to-back appearances on the league’s Christmas slate, the Chiefs have formally requested to become a permanent fixture on the holiday. And given the NFL’s continued push for marquee matchups in primetime slots, it’s a safe bet that Kansas City will once again be featured when the league rolls out its Christmas Day schedule in 2025.

Jason, Travis Kelce React to NFL Owners Considering Banning Eagles’ Tush Push Play | Sports Illustrated

His brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, completely agreed.

“There are four downs that a team gets to get a first down or get in the end zone,” the younger Kelce brother said. “If the tush push is just one play that you run when you have a short-yardage situation, those may come up a handful of times throughout a game. You can’t get upset at that one play. ... I think it’s a football type of play. ... I don’t think we need to be banning this.”

Anonymous NFL executives divided on the Kansas City Chiefs’ big 2025 free agency signing of left tackle Jaylon Moore | A to Z Sports

“I’m sure some will say they did a bad job there,” another exec said of the Chiefs, “but really, they took a $15 million (per year) shot at a guy who has upside, and if it doesn’t work out, at worst, he is going to be an overpaid swing tackle for them next year. That is not a terrible outcome. Whereas Tennessee gave Daniel Moore $50 million over two years, which was crazy to me.”

Moore’s contract structure truly makes this a no-lose scenario for Kansas City. If he’s your solution as a starter, you get him for $15M per year over the next two seasons and will have an opportunity to re-sign him. If he’s not the answer and you find that answer in the 2025 NFL draft, he has already proven that he can be a quality and reliable backup in the league.

Why Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes got together with soccer star Lionel Messi this week | The Kansas City Star

World Cup champion Lionel Messi in February arrived at Super Bowl LIX with his kids, and one was spotted in a jersey of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. A year ago, Messi and Inter Miami FC played Sporting Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium.

As he headed toward the field, Messi met with Mahomes. So Messi and Mahomes know each other and they met up once again this week, this time in Los Angeles. The reason? The two stars were part of Adidas’ 2026 World Cup kickoff event at BMO Stadium.

NFL exec’s DeAndre Hopkins remarks might explain why Chiefs didn’t re-sign him | Arrowhead Addict

Mike Sando of The Athletic shared that while the exec was excited about the Ravens re-signing Ronnie Stanley, the Hopkins move didn’t mean much.

“D-Hop, that doesn’t do anything for me. He’s just a name at this point.”

Patrick Mahomes’ friend’s (Gehrig Dieter) prank that fooled everyone and went viral on April Fools’ Day | Marca

Taking to X this week, Dieter wrote: “Looking to sell my Super Bowl ring. Anyone know a good spot to buy this??”

Around the NFL​

Roger Goodell May Have Telegraphed He Wants to Ban the Tush Push | Sports Illustrated

Generally, when Goodell doesn’t have the votes—and via a straw poll, he wasn’t particularly close this time around—but wants to spend some time figuring out a way to get them, he’ll table a proposal, like he did the Green Bay Packers’ tush push ban, until the May meeting. In this case, I do think the lack of needed support for the play went back to two things.

Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50: 2025 NFL Draft prospect rankings 4.0 | NFL.com

RANK: 37 - JOSH SIMMONS, OHIO STATE

Simmons is a gifted left tackle prospect. He was having an outstanding 2024 campaign before suffering a season-ending knee injury in October. He has excellent size, movement skills and balance. In the passing game, he has a smooth/fluid set. He can easily redirect and plays with a wide/firm base. He uses a sharp punch before steering and controlling defenders. He will overset on occasion, but he’s nimble enough to redirect and recover. In the run game, he plays under control, stays on his feet and maintains leverage/position. He can adjust in space on combos. The main question with Simmons is health. What he put on tape this fall should generate plenty of optimism about his chances of becoming a quality starting left tackle in the NFL.

Trey Hendrickson disappointed by Bengals’ stance on contract | ESPN

“First off, yesterday was April Fools’ [Day] so I was traded to all 31 teams and had like a hundred different contracts. The one thing I was hoping was an April Fools’ joke [was those comments]. Called my agent [Harold Lewis], found out it was not, and that was a little disappointing because the communication has been poor over the last couple of months,” he said.

Hendrickson said the Bengals have not communicated with his agent directly about his contract, saying that has “been something that’s been a little bit frustrating.

Bears expand options for stadium site to include Arlington Heights | ESPN

“The focus now is both downtown and Arlington Heights,” Warren said. “These are not linear processes or projects. They take time, they take a lot of energy and effort. I am very, very pleased with where we are. I think we, collectively as a group, are where we thought we would be.”

The Bears purchased the land in Arlington Heights for $197.2 million in Sept. 2021 but have not begun developing the site, which was expected to feature a multibillion-dollar stadium project and include restaurants, retail space and real estate. The team began exploring options for a new stadium beyond Arlington Heights in the summer of 2023 when they announced that those plans were “at risk” as negotiations over property taxes reached a $100 million impasse.

Agent’s Take: Breaking down Micah Parsons’ contract complications, how Cowboys star should proceed in talks | CBS Sports

Parsons felt compelled to defend Mulugheta on social media after Jones’ comments. “David is the best and I will not be doing any deal without [him],” Parsons tweeted. “Like anyone with good sense I hired experts for a reason. There is no one I trust more when it comes to negotiating contracts than David! There will be no backdoors in this contract negotiation.”

John Vella, who won Super Bowl with Oakland Raiders, dies at 74 | ESPN

John Vella, an offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Raiders, has died at the age of 74, the team announced Wednesday.

No cause of death was given.

“The Raiders Family mourns the passing of John Vella, a standout on the dominant Raider offensive lines of the 1970s and a starter on Oakland’s Super Bowl XI Championship team,” the team said in a statement. “The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with the Vella family at this time.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride​

Why the Chiefs are in the best drafting position since 2022

Other than tackle, I think the Chiefs are in a great spot to mix the order of their positions based on selection. If they want a running back at 31, they can find a defensive tackle or tight end later (and vice versa). This is ideal for drafting.

The flexibility that general manager Brett Veach has will allow the Chiefs to have a stronger draft. The needs for the Chiefs align almost perfectly with the strengths of the 2025 class.

Social media to make you think​

.@getnickwright wants @treysmith back on the Chiefs, so he made him a great offer

“We are willing to put all of our Chiefs banners we have dropped up for auction and whatever they come back with, we’ll add it to the Chiefs’ best offer.” pic.twitter.com/x92lOa1QCu

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 2, 2025​

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Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...news-team-pushing-permanent-fixture-christmas

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs’ offseason workout dates announced

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

An NFL team’s offseason program consists of three phases.

On Friday, the NFL made its 2025 offseason workout dates official. Here is the listing for the Kansas City Chiefs:

First Day: April 21

OTA Offseason Workouts (voluntary): May 27-29, June 2-4, June 10-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

The league did not announce a date for the Chiefs’ rookie minicamp, but they typically like it the weekend following the draft — which in 2025 would be the weekend of Saturday, May 3.

All these dates are tentative. They are subject to change at the Chiefs’ discretion.

As a reminder, each team’s program is conducted in three phases:

Phase One consists of the first two weeks of the program with activities limited to meetings, strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation only.

The Chiefs generally make their players available to the media on the first day of Phase One.

Over the past three offseasons, Kansas City has allowed quarterback Patrick Mahomes to oversee “phase one” for the offense, hosting players-only workouts in his home state of Texas.

Phase Two consists of the next three weeks of the program. On-field workouts may include individual or group instruction and drills, as well as “perfect play drills,” and drills and plays with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, conducted at a walk through pace. No live contact or team offense vs. team defense drills are permitted.

Phase Three consists of the next four weeks of the program. Teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/4/3/24400534/chiefs-offseason-workout-dates-announced

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Can you guess this Chiefs running back 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​

Thursday, April 3, 2025
Wednesday, April 2, 2025

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Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​

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/2025/4/4/24400983/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Kansas City Chiefs]

Chiefs’ Draft Scenario: What if the tackles are gone?

Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

In this draft month series, we’ll take a look at very specific scenarios for Kansas City in the NFL Draft.

Leading into the NFL Draft, we’ll spend the next few weeks developing different mock draft scenarios and what the Kansas City Chiefs should do in response to those situations. These aren’t predictions on what we think will happen, but what would be the right course of action should the specific circumstance play out.

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For our first scenario, we’re going through a scenario the Chiefs have lived through for two years: What if all the first-round offensive tackles are gone?

In my opinion, there are six tackle candidates to go in the first round.

• Armand Membou, Missouri
• Will Campbell, LSU
• Josh Simmons, Ohio State
• Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
• Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
• Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

It’s plausible the Chiefs won’t get a chance to take any of those players, nor make trade-ups for them. If there is no tackle available, who should the Chiefs select? Let’s dive into my picks;

Round 1 (31): Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State​

If the Chiefs miss on the offensive tackles, the first position I would look at is defensive tackle. I don’t view any other position on the roster as having as significant a need as defensive tackle right now. The Chiefs are going into the season with minimal depth and experience. They need bodies to help take some load off of Chris Jones as he enters his 30s.

To answer this, I decided to draft Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, who I feel is one of the highest floor prospects in the class.

The best attribute about Williams’ game is his run defense. Williams has a real argument for the best run defender in the class. Between Williams and teammate Ty Hamilton, Ohio State stopped every interior run for an entire season. Both were asked to play two-gaps and hold space against blockers — and were very good at it. Williams might only have 32-inch arms, but he uses his arms well to keep blockers off his chest, and at 334 lbs, he’s hard to move. Williams will be a Day 1 impact run defender.

As a pass rusher, I think Williams has more of a capped ceiling. His first step is good, and he uses a good swim move to get into the backfield. He can crush the pocket with power. I do think Williams is a bit stiff when rushing for my liking. He won’t get upfield and win with quickness or bend often. His pass rush film at Ohio State wasn’t overwhelming, but I don’t think he’s useless there. He projects to have five to seven sacks a year in the NFL, which is still reasonable given his incredible run defense.

One thing I like about Williams is that he could handle some nose tackle reps. With how well he two-gapped at Ohio State and being over 330 lbs., I think you could have him play next to Jones on early downs or spell him at 3-technique. Either way, he’s going to help Jones out and find a role.

Ohio State DL Tyleik Williams (#91) with the textbook drop leg technique to hold off the double team, sheds the LT block to make the run stop. His flexibility at his size (6-3, 327) is remarkable. pic.twitter.com/rSHp4uUiLl

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) January 21, 2025​

Round 2 (63): Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State​

Sticking with running backs, it’s hard to know how the NFL will rank the deep class, but you could insert many guys here. I’ll discuss more running backs over the coming weeks, so let’s talk Judkins.

Judkins is an interesting player. Judkins is a north-south runner who does best when his shoulders are parallel and he can get upfield. His best trait is his lower body strength, where he can run through contact for extra yards or fend off tackles from smaller defenders. His power — combined with explosiveness — makes him a good interior runner.

Judkins does have some limitations. First, I think his vision can be inconsistent. There are flashes of good vision, but there are also plays of him running into blocks. Judkins is well-built and strong, but that does zap some agility to bounce runs in his game. I think he’ll be best on power or gap runs, but if you’re a zone offense, you might have some limitations.

Judkins might not be the most complete back, but I trust his strength to stay efficient, and he does have the speed that no other Chiefs running back possesses. If he can work on his vision, he could be an awesome player.

A lot of analytics tell me not to believe in Quinshon Judkins,,,

The violence with which he puts grown men's heads into the dirt tells me not to be a nerd https://t.co/M5Qex2E1Ts pic.twitter.com/cyhLo0kkwN

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) March 26, 2025​

Tired of Browns QB debates?

Here's something we all want.
Quinshon Judkins in Brown and Orange. pic.twitter.com/4ET30f94XJ

— Nick Karns (@karnsies817) March 21, 2025​

Round 3 (66): Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU​

Now that the Chiefs have a starting running back and defensive tackle, they can look to address other positions. One area I’d look at is depth on the defensive line.

One scheme fit I like is Bradyn Swinson. With Swinson, you know exactly what you’re getting. Swinson is a bullrusher who wins with length and physicality. He’s always looking to crush the pocket and does it at a high level. He lacks elite bend, but he does get off the ball well and consistently shows enough power to utilize it as a primary rush move.

One underrated thing about Swinson: he’s a good interior rusher. LSU would put him in the B-Gap, and he would cook guards. The lack of fluidity matters less at defensive tackle, and his strength translated well on film. We know Steve Spagnuolo loves inside-out rushers, and Swinson would be a perfect fit for that.

Bradyn Swinson is flying way under the radar. Genuinely excellent tape off the EDGE pic.twitter.com/5gMI6N754i

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 26, 2025​

Round 3 (95): Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon​

I was contemplating wide receiver here, but decided to go with a receiving tight end instead.

Ferguson might be the best option at the end of Round 3. Ferguson is a unique body type for a tight end. His best traits are his ability to stretch the middle of the field or run crossers and accelerate with the ball. Oregon frequently had him be the deep route in their concepts because he is fast.

Ferguson’s biggest weakness that pushes him down is his weight. Ferguson weighed in at 247 lbs., though I’d be surprised if he even played that heavy. Oregon basically made him obsolete in the run game because he struggles to block in general. He lacks the size or strength to be a part of the run game.

That being said, Ferguson has elite qualities as a receiver, so one could argue he’s undervalued in this draft. If the Chiefs want tight end receiving juice after Travis Kelce, Ferguson would be a good value at 95.

Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson is an explosive athlete and it translates to his YAC ability.

Ferguson led all TEs in YAC per reception last season (9.0). Top 100 prospect. pic.twitter.com/VWKqYS71Uq

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) March 11, 2025​

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/4/4/24400292/chiefs-draft-scenario-what-if-the-tackles-are-gone