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Predicting Kansas City Chiefs final 53-man roster for 2022 season

By Lucas Strozinsky

Aug 20, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Daurice Fountain (82) warms up against the Washington Commanders prior to the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Daurice Fountain (82) warms up against the Washington Commanders prior to the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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After wrapping up their preseason schedule last Thursday against the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs had to turn their attention to the final roster cuts. Prior to 3 PM Central Time on Tuesday, August 30, NFL clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List. On Saturday, Kansas City started the process of shedding well over 20 players from the team by releasing five players, including quarterback Dustin Crum and linebacker Mike Rose. Some of these players will be brought back on the practice squad and some will be signed by other teams while others may not be so fortunate.

They still have a long way to go and have difficult decisions to make regarding their club, but let’s make some final predictions about how the Chiefs’ final 53-man roster will look after the Tuesday deadline.

Quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne, Shane Buechele

Retaining three quarterbacks may come as a surprise to some Chiefs fans and not a surprise to others. We all know that #15 is a lock but the other 1-2 spots are a question mark. Chad Henne has been the backup to Mahomes for the past four seasons while Buechele only joined Kansas City last year as a UDFA. I believe the Chiefs value Chad Henne’s experience as an NFL veteran but also value Shane Buechele’s greater natural talent at this point in both of their careers. Kansas City has also demonstrated their willingness to carry a third signal-caller and also a belief in Buechele by signing the young passer to their active roster in the middle of last season, despite no injuries to Mahomes or Henne, in order to avoid him being poached by the Arizona Cardinals. It’s also possible that the Chiefs ride with Henne and cross their fingers that Buechele survives waivers in order to bring him back on the practice squad. If they do lose him on waivers, then they’ll likely ride with Dustin Crum as the scout team quarterback for the season.

Running Backs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Ronald Jones, Michael Burton

I’ve seen some buzz about Kansas City keeping four running backs (plus fullback Michael Burton) and I think that it’s increasingly likely with the Blake Bell injury. Despite Ian Rapoport throwing around Ronald Jones’ name as a potential trade target for teams needing a running back, I think he will end up surviving final cuts and being the fifth running back on the team (fifth counting Burton). Although I still view CEH, Isiah Pacheco, and Jerick McKinnon as better overall backs, I think that Bell’s injury will ultimately serve in his favor and he’ll end up making the team, despite a disappointing training camp.

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