In just a couple of weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs will whittle down the 90-man offseason roster to a mere 53. Just like that, 37 players will become free agents or hit the waiver wire, and while several of them will return to the team's practice squad, many of them will be hoping that the game of musical chairs won't leave them scrambling without a seat on some team's roster when the music stops.
Some cuts are easier to predict than others. After the first preseason game, we're looking at three Chiefs players who really need a much bigger chance on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday if they're going to reverse their likely trajectory.
Jason Brownlee, WR
Snaps played in Preseason Week 1: 3
What a difference a year makes.
Last summer, Brownlee was enjoying such a strong preseason that the Chiefs kept him on the active roster heading into last season. But when the regular season began, he played in a mere 28 snaps in 5 games before heading back to the practice squad. This year, Brownlee looked like a player who could build on his experience, but he's barely earned any attention at camp while others (e.g., Andrew Armstrong) grab the spotlight instead.
After two years with the Jets, Brownlee was hoping a fresh start would give him a chance to advance farther than he did as a perennial bubble player in New York. But after playing only 3 snaps in the first game against the Rams, he's going to need a quick flip of the script as the Chiefs prepare for the Buccaneers.
EJ Smith, RB
Snaps played in Preseason Week 1: 3
EJ Smith has been vocal about a desire to make a name for himself so that he's not constantly referred to as Emmitt Smith's son. Kansas City offered him a shot to do that in the NFL as a rookie free agent out of Texas A&M, but a rebuilt backfield has everyone talking about the players above him on the depth chart instead.
Smith had an early advocate for him on staff in running backs coach DeMarco Murray, who recruited him out of high school. But Smith had only 3 snaps on Saturday against the Rams, which was 6 behind Jaydn Ott, another priority free agent who is also a very likely roster cut in a couple of weeks. Murray's good word might have helped him get into camp, but Smith has to take it from here. And it seems like it might be a short stay.
Mason Pline, TE
Snaps played in Preseason Week 1: 6
The leap to the NFL was a significant one for Mason Pline in the first place back in 2024. After years playing for the Ferris State Bulldogs and the Furman Paladins, Pline found his portal into the pros as a rookie free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. He'd stick for more than a year until he was cut before his second season, catching on with the New Orleans Saints but an IR stint robbed him of that opportunity.
Now Pline's with the Chiefs after taking Wanya Morris's spot following the trade with the Falcons, hoping to make his presence felt alongside once-undrafted colleagues like Jake Briningstool and Tre Watson. Pline's problem is that those players further up the depth chart have earned clear trust from the coaching staff, and even then, they're locked out behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray and perhaps Jared Wiley as well.
With minimal snaps in the first preseason game, Pline can only hope the Chiefs give him a few drives to show what he can do against the Bucs.
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