The 2025 season was a major disappointment for the Kansas City Chiefs and their fans. The team had its worst finish in the Andy Reid era and ended up with one of the ten worst records in the NFL despite entering the season as Super Bowl favorites. Now, after an eventful offseason, the Chiefs are hoping to see their luck turn around and for them to be contenders again in 2026.
There are battles for the Chiefs at nearly every position on the roster, and with the second preseason game this weekend, there is a lot on the line. Whether the battle is for a roster spot or a position on the depth chart, there are several players this weekend with a lot to prove. So whose performance should we all be watching closely this Saturday against the Buccaneers?
Garrett Nussmeier
It feels weird to be talking about a quarterback battle in Kansas City, given that Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback the NFL has ever seen. But there is a real QB2 controversy for the Chiefs in 2026, and Garrett Nussmeier will have a lot to prove in his first three professional games. Kansas City traded for Justin Fields in the offseason, and he is the favorite to win the backup QB job, but Nussmeier will get several chances to prove himself.
Nussmeier played well in the Chiefs' first game of the preseason, showing off the gunslinger mentality and background the Chiefs loved when they grabbed him in the seventh round. With a good second performance, Nussmeier could take the QB2 title, but if he struggles, he could be looking at a practice squad role in 2026.
Rookie QB Garrett Nussmeier with a nice little throw on the run.
— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026
LARvsKC on @NFLnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/pD4tho6MTk
Brashard Smith
Brashard Smith was the Chiefs' seventh-round pick in 2025 and played a role with the team last season. He served as the team's primary kick returner and also was a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield, logging more receiving yards than rushing. Smith has had a strong training camp, with some saying he could be the team's RB2 in 2026.
In the Chiefs' first game, Smith showed more of what we saw in 2025, proving himself a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield with elusiveness in space. Smith has fierce competition from Emari Demercado and Emmett Johnson. With another good preseason game, Smith could lock down a roster spot and a major role in the offense for 2026.
Andrew Armstrong
The talk of the town in Chiefs camp has been all about the team's wide receiver room. Rookie Cyrus Allen has made flashes, and top targets Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice have missed a lot of time dealing with injuries. In the first game against the Rams, Armstrong got a good look and seemed to be a reliable option on the outside, albeit against the Rams' second options.
Armstrong led the SEC in receiving yards in 2024 and hopes to carry that success into the NFL. Assuming Worthy and Rice are healthy for Week 1, Armstrong would likely be competing for the sixth and final wide receiver spot on the roster. Armstrong will have ample opportunity in the preseason to prove he can contribute to the Kansas City offense in 2026 and beyond.
Jake Briningstool
Almost immediately after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chiefs signed former Clemson tight end Jake Briningstool. Throughout his four-year career with the Tigers, Briningstool proved to be one of the best pass-catching TEs in the nation. But concerns about his ability to keep up as a blocker forced him out of the draft. Briningstool is fighting an uphill battle, but with a good preseason, he could convince Kansas City to keep a fourth tight end on the roster for 2026 with a chance to become a high-impact player in 2026.
Great job by Emmett Johnson on the Counter to escape defenders in the backfield and get outside.
— Matt Lane (@Matty_KCSN) August 15, 2026
Also good work by Briningstool (88) and Driskell (75) getting up to the second level & working around the def pic.twitter.com/zCdAunuUio
Xavier Nwankpa/Deshon Singleton
The Chiefs' safety room currently has three "highly likely" players to make the Week 1 roster. But with the Chiefs routinely carrying four safeties in Steve Spagnuolo's tenure with the team, it is likely they will carry (at least) one more safety in 2026. The competition for that job seems to come down to UDFA pickups Xavier Nwankpa and Deshon Singleton.
Both Singleton and Nwankpa got significant reps in the Chiefs' first game against the Rams but did not do much to catch my eye. With Week 2 around the corner, both players are looking to flash and prove that they are worthy of a role in 2026. The front office will be watching closely to see if they want to keep both, either, or neither of their two UDFA safety pickups for Week 1.
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