The Kansas City Chiefs roster is going to look very, very different nine months from now.
After watching the team implode over the last few months, a steep fall from preseason expectations that pegged them as Super Bowl favorites, general manager Brett Veach is expected to aggressively attack several positions of need. That list includes the defensive front, running back, tight end (depending on Travis Kelce's prerogatives), and more.
That said, for as much turnover as a fan might expect from the Chiefs this offseason, Veach has also been very loyal to familiar faces over the years. Sometimes it feels like K.C. places a premium value on known quantities over the mystery of someone new. That makes it hard to project which veterans might be shown the door, because the Chiefs have signed up for one or more rather confusing reunions every spring.
Here's our best guess as to which players feel like they are definitely out in 2026, knowing that the list of Chiefs who should not return is quite a bit longer.
Several familiar names appear headed for the exit as the Chiefs prepare for significant roster turnover ahead of the 2026 season.
Isiah Pacheco, RB
Chalk this one up as an obvious pick. Pacheco's contract is up and free agency is ahead. The last two seasons have been injury-plagued, and Pacheco's effectiveness has waned because of it. A previous report from ESPN's Nate Taylor stated that Pacheco is not in the team's plans for '26, which is as straightforward as it gets. Now, it's possible that loyalty could bring him back to K.C. on a cheap one-year deal (because Veach has enabled those sorts of quizzical reunions before), but it feels like a longshot.
Joshua Williams, CB
Another former late-round pick in the 2022 draft (along with Pacheco) is hitting the open market. He was a spot starter for a stretch there, but his usefulness hit a real wall in 2025 as he was buried on the depth chart. There's simply no reason to bring back Williams for a fifth year in Kansas City, but expect another team to take a bet on Williams as a potential late-bloomer who could use a change of scenery.
Janarius Robinson, DL
A familiar face from his days with the Las Vegas Raiders, Robinson signed with the Chiefs on a cheap one-year deal hoping to play his way into a rotational role on the edges for Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Even with Felix Anudike-Uzomah out of the year and a need for someone to step up with meaningful effort, Robinson remained a non-factor. No way he returns in 2026.
Derrick Nnadi, DL
We could have written this a few times (and been wrong), but this feels like the final bow for Nnadi in K.C. after 148 games. He's been a dependable run-stuffer and coaching favorite over the last eight seasons, but the Chiefs are well-aware that they need to raise the floor along the interior. Expect plenty of fresh faces inside, even as they might welcome back some veterans like Mike Pennel.
Keaontay Ingram, RB
In a year in which the Chiefs could have used a boost from someone in the backfield, Ingram sat on the team's practice squad for the duration. The former Arizona Cardinals sixth-round choice was passed over by Elijah Mitchell, who was passed over by everyone, and in an offseason where wholesale changes are expected at running back, it's safe to say Ingram will be shown the door.