6 winners (and 2 losers) from the Chiefs' preseason loss to the Rams

A losing preseason effort for the Kansas City Chiefs somehow yielded a plethora of winners, but that's how preseason football works. The Chiefs were back in Arrowhead for the first time since early last winter on Saturday, hosting the visiting L.A. Rams in the preseason opener for both teams.

Patrick Mahomes did not play. Travis Kelce did not either. Even the Rams kept their stars out of the game, with most of them not even leaving SoCal for the trip—including former Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. In the end, the Chiefs lost 20-12 in rather sloppy fashion, but the performances of several young players have fans excited about the potential of this rookie class.

Here are our winners and losers for the Chiefs' preseason opener.

Winner: Overall health

The greatest hope for any team in any preseason game is to be able to shake off the rust while also remaining healthy. That was largely the case for the Chiefs against the Rams. While some players weren't able to play due to injuries, the Chiefs largely staved off any new concerns, save for an ankle sprain for backup tackle Chu Godrick. Andy Reid stated after the game that there were no other injuries of note, meaning that most of the roster was able to play important reps while also staying available. Hurdle one cleared.

Winner: Cyrus Allen

The biggest star of training camp so far was also the man making the most memorable play in the Chiefs' preseason opener. That's gotta bode well for Cyrus Allen.

The Chiefs' fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati was billed as a savvy route-runner for the Bearcats with a much needed ability to separate for an offense lacking such playmakers. Allen has looked the part in training camp, earning him instant trust with Patrick Mahomes and rave reviews across the board. An early camp injury (shin bruise) kept him out of practice, but Saturday's game against the Rams will keep the buzz alive after watching this extension on an overzealous pass from Garrett Nussmeier.

Loser: Second-team offensive line

The first preseason game is always a visualization of the feeling when your legs are asleep. The numbness. The awkward stumbles. It's never pretty but you'll be okay once you get moving (except for the Arizona Cardinals). The Chiefs had 12 preseason penalties and the second-team offensive line was handing out mistakes like sandbags in a flood zone. In particular, Ethan Driskell had a tough night with two false starts and two holding calls. Pete Nygra also seemed intent on undoing the goodwill generated with a solid camp.

No one should be wringing their hands about the line, however. This is exactly what the preseason is for, especially for someone like Nygra, who was signed as a priority free agent out of Louisville. The nerves will settle and he'll learn the playbook. As Reid would say, what's important is not to make the same mistakes again.

Winner: Jaden Hicks

It's impossible for anyone outside of Arrowhead to say why Jaden Hicks can't seem to please defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but the third-year safety made it impossible to ignore his instinctual gifts on Saturday. The Chiefs' secondary is being overturned in a single offseason, which makes a holdover like Hicks all the more important. One year after finding himself shelved far too often, Hicks is making a case for a much greater role after the departure of Bryan Cook. Spags needs to free him from whatever lessons he was trying to teach him in '25.

Winner: Emmett Johnson

The Chiefs rookie class looked sensational overall, but if we didn't give Johnson his own blurb here, we'd be doing him a disservice. Fifteen selections before they drafted Cyrus Allen, the Chiefs grabbed Johnson in the fifth round as well, and the uber-productive running back out of Nebraska kept things moving in his first preseason action. Johnson led the Chiefs with 59 rushing yards on 12 carries and caught all 3 of his targets. He'll play second fiddle to Kenneth Walker, of course, and others are on the depth chart, but it's hard to see Johnson being left out of the game plan with his ability to reliably move the chains.

Loser: Emari Demercado?

Eric Bieniemy might have an unknown scheduled rotation of running backs this preseason, so we should take all of this with a grain of salt. But the Chiefs gave plenty of reps to Brashard Smith early before the Emmett Johnson show took over. That left very little for Emari Demercado, who arrived in free agency as a third-down back out of Arizona. Expectations out of camp had Smith as a likely RB4 behind the others, so maybe his early emphasis was purely for evaluative purposes, but it's impossible to ignore the order on Saturday. Look to see if Demercado is given an early tee time in the second preseason game against the Buccaneers.

Winner: Nohl Williams

For a cornerback room that watched Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson book tickets to Los Angeles this offseason, Nohl Williams' emergence as a trusted physical presence in his second season is exactly what the secondary needs while newer faces learn the system. Williams looked like the best player on the entire defense on several plays, and it's clear he's going to blossom after learning from some mental mistakes in year one.

Winner: Garrett Nussmeier

Garrett Nussmeier seems destined to land as QB3 no matter how the preseason plays out due to his status as a seventh-round rookie. With Patrick Mahomes coming off torn knee ligaments, even though he's healthy, it feels irresponsible to think that Nussmeier could be QB2 ahead of Justin Fields. That said, Nussmeier showed some real instincts for the role on Saturday, and fans were quite pleased with his drives. Nussmeier certainly wasn't perfect, but there was a noticeable difference in the zip on the ball as well as the moxie with him under center. It's easy to see why the Chiefs drafted him, and he should be exciting to watch in the next two preseason games.

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