Snap counts show how vital a player is to their team's offense, defense, or special teams. When fans saw Andrew Armstrong get called up and get 42 snaps (69% of the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive snaps in Week 6), many wondered where this came from.
Of course, injuries stacking up in the receiving corps were the top reason, but there is more to his snap count than meets the eye:
Blocking, blocking, and more blocking
Kenneth Walker has rejuvenated the Chiefs' offense in more ways than one, and it helps when he leads the league in rushing yards (665). When the Chiefs have a guy like that, the best blockers need to be on the field on rushing downs/attempts, and Armstrong provides just that.
Andrew Armstrong wasn't asked to block explicitly on the 15 called runs he was on the field for (RPO tags, clear out responsibility, etc.), but when he was, you could see the demeanor he brings and why I wanted him on the roster from the jump. pic.twitter.com/KvcuKEjile
— Daniel Harms (@InHarmsWay19) October 19, 2026
Armstrong was very good at run blocking in Week 6, eliminating defenders from the play and aiding in opening rushing lanes for Kenneth Walker. He displays very good mental toughness, willing to take on defenders with a very good motor. Additionally, he displays good UOH by combining good hand placement, hand strength, and hand timing to stay on defenders and hold his blocks.
Armstrong also showed good explosive strength, pancaking a Chargers cornerback on the first play in the above film.
Armstrong brings balance to the Chiefs' offense
Balance has been vital for the Chiefs' offense this season. Armstrong provides value in both phases of the offense.
Along with his run-blocking abilities, he can make plays in the passing game, having a key 13-yard reception in the red zone to help set up a 2-yard Kenneth Walker touchdown run:
Andrew Armstrong spent Chiefs Training Camp and Preseason doing the little things to earn his way into a practice squad spot and with his elevation this week he has a 13 yard gain from Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City for his first career catch https://t.co/JJzsTu33rC pic.twitter.com/r4JYK8T7Gu
— DMac Wake (@DMacWake316) October 18, 2026
Although he was not the main target for the Chiefs' passing game, Armstrong still showed value, and Mahomes still looked his way. Of course, there is a lot of nuance to this, varying with how Mahomes reads a play and how deep Armstrong is in Mahomes' progression on that play.
Still, Armstrong showed a lot to be excited about, and even Coach Reid was excited about him:
"He was that kid who was right on that border of being a practice squad guy or a roster move guy, so we had high expectations for him. He did a nice job for us, most important, and he did a nice job on special teams likewise. He is a good football player."Head Coach Andy Reid, 10/19/2026
Andrew Armstrong makes his case for more opportunities
Andrew Armstrong showed a lot of promise in his Week 6 showing. He reverted to the practice squad on October 19; however, he can easily go back to the main roster in the coming days or weeks ahead, with two more roster elevations available to K.C. before the team would have to place him on the active roster.
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