Through the first two games of the 2026 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have remained unbeaten out of the gate despite missing two key starters. All of the attention, however, has remained on one of those players: left tackle Josh Simmons.
Even as safety Chamarri Conner returned to practice on Wednesday—as a full participant, by the way—for the first time since the start of the season, conversation around the team didn't seem to notice. The Chiefs always have obvious talking points, and safety is an oft-overlooked position as it is, but Conner's arrival on the scene should be turning more heads.
Conner injured his knee in a preseason collision with wide receiver Tyquan Thornton during a training camp practice. The Chiefs held him out without any official timetable for a return, with head coach Andy Reid later admitting that the team was waiting for any swelling to go down.
Getting Conner back helps a depleted depth chart
For a team relying heavily on a trio of safeties to carry the position, Conner's injury has placed greater demands on both Alohi Gilman and Jaden Hicks to hold things down on the back end of Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Both players have played 100 percent of defensive snaps through two games, including a recent overtime win over the Colts on a short week of practice following a Monday Night Football victory over the Broncos.
Conner isn't just returning to the same old secondary after missing a couple of games. A position that lost Bryan Cook to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency has been completely rebuilt. Trent McDuffie was traded to the L.A. Rams. Jaylen Watson followed him on the open market. Joshua Williams left for Tennessee. Several replacements were imported, bringing a necessary adjustment period for everyone involved. Conner will have to catch up with the unit after missing the first two games.
A learning curve ahead for everyone
Even Conner will be adjusting to a newer role. The Chiefs stated during the preseason that Conner was shifting back to safety full time after helping the team man the slot corner role in the last couple of years. However, Conner is at his best when lower in the box, and the Chiefs went shopping for other slot options—from rookie Jadon Canady to free agents Kader Kohou and L'Jarius Sneed.
Whether or not the Chiefs mean what they say remains to be seen. Sneed struggled mightily in the Chiefs' most recent win over Indianapolis, so with Conner's return, it's hard to tell exactly how the pieces will fit together. And it's possible that even Spagnuolo won't know for some time as his coaching staff figures out the best ways to utilize younger players at the professional level. First-round pick Mansoor Delane's own injury hasn't helped matters at cornerback.
With his contract year ticking away, Conner has to be itching to get back onto the field. Through three seasons, his stock has shifted from a promising young safety in his rookie campaign to a versatile, solid contributor who is often tasked with a greater share of responsibility than he should be. If the Chiefs bring him back into his comfort zone, and if he stays healthy, Conner has a real chance to shine long enough for the market to become much friendlier next spring.
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