With the reality of roster cuts in the rearview mirror, it's easy to get caught up in moves that "should have been made" or to question how things turned out. However, any late-August tinkering yields negligible results, at best, and it's important to keep things in perspective.
To that end, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking great.
The truth is that the Chiefs had an incredibly successful preseason for myriad reasons, and to get mired in the trivial transactions is a poor use of mental and emotional energy. Think happy thoughts, Chiefs Kingdom. If you need some help, here are some reasons to reframe the bigger picture.
1. Josh Simmons looks like the real deal
The Chiefs' primary focus of the offseason, besides locking up those players who needed contract extensions, was to address the tackle positions. Not only does free-agent signing Jaylon Moore look like a solid option for right tackle, should Jawaan Taylor give way, but first-round rookie Josh Simmons also looks like a franchise option.
The Chiefs invested fairly heavily in the position and made it their focus, and they might be looking at two new starters in 2026 with a long-term anchor on the left side for Patrick Mahomes. That's a big offseason win for a top offseason priority.
2. Everyone is (relatively) healthy
Any team's primary goal in the preseason is to do what they can to avoid serious injuries. Every new NFL season features at least one franchise that is cursed from the outset, laying all of their plans and hopes to waste due to a myriad of health concerns.
The Chiefs have had their fair share of injuries this offseason. Some players are working their way back. Others have just been placed on injured reserve. However, for the most part, the most important players are looking great and ready to suit up.
In the secondary, Kristian Fulton played meaningful reps in the final preseason game. Rashee Rice looks great coming off of a season-ending injury. Hollywood Brown should be ready to go for Week 1. Isiah Pacheco looked like his old self in preseason snaps as well.
The Chargers have already lost Rashawn Slater for the year. The Falcons lost Kaleb McGary. Anything can happen, of course, but for now, coming through three preseason exhibitions without a major injury concern is cause for celebration.
3. They've done more with less
Let's be honest about last year's roster. Due to major injuries and some depth concerns, the Chiefs looked rather mortal for much of the season, especially on offense. Yet somehow they put together 15 wins in 16 games in which they tried and made another deep postseason run to reach the Super Bowl.
A master chef is able to take whatever ingredients available and turn it into a delicious meal, which is what Andy Reid did last season with a roster that looks much thinner than it does now. Mahomes should feast with the array of playmakers available to him to start a new year, and a draft class deepened several positions of need.
There's every reason to believe the Chiefs are in a much better position in terms of overall roster depth and talent than they had in making a run at a three-peat a year ago.