Player usage is always an interesting trend to watch from week to week with the Kansas City Chiefs. The coaching staff is notoriously slow to use some rookies while others are thrust into action. Players who are performing well can be suddenly benched, while coaches are stubbornly devoted to others with a low ceiling. It can drive fans mad to look at snap counts, even while everyone is happy with a 3-0 record to start the year.
In the wake of the team's most recent win over the Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs' snap counts once again told some interesting stories. Here's a look at this week's takeaways.
Where was Kristian Fulton?
Kristian Fulton was a glaring omission from the Chiefs' snap counts on Sunday. Despite being graded as one of the best coverage corners so far this season by Pro Football Focus and looking good in relief of Mansoor Delane while injured, Fulton somehow came up with zero snaps versus Miami. For a player with a $13 million cap hit in a secondary where L'Jarius Sneed was getting burned on multiple occasions, you'd think there would be a configuration where Fulton could provide some help.
Have a seat, Cyrus Allen
For those hoping that the Chiefs would ease Cyrus Allen along week by week, the snap counts from Sunday held some bad news. Allen is a fifth-round rookie receiver, so by definition, he was always going to be a slow arrival. But a red-hot preseason in which he exhibited very real chemistry with Patrick Mahomes, earned clear favor from coaches, and displayed real separation in a room that needed it... well, let's just say Chiefs Kingdom thought they might fast-track his playing time. Versus Miami, Allen played a single snap, giving him a total of 5 on the year. Feels like Jalen Royals 2.0.
Xavier Overload
Xavier Worthy playing 83 percent of all available snaps and yet only getting two total targets in the game is discouragingly disproportional. When Tyquan Thornton is under 50 percent, Jalen Royals is under 20 percent, and Cyrus Allen is only getting a single snap, it feels wrong to see Worthy getting so much playing time while failing to create opportunities or form chemistry with Patrick Mahomes. Worthy doesn't look like the same player we saw late in 2024, when he racked up 34 catches for 431 yards and 5 scores in his final 5 games.
Delane is all the way back
Mansoor Delane was held out of Week 2 despite being healthy and available for the Chiefs. Head coach Andy Reid said he was ready to play if needed, but the Chiefs squeaked by the Indianapolis Colts while keeping him on the sidelines to further recover from a shoulder injury. In Week 3, Delane played 99 percent of snaps (72) and looked like a game-altering defender even as he made some rookie mistakes. The Chiefs traded up three spots at No. 6 overall in this year's draft to get him, and the early results look like a win for the Chiefs.
Bryson Easin'?
Bryson Eason is one of the lesser known players on the roster, a late preseason addition among many that brought a new face into the mix at defensive tackle. The Chiefs claimed Eason on waivers coming into a new season, and on Sunday, he earned 10 percent of snaps, which shows he's easing his way into the rotation inside. Another early down run-stuffer is a welcome addition to the mix with Khyiris Tonga and gives KC more depth for a long season ahead.
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