Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is over and the feeding frenzy of free agent signings is well in the rearview mirror, we have reached the reflecting point of the NFL offseason.
With several months still to go until training camp starts, the top pastime of NFL fans and media right now is to analyze which teams will be better and which teams may take a step back after all the moves that were made this offseason.
After all, just because the Chiefs are getting good grades for their draft class, doesn't mean the roster may not still have some holes.
If you aren't glued to the NFL media machine 24/7 (or even if you are) it can be easy to forget who your favorite team brought back and who they let go. There have been free agent signings and draft picks as well. So I thought it might be useful to do a quick recap up to this point so fans can see the state of the roster compared to last season.
I thought the most beneficial way to do this is to go by position, so you can see exactly who KC lost at a position and who has been added so you can judge for yourself where the team may be set up to be better or worse in 2025. For clarity's sake, I only included players that I view as meaningful contributors, so some practice squad/third-team level names may not make the list.
Kansas City Chiefs 2025 Roster Additions and Subtractions
Quarterback
Lost: Carson Wentz
Added: Gardner Minshew
Analysis: While Gardner Minshew brings a cooler vibe to the quarterback room, I'm not sure there is much difference from a performance standpoint. Wentz may have more career starts, but Minshew has played a lot more recently, with 22 starts over the past two seasons compared to Wentz with just 2. Their career completions percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdown to interception ratios are similar enough that this feels like the same product in a cooler package. I can see Minshew being a more energizing presence on the sideline and in practice.
Running Back
Lost: Samaje Perine
Added: Elijah Mitchell, Brashard Smith
Analysis: There is no question that the Chiefs have added more playmaking ability to the running back room. Both Mitchell and Smith have more explosive upside and can add some much needed big-play potential to the offense. The only downside is that Perine was by far the best pass-protecting back on Kansas City's roster last season, and neither Mitchell nor Smith is known to be strong in that area. So while K.C. may have upgraded their running and pass catching at the position, they have downgraded in one important area.
Wide Receiver
Lost: DeAndre Hopkins, Mecole Hardman
Added: Jalen Royals, Elijhah Badger
Analysis: While on paper it looks like Kansas City lost more than it gained at an already-struggling position, I'm not sure if that's a fair analysis. Neither Hopkins nor Hardman really moved the needle last season. They were simply bodies that gave them reps and a little production.
Hopefully Royals can be a meaningful addition, but if KC is better at the position in 2025, it will be because they get more than the combined 6 regular-season games they got from Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown last year. Brown should start the season ready to go, and Rice should be fully back for the second half of the season.
If KC has a healthy Brown and Rice down the stretch and gets anything from the Royals (even if that is just early on), they will undoubtedly be better at the position than last season. That isn't even figuring in any improvement from second-year wideout Xavier Worthy.
Tight End
Lost: Peyton Hendershot
Added: Robert Tonyan, Jake Briningstool
Analysis: Hendershot played mostly on special teams and three tight end sets, so his loss isn't significant. Tonyan and/or Briningstool should be fine filling those roles, and if second-year man Jared Wiley is back from his injury and contributes anything of significance, it will be an upgrade over last season. The real question here is if Travis Kelce has another season of playing most of the reps in him or if Noah Gray will take over some of those reps (at least in the regular season). Gray has looked good when given the chance, but there is only one Travis Kelce.
Offensive Line
Lost: Joe Thuney, DJ Humphries
Added: Jaylon Moore, Josh Simmons
Analysis: The odds of either Jaylon Moore or Josh Simmons playing tackle at the level that Joe Thuney played guard last season are very slim. However, that doesn't mean that Kansas City's line may not be much improved. When it comes to the offensive line, it's more important not to have major holes than it is to have elite individual talents.
Last season, the Chiefs had a major hole at left tackle. If either Moore or Simmons can provide just average left tackle play and Kingsley Suamataia is just an average guard, that will be better than having a hole at left tackle and an All-Pro left guard. It's also definitely better than forcing your All-Pro left guard to slide out to tackle only to start Mike Caliendo.
That having been said, Moore/Simmons/Suamataia still have to prove they are capable of that average play, but the talent is definitely there.
Defensive End
Lost: Joshua Uche
Added: Ashton Gillotte
Analysis: We can argue about if Steve Spagnuolo should have used Joshua Uche more, but the fact is that he didn't, so the Chiefs aren't losing anything at edge from a production standpoint. If Ashton Gillotte can add anything to their rotation next season, it will be an upgrade over 2024.
Defensive Tackle
Lost: Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi
Added: Jerry Tillery, Omarr Norman-Lott
Analysis: This is one of the biggest questions on the roster. Was Tershawn Wharton an emerging talent who will be sorely missed next season? Was he largely a product of playing next to Chris Jones in a Steve Spagnuolo defense? If it is the latter, then there is no reason that Jerry Tillery and rookie Omarr Norman-Lott can't replicate what Wharton game them last season.
As far as Derrick Nnadi goes, he was mostly a rotational run stopper last year, and K.C. has guys like Fabien Lovett, Siaki Ika, and Marlon Tuipulotu that can compete in camp to give them similar reps this season.
Linebacker
Lost: Nobody Significant
Added: Jeffrey Bassa
Analysis: The Chiefs are returning all of their main linebackers from last season, plus they added Bassa in the draft. If Bassa can give them any upgrade in coverage or sideline-to-sideline speed this season it will be an upgrade over 2024.
Cornerback
Lost: Nobody Significant
Added: Kristian Fulton, Nohl Williams
Analysis: Like at linebacker, the Chiefs didn't lose anyone at cornerback who played a significant role last season. They did add a potential starter on the outside in free agent Kristian Fulton, plus the team added a third-round rookie in Nohl Williams (who knows how to find the football). Simply put, if the Chiefs stay healthy at cornerback this season, they should be upgraded from last year.
Safety
Lost: Justin Reid
Added: Mike Edwards
Analysis: While on paper this looks like Reid vs Edwards, the real question is if second-year safety Jaden Hicks is ready to step up and fill Reid's absence. Edwards is more of a depth/insurance policy in case of an injury or Hicks not being ready for the job. If Hicks looks like he is living up to his potential, this could be a break even situation (with a slight chance for an upgrade), but if Hicks struggles then Kansas City could see a drop in safety play next season.
Specialists (No Changes)
So there you have it, Chiefs fans. There is a look at how the Chiefs' roster has changed at each position this offseason. Aside from any problems caused by injuries, the biggest places to watch to ensure K.C. doesn't see a setback from 2024 are at left tackle, defensive tackle, and safety. If it looks like those three spots are going to be okay, then I believe there is every reason to think that the Chiefs. will be just as good or better in 2025, but I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.