The dust has officially settled on the Kansas City Chiefs preseason. After months of roster battles at pivotal positions, the Chiefs' front office and coaching staff have settled on the 53 players who deserved to make the active roster ahead of the league's mandated deadline on Sunday afternoon.
Of course, those players who barely made the cut can't exactly rest easy at this point. The Chiefs are ninth in the waiver wire order, which makes it far more likely that they will add another player or three before all is said and done as they sift through the castoffs of other franchises. It's also possible—even likely—that a veteran free agent will push someone out of their current role.
Still, at this juncture, Chiefs Kingdom at least has a picture of what the regular season roster will look like once the Denver Broncos visit on Monday Night Football to kick off the year.
Looking at the Chiefs official 53-man roster
Quarterbacks (3): Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier
The Chiefs are normally a two-QB team, but the emergence of Nussmeier this summer made it clear that K.C. was going to have to make room for all three quarterbacks in the end. Mahomes' health is no longer a source of concern, but the Chiefs have more security overall than they've had in years.
Running Backs (3): Kenneth Walker, Emmett Johnson, Brashard Smith
Compare this room to the one that began the year for the Chiefs in 2025 for a nice reminder of how far a position can come in a single offseason. The inability of Emari Demercado to make the final roster is a surprise, but this is still a dynamic RB room. Further moves may be coming here. It's also notable that Smith crashes the party in his second season. He should lend value in myriad ways and he's improved as a runner as well.
Wide Receivers (6): Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Tyquan Thornton, Cyrus Allen, Jalen Royals, Nikko Remigio
Possibly the most contested positional battle in the Chiefs' preseason could be found at wide receiver. In the end, Dave Toub has the final word on his preferred returner with Nikko Remigio, which sends Andrew Armstrong to waivers. No surprises among the rest.
Tight Ends (4): Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jake Briningstool, Jared Wiley
The tandem of Kelce and Gray was in place for another year, but behind them, it felt as if anything was possible among the fellow competitors. It wouldn't have surprised anyone to see four tight ends kept, three, or just two with a veteran signing or waiver claim. But Briningstool muscled his way onto a roster spot and Wiley looks healthy and ready to contribute. Four, it is.
Offensive Linemen (10): Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Kingsley Suamataia, Josh Simmons, Jaylon Moore, Kahlil Benson, Diego Pounds, Joshua Ezeudu, Hunter Nourzad, Mike Caliendo
Two last-minute trades before the deadline turned things over for those players hoping to land substitute roles here. Pounds and Edeuzu raise the floor outside and in around a couple of holdovers, but that also meant giving prospects like Esa Pole the boot. Veteran interior players like Nourzad and Caliendo were able to crash the party, which cost the Chiefs some promise elsewhere.
Defensive Linemen (8): Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, Peter Woods, R Mason Thomas, Khyiris Tonga, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Marcus Harris, Omarr Norman-Lott (PUP)
This is as strong as the Chiefs' line has looked in years. While there are still some questions, the overall ceiling is high and the interior looks stocked. Losing Norman-Lott for the season's first four games is rough (PUP list) but expected.
Linebackers (5): Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Cooper McDonald, Jeff Bassa, Jack Cochrane
The least dramatic position behind quarterback. Bolton and Tranquill have starting spots locked down, and the Chiefs hope Bassa and McDonald can make up for Leo Chenal's departure. Cochrane serves as the special teams favorite with the versatility to play any LB role for Steve Spagnuolo.
Cornerbacks (7): Mansoor Delane, Nohl Williams, Kristian Fulton, Jadon Canady, Chris Roland-Wallace, L'Jarius Sneed, Kevin Knowles
Despite losing their two best corners and a number of role players, the front office made several shrewd acquisitions to retool the CB room on the fly. The floor is high with this group, but so is the ceiling. It will take some time for the unit to gel in terms of communication, but Chiefs fans should be pleased with the way this looks after losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
Safeties (4): Chamarri Conner, Alohi Gilman, Jaden Hicks, Xavier Nwankpa
Gilman, Hicks, and Conner form the core trio of competitors here. Behind them, the Chiefs have often leaned on an experienced vet like Deon Bush or Mike Edwards in the past as fourth safety, but Xavier Nwankpa earns the ticket as a rookie free agent.
Specialists (3): Harrison Butker, kicker; Matt Araiza, punter; James Winchester, long snapper
The Chiefs weren't even fielding any other competitors this preseason, although things could get interesting next spring. Winchester is one of the team's oldest players. Butker's deal is massive, and Araiza will hit restricted free agency. For now, however, the holdovers are still in place.
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