Five Chiefs players who helped their stock against the Cardinals
By Matt Conner
La'Mical Perine
As it turns out, preseason hype can die just as quickly as it starts.
Earlier this spring, the Chiefs landed rookie free agent running back Deneric Prince, a product of the University of Tulsa, following the draft. Prince went on to generate considerable buzz at the team's rookie minicamp and he looked even more well-rounded, especially as a pass catcher, during early practices at training camp.
The buzz around Prince reached its zenith just over a week ago in the preseason when it looked like he'd already earned himself a roster spot as RB4 and returner who could potentially take reps from Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the primary backup in the backfield to the tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon.
Through two preseason games, Prince's stock has seemed to deflate quite a bit and on Saturday, it was La'Mical Perine earning some first-half carries against stronger competition. Yes, Prince earned a rushing touchdown for the Chiefs, but it was a short run in garbage time while playing alongside many players who likely won't make the team (and we don't even need to describe the quality of defenders here for Arizona).
Meanwhile, Perine put together a solid night of work with 41 rushing yards on only six carries (compared to only 20 yards on 6 carries for Prince against lesser competition). If the Chiefs trust Perine more, that's bad news for Prince at this juncture because he put up a lesser effort. This final preseason game could give Perine a chance to put this competition away—for now.