The quest for a three-peat can officially begin for the Kansas City Chiefs.
By now, the Chiefs' front office knows quite well the sort of positional divide and overall depth of talent needed to carry a franchise from Week 1 through mid-February—a sixth-month-long ride of taking the best shots from every opponent along the way. All the while, players and coaches must save enough to remain standing when the Lombardi is handed out.
With NFL roster cuts in the rearview mirror, the Chiefs now have their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 season. Let's look at this first roster glimpse to see how the Chiefs are shaping up.
Quarterbacks (2)
Made the roster: Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz
No real news here as to who makes the final cut, but it's still noteworthy to point out that the Chiefs are entering the 2024 season with the most talent overall at quarterback than they've had since it was Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes sitting in the top two spots on the depth chart. Carson Wentz is a big step up from Blaine Gabbert. When discussing the most important position in the game, this feels like a notable point.
Running backs (3)
Made the roster: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Carson Steele
This is perhaps the thinnest position on the roster at this stage, although the Chiefs certainly have time to make further adjustments before hosting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 (or even thereafter when veterans can be signed without guaranteeing their salary). At this point, however, it's important to note that Steele's presence means any offensive wrinkles involving a fullback are now back in play for head coach Andy Reid.
Wide receivers (7)
Made the roster: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
The Chiefs landed Smith-Schuster for a song in free agency shortly before the NFL's deadline for active roster cuts, which generated some surprise and an even tougher way forward for those candidates already on the roster bubble. In the end, the Chiefs cleared the slate of so many of last season's question marks. As for the rest, maybe a minor surprise for some fans that Mecole Hardman or Skyy Moore made the team, but the marks were there all along indicating that would happen.
Tight ends (4)
Made the roster: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Peyton Hendershot, Jared Wiley
The Chiefs decided to swing a last-second deal for Hendershot, who was going to be released by the Dallas Cowboys, and in so doing, they found their new Blake Bell with a couple of years left on his rookie deal. The Chiefs have more talent here than they have in years and that should provide more relief than ever for Travis Kelce over the course of a long season.
Offensive linemen (10)
Made the roster: Kingsley Suamataia, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Jawaan Taylor, Mike Caliendo, Wanya Morris, Hunter Nourzad, Ethan Driskell, CJ Hanson
Kingsley Suamataia's ability to grab hold and never let go of the left tackle spot is arguably the single most important roster development this offseason for the Chiefs. If successful he's a cost-controlled prospect for the next four seasons at an expensive position to fill—a good thing for a line with expensive options elsewhere. As for backups, Driskell over Lucas Niang is an eye-opener but a solid reward for a tackle likely to be claimed.
Defensive linemen (9)
Made the roster: George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Cam Thomas, Mike Pennel, Turk Wharton, Malik Herring
The Chiefs' defense has gotten the job done overall in terms of generating a pass rush, but that's largely dependent on Spags calling on extra blitzes. Chris Jones is a future HOF game-wrecker inside but the Chiefs could use someone to step up here both outside and in. It will be interesting to see what Cam Thomas brings and how FAU has developed. Elsewhere, the Chiefs brought back Herring for another year and gave Neil Farrell the boot for the sake of keeping Pennel around.
Linebackers (5)
Made the roster: Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal, Jack Cochrane, Cam Jones
The loss of Willie Gay will hurt the overall depth and ceiling of this unit, but Bolton and Tranquill remain a dominant one-two punch in the heart of Spags' defense. Leo Chenal came on strong last winter and looks to build on a killer postseason run. Can Jack Cochrane make the leap? Is there anything behind him? It will be interesting to see.
Cornerbacks (6)
Made the roster: Trent McDuffie, Nazeeh Johnson, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Christian Roland-Wallace, Nic Jones
While the Chiefs have suffered major losses at corner in the last few years, including the trade of L'Jarius Sneed this offseason, the team has still retained plenty of young talent in the secondary for 2024 and beyond. Trent McDuffie is turning into a household name. Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and Nazeeh Johnson form a solid competitive rotation to go with Chamarri Conner in the slot. Jones and CRW provide depth and great special teams play.
Safeties (4)
Made the roster: Justin Reid, Bryan Cook, Jaden Hicks, Chamarri Conner
The Chiefs have an abundance of riches here. It's entirely possible they could lose multiple starters and still be okay in the secondary due to the tremendous talent and depth accrued by the front office here. Rookie fourth-round pick Jaden Hicks is ready for more playing timesfd, but he's gotta contend with the talented vets in front of him. The good news is that Steve Spagnuolo is great at getting max talent on the field, so everyone here will play. Side note: Deon Bush is a solid vet who was let go.
Specialists (3)
Made the roster: Harrison Butker, James Winchester, Matt Araiza
As Thom Yorke might sing, there are no alarms and no surprises here when it comes to the Chiefs specialists. Matt Araiza is the lone newcomer to the mix, but he won the punting job several months ago for the Chiefs and will replace Tommy Townsend for the coming year. James Winchester had battled a late preseason injury but he's expected to be 100 percent by Week 1.