Kansas City Chiefs

Chris Jones

DT

Jones did not participate in Saturday's practice, but it won't change his status for Monday. The defensive tackle was resting due to some tension in his calf, but the veteran player is all set to suit up for Monday's divisional showdown with the Broncos.

Patrick Mahomes

QB

Mahomes was a full participant in all three practices during Week 1 prep, and the 30-year-old quarterback is officially good to go for Monday's regular-season opener. His mobility could still be limited, as he'll be wearing a protective brace on the left knee where he tore both his ACL and LCL in Week 15 of last season. That would restrict his ability to move around the pocket and scramble out of trouble, a challenging limitation against a Broncos pass rush that led the league last year with 68.0 sacks.

Josh Simmons

OT

Simmons has been dealing with a persistent back injury throughout the offseason. The 2025 first-rounder has seemingly not been able to progress much in his recovery. With Simmons unable to suit up, rookie undrafted free agent Kahlil Benson is set to make his NFL debut protecting Patrick Mahomes' blindside.

Chamarri Conner

S

Connor is still dealing with a knee issue he picked up during the preseason and was unable to get right in time to suit up for the Week 1 divisional showdown. Jaden Hicks will likely start at strong safety in Connor's stead.

Ashton Gillotte

DE

The defensive end ruptured his plantar fascia during a drill late in training camp, but even then, the injury was not considered serious. Now, it appears that Gillotte is on track to play Week 1 against the Broncos. The 2025 third-round pick finished with 38 tackles (14 solo), including 1.5 sacks, in a rotational role as a rookie.

Trey Smith

G

The right guard was dealing with a hip injury during training camp, though it was described even then as a short-term issue. Smith's availability for Week 1 was never really in doubt, and now that he's practicing ahead of Monday's matchup with Denver, he should be ready to play come game time.

R Mason Thomas

DE

The edge rusher popped up on the injury report last week with a hamstring issue but appears to be good to go. The rookie second-round pick should be in the defensive-line rotation during Monday night's matchup with Denver.

L'Jarius Sneed

CB

The cornerback had been dealing with a knee injury during training camp that forced him to miss several sessions. Now that he's back, he should be ready to play Monday night against the Broncos. Sneed returned to the Chiefs in the offseason following his release by the Titans.

Drue Tranquill

LB

The linebacker seems ready to play in the Chiefs' season opener against the Broncos on Monday night after missing time during training camp with back spasms. Tranquill recorded 103 tackles (55 solo), including 2.0 sacks, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery during the 2025 regular season.

Alohi Gilman

S

The safety injured his back during the second week of the preseason and missed a little over two weeks of team activities. Now that he has returned to practice, he should be good to go for Monday's season opener against Denver. Gilman signed a three-year, $24 million free-agent deal with the Chiefs in March to serve as a starting safety.

Cyrus Allen

WR

A rookie fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati, Allen generated plenty of positive buzz in training camp and the preseason, but he doesn't appear to have a path to meaningful playing time heading into Week 1. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are locked in as the clear top two options on the depth chart, but Allen could eventually push Tyquan Thornton for the No. 3 spot. Thornton possesses more speed of the two and found some success as a vertical threat in Andy Reid's scheme last season, but Allen offers a more diverse route tree and could be a higher-volume target earner if Rice or Worthy were to miss time.

Brashard Smith

RB

Smith and Emari Demercado entered training camp battling for a depth spot on the Chiefs' active roster, but the former ended up winning that RB3 role behind Kenneth Walker and rookie fifth-rounder Emmett Johnson. Smith, a 2025 seventh-rounder, played in all 17 regular-season games in his rookie campaign, turning 44 carries into 151 yards (3.4 YPC) while catching 25 passes (on 35 targets) for 172 yards and a touchdown. Walker figures to be the bellcow running back for the Chiefs, but Smith could see the field on passing downs to give the former a breather.

Kenneth Walker III

RB

Walker dealt with some swelling around his ankle last week due to some cleat issues, but the star running back is back in action Wednesday with 12 days to go before the Chiefs open their season at home against the Broncos on Monday, Sept. 14. After splitting duties with Zach Charbonnet (knee) in Seattle, Walker is expected to operate as a three-down workhorse with Kansas City this season. Only fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson and 2025 seventh-rounder Brashard Smith round out the depth chart behind Walker.

Emmett Johnson

RB

The Chiefs had final roster cutdowns Sunday and waived veteran Emari Demercado, clearing a path to a role for Johnson. The rookie out of Nebraska impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. Kansas City also has Brashard Smith on the roster, but Johnson may be the handcuff to target for fantasy managers.

Omarr Norman-Lott

DT

Norman-Lott was placed on the active/PUP list ahead of training camp, and he did not appear in a preseason game as he continues to recover from a torn ACL that he suffered in October. The defensive lineman will now be forced to miss at least four contests to begin the regular season, and in his absence, rookie first-rounder Peter Woods will handle the primary reserve role at defensive tackle behind Chris Jones and Khyiris Tonga.

Jimmy Holiday

WR

Holiday is dealing with an undisclosed injury, and he did not play during the preseason. The wide receiver will now be forced to miss the entire 2026 campaign while on IR, unless he is able to reach an injury settlement with Kansas City.

Diego Pounds

OT

Pounds made a positive impression during the preseason slate, per Garafolo, which put him on KC's radar. The 330-pounder out of Ole Miss should provide the Chiefs depth along the offensive line if he sticks with the club.

Rashee Rice

WR

Rice and some of Kansas City's key offensive starters got to log some reps during the first quarter before being pulled. Though he didn't produce any offensive output, it's notable that Rice took part in his first game action since he landed on IR due to a concussion late last December. Rice had a tumultuous offseason, as he spent some time in jail due to a probation violation and also had a minor procedure on his right knee, but he appears healthy and isn't expected to face NFL discipline for the legal issue. As such, he can be penciled in as the Chiefs' top WR heading into Week 1 versus Denver on Monday, Sept. 14.

Noah Gray

TE

The veteran backup tight end will close out preseason play with only the one reception for 10 yards he recorded in the opener against the Rams. Despite the quiet exhibition slate, Gray is ticketed to reprise his No. 2 tight end role behind Travis Kelce once again in 2026. That netted him a 21-178-0 line on 37 targets over 16 regular-season games a year ago.

Tyquan Thornton

WR

The fifth-year pro drew a start and matched his one catch from preseason Week 2, albeit while gaining six more yards than in that performance. Thornton somewhat revived his career during his 2025 Chiefs debut campaign by averaging 23.1 yards per reception on his 19 catches and recording three scoring grabs, and he projects to open the season in the prominent role of No. 3 receiver in what should be a dynamic air attack.

Garrett Nussmeier

QB

The rookie seventh-round pick got an extended opportunity Friday and made relatively good use of it, although his 5.8 yards per attempt underscore that Nussmeier largely played things close to the vest when dropping back. The LSU product finished preseason having completed 44 of 70 passes for 370 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, and it remains to be seen if he's locked in the No. 3 quarterback role over Chris Oladokun.

Xavier Worthy

WR

The speedster made his preseason debut after overcoming a shoulder sprain that had plagued him for multiple weeks. Now apparently healthy, Worthy heads into his third season looking to build on the promise of his 2024 rookie campaign -- when he posted a 59-638-6 line across 17 regular-season games -- and atone for a lackluster 2025 season when he made just one trip to the end zone on 42 catches and missed three games.

Travis Kelce

TE

Kelce was on the other end of starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier's first pass of the night, an eight-yard completion that took the ball to midfield on Kansas City's opening possession. Kelce thus was able to record his only stats of the preseason in the brief cameo, and he'll now turn his attention to a Week 1 Monday night home showdown against the Broncos on Sept. 14 that he'll hope to play with Patrick Mahomes (knee) as his quarterback.

Joshua Ezeudu

G

Ezeudu's tenure with the Giants has come to an end after he appeared in 33 games with the team across three seasons. He will now provide additional depth along the interior of the offensive line for Kansas City.

Jeff Caldwell

WR

Caldwell hyperextended his left knee during Wednesday's practice and was promptly waived with an injury designation. The wide receiver will now spend the entirety of the 2026 regular season on injured reserve unless he is waived with an injury settlement.