To wrap up the 2025 season, the Kansas City Chiefs lost 14-12 to the Las Vegas Raiders on a game-deciding field goal in the final seconds.
Let’s look at how Kansas City used its players in their final opportunity
to gain experience with live reps until August:
Starters (offensive): WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Marquise Brown, TE Travis Kelce, LT Esa Pole, LG Kingsley Suamataia, C Creed Humphrey, RG Hunter Nourzad, RT Chukwuebuka Godrick, WR Jalen Royals, QB Chris Oladokun and RB Brashard Smith.
Starters (defensive): DE Michael Danna, DT Chris Jones, DT Derrick Nnadi, DE Ashton Gillotte, LB Cooper McDonald, LB Nick Bolton, LB Drue Tranquill, CB Kristian Fulton, CB Nohl Williams, S Bryan Cook and S Chamarri Conner.
Did not play: None
Inactive: WR Xavier Worthy, RB Isiah Pacheco, CB Melvin Smith Jr., DE George Karlaftis, DE Tyreke Smith, G Trey Smith and NT Mike Pennel.
The big takeaway
With a long list of veterans ruled out or on the Reserve/Injured list in Week 18, it was time for the Chiefs’ rookie draft class to be showcased. On offense and defense, every available draft pick played the highest rate of snaps with their respective unit this season:
- CB Nohl Williams (100% of defensive snaps)
- DE Ashton Gillotte (75% of defensive snaps)
- WR Jalen Royals (68% of offensive snaps)
- LB Jeffrey Bassa (35% of defensive snaps)
- RB Brashard Smith (53% of offensive snaps)
Smith was the lead ball carrier against the Raiders. He was on the field for 12 running plays, doubling the number of snaps running back Kareem Hunt saw in that phase. He was also the Chiefs’ punt returner for the second consecutive week. Smith took advantage of those opportunities and flashed playmaking ability, leading to a question for the coaching staff: Why wasn’t he featured in the offense more this season?
Royals was in formation for 77% of Kansas City’s passing plays in Las Vegas. It was the rookie wideout’s first opportunity to contribute to the Chiefs’ passing game; before Week 18, Royals had four passing snaps the entire season.
Offensive takeaways
When the Chiefs’ offense took the field in Week 18, there was a surprising first-time starter along the offensive line: second-year lineman Hunter Nourzad, who replaced Mike Caliendo at right guard. In the four games starting right guard Trey Smith missed, Caliendo was the substitute each time.
Nourzad played 100% of the snaps in Las Vegas, while Caliendo was a sixth offensive lineman in formation on each of his three offensive snaps. That is a role reversal; in the second half of the season, Nourzad was often the player brought in as the sixth man. While the lineup change could have been a short-term strategy to see more from Nourzad, the coaching staff may have seen enough of Caliendo to look elsewhere for a reliable backup guard in the future.
It’s also worth noting that tight end Jared Wiley played a season-high 19% of the offensive snaps, including 35% of running plays. When he was drafted, it was clear that Wiley could be a playmaking pass catcher. Still, he will need to do more to carve out a larger role in the offense next year. The extended playing time on running calls was a valuable experience for him.
Defensive takeaways
Throughout the season, the Chiefs’ defensive lineup was tweaked in a search for the right starting 11 players. The back-and-forth playing time was most apparent in the secondary.
Safety Jaden Hicks was a victim of that constant change. The fluctuation of the second-year safety’s snap counts indicates the coaching staff’s lack of trust in him. However, he kept playing hard and finished the season strong. In Las Vegas, Hicks made one of the best plays a Kansas City safety has made all year when he ranged over the top of a deep throw and laid out to deflect the ball away.
The Chiefs’ defense was expected to feature Hicks similarly to former Chiefs’ safety Justin Reid, but that may have been too tall an order for the 23-year-old this year. With a strong finish to this season, Hicks has momentum to realize his potential in 2026 and beyond.
Data
Offense
| Offense | All | Pass | Run |
| Total | 62 (100%) |
39 (100%) |
23 (100%) |
| Creed Humphrey | 62 (100%) |
39 (100%) |
23 (100%) |
| Hunter Nourzad | 62 (100%) |
39 (100%) |
23 (100%) |
| Esa Pole | 62 (100%) |
39 (100%) |
23 (100%) |
| Kingsley Suamataia | 62 (100%) |
39 (100%) |
23 (100%) |
| Chukwuebuka Godrick | 61 (98%) |
38 (97%) |
23 (100%) |
| Marquise Brown | 50 (81%) |
34 (87%) |
16 (70%) |
| Travis Kelce | 50 (81%) |
34 (87%) |
16 (70%) |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | 48 (77%) |
31 (79%) |
17 (74%) |
| Jalen Royals | 42 (68%) |
30 (77%) |
12 (52%) |
| Noah Gray | 34 (55%) |
17 (44%) |
17 (74%) |
| Chris Oladokun | 33 (53%) |
20 (51%) |
13 (57%) |
| Brashard Smith | 33 (53%) |
21 (54%) |
12 (52%) |
| Shane Buechele | 29 (47%) |
19 (49%) |
10 (43%) |
| Kareem Hunt | 24 (39%) |
18 (46%) |
6 (26%) |
| Jared Wiley | 12 (19%) |
4 (10%) |
8 (35%) |
| Dameon Pierce | 5 (8%) |
0 (0%) |
5 (22%) |
| Jason Brownlee | 5 (8%) |
3 (8%) |
2 (9%) |
| Mike Caliendo | 3 (5%) |
0 (0%) |
3 (13%) |
| Jaylon Moore | 2 (3%) |
1 (3%) |
1 (4%) |
| Robert Tonyan | 2 (3%) |
2 (5%) |
0 (0%) |
| Jimmy Holiday | 1 (2%) |
1 (3%) |
0 (0%) |
Defense
| Defense | All | Pass | Run |
| Total | 60 (100%) |
29 (100%) |
31 (100%) |
| Nick Bolton | 60 (100%) |
29 (100%) |
31 (100%) |
| Chamarri Conner | 60 (100%) |
29 (100%) |
31 (100%) |
| Kristian Fulton | 60 (100%) |
29 (100%) |
31 (100%) |
| Nohl Williams | 60 (100%) |
29 (100%) |
31 (100%) |
| Bryan Cook | 59 (98%) |
28 (97%) |
31 (100%) |
| Ashton Gillotte | 45 (75%) |
21 (72%) |
24 (77%) |
| Charles Omenihu | 39 (65%) |
24 (83%) |
15 (48%) |
| Michael Danna | 36 (60%) |
18 (62%) |
18 (58%) |
| Jaden Hicks | 36 (60%) |
21 (72%) |
15 (48%) |
| Derrick Nnadi | 36 (60%) |
12 (41%) |
24 (77%) |
| Jerry Tillery | 32 (53%) |
10 (34%) |
22 (71%) |
| Drue Tranquill | 30 (50%) |
13 (45%) |
17 (55%) |
| Cooper McDonald | 25 (42%) |
9 (31%) |
16 (52%) |
| Chris Jones | 22 (37%) |
16 (55%) |
6 (19%) |
| Jeff Bassa | 21 (35%) |
8 (28%) |
13 (42%) |
| Kevin Knowles II | 14 (23%) |
12 (41%) |
2 (6%) |
| Zacch Pickens | 12 (20%) |
5 (17%) |
7 (23%) |
| Ethan Downs | 10 (17%) |
4 (14%) |
6 (19%) |
| Mike Edwards | 3 (5%) |
2 (7%) |
1 (3%) |
Special Teams
| Special Teams | Snaps |
| Total | 32 (100%) |
| Jack Cochrane | 28 (88%) |
| Jaden Hicks | 27 (84%) |
| Cooper McDonald | 27 (84%) |
| Joshua Williams | 25 (78%) |
| Jeff Bassa | 23 (72%) |
| Cole Christiansen | 23 (72%) |
| Ethan Downs | 22 (69%) |
| Nazeeh Johnson | 21 (66%) |
| Kevin Knowles II | 18 (56%) |
| Jalen Royals | 16 (50%) |
| Brashard Smith | 12 (38%) |
| Matt Araiza | 10 (31%) |
| Harrison Butker | 10 (31%) |
| Jared Wiley | 10 (31%) |
| Nohl Williams | 10 (31%) |
| James Winchester | 10 (31%) |
| Nick Bolton | 5 (16%) |
| Michael Danna | 5 (16%) |
| Derrick Nnadi | 5 (16%) |
| Jerry Tillery | 5 (16%) |
| Drue Tranquill | 5 (16%) |
| Mike Caliendo | 4 (13%) |
| Noah Gray | 4 (13%) |
| C.J. Hanson | 4 (13%) |
| Creed Humphrey | 4 (13%) |
| Jaylon Moore | 4 (13%) |
| Hunter Nourzad | 4 (13%) |
| Esa Pole | 4 (13%) |
| Kingsley Suamataia | 4 (13%) |
| Bryan Cook | 2 (6%) |
| Ashton Gillotte | 1 (3%) |
All Snaps
| All Snaps | Off | Def | ST | Total |
| Total | 62 (100%) |
60 (100%) |
32 (100%) |
154 (100%) |
| Matt Araiza | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
10 (31%) |
10 (6%) |
| Jeff Bassa | 0 (0%) |
21 (35%) |
23 (72%) |
44 (29%) |
| Nick Bolton | 0 (0%) |
60 (100%) |
5 (16%) |
65 (42%) |
| Marquise Brown | 50 (81%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
50 (32%) |
| Shane Buechele | 29 (47%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
29 (19%) |
| Harrison Butker | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
10 (31%) |
10 (6%) |
| Mike Caliendo | 3 (5%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
7 (5%) |
| Cole Christiansen | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
23 (72%) |
23 (15%) |
| Jack Cochrane | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
28 (88%) |
28 (18%) |
| Chamarri Conner | 0 (0%) |
60 (100%) |
0 (0%) |
60 (39%) |
| Bryan Cook | 0 (0%) |
59 (98%) |
2 (6%) |
61 (40%) |
| Michael Danna | 0 (0%) |
36 (60%) |
5 (16%) |
41 (27%) |
| Ethan Downs | 0 (0%) |
10 (17%) |
22 (69%) |
32 (21%) |
| Mike Edwards | 0 (0%) |
3 (5%) |
0 (0%) |
3 (2%) |
| Kristian Fulton | 0 (0%) |
60 (100%) |
0 (0%) |
60 (39%) |
| Ashton Gillotte | 0 (0%) |
45 (75%) |
1 (3%) |
46 (30%) |
| Chukwuebuka Godrick | 61 (98%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
61 (40%) |
| Noah Gray | 34 (55%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
38 (25%) |
| C.J. Hanson | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
4 (3%) |
| Jaden Hicks | 0 (0%) |
36 (60%) |
27 (84%) |
63 (41%) |
| Creed Humphrey | 62 (100%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
66 (43%) |
| Kareem Hunt | 24 (39%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
24 (16%) |
| Nazeeh Johnson | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
21 (66%) |
21 (14%) |
| Chris Jones | 0 (0%) |
22 (37%) |
0 (0%) |
22 (14%) |
| Travis Kelce | 50 (81%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
50 (32%) |
| Kevin Knowles II | 0 (0%) |
14 (23%) |
18 (56%) |
32 (21%) |
| Cooper McDonald | 0 (0%) |
25 (42%) |
27 (84%) |
52 (34%) |
| Jaylon Moore | 2 (3%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
6 (4%) |
| Derrick Nnadi | 0 (0%) |
36 (60%) |
5 (16%) |
41 (27%) |
| Hunter Nourzad | 62 (100%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
66 (43%) |
| Chris Oladokun | 33 (53%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
33 (21%) |
| Charles Omenihu | 0 (0%) |
39 (65%) |
0 (0%) |
39 (25%) |
| Zacch Pickens | 0 (0%) |
12 (20%) |
0 (0%) |
12 (8%) |
| Dameon Pierce | 5 (8%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
5 (3%) |
| Esa Pole | 62 (100%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
66 (43%) |
| Jalen Royals | 42 (68%) |
0 (0%) |
16 (50%) |
58 (38%) |
| Brashard Smith | 33 (53%) |
0 (0%) |
12 (38%) |
45 (29%) |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | 48 (77%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
48 (31%) |
| Kingsley Suamataia | 62 (100%) |
0 (0%) |
4 (13%) |
66 (43%) |
| Jerry Tillery | 0 (0%) |
32 (53%) |
5 (16%) |
37 (24%) |
| Robert Tonyan | 2 (3%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
2 (1%) |
| Drue Tranquill | 0 (0%) |
30 (50%) |
5 (16%) |
35 (23%) |
| Jared Wiley | 12 (19%) |
0 (0%) |
10 (31%) |
22 (14%) |
| Joshua Williams | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
25 (78%) |
25 (16%) |
| Nohl Williams | 0 (0%) |
60 (100%) |
10 (31%) |
70 (45%) |
| James Winchester | 0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
10 (31%) |
10 (6%) |
| Jason Brownlee | 5 (8%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
5 (3%) |
| Jimmy Holiday | 1 (2%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
1 (1%) |
Editor’s Note: Arrowhead Pride obtains snap count data from the NFL’s game stats and information system, which allows us to break out snap counts by run or pass on offensive and defensive plays. Because GSIS data ignores plays that were nullified by penalties, total offensive and defensive snap counts will vary from other sources, which get their data from NFL Gamebooks
