This week, the Kansas City Chiefs released their initial 53-man roster and assembled the first edition of their practice squad.
As almost always happens, the Chiefs made a few surprising moves. However, it’s essential to note that as its needs change over the coming weeks, the team’s composition will continue to evolve.
Here are five things we learned from the first iteration of Kansas City’s 2025 roster.
1. Jalen Royals’ knee is a big question mark
After their final preseason game, I expected the Chiefs to keep seven wide receivers — which I thought
was a high number. But Kansas City opted to keep eight wide receivers on its initial roster.
As soon as we learned that wide receiver Rashee Rice and the league had agreed on a six-game suspension for Rice’s role in a high-speed auto accident in March of 2024, this made sense. On Thursday, general manager Brett Veach acknowledged that before the cutdown, the team had been made aware that Rice’s suspension was imminent.
If that was the only problem the Chiefs were preparing to meet, seven wide receivers would have made sense. But they still kept eight.
This tells me that while they are hopeful rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals will be available to start the season against the Los Angeles Chargers next Friday in São Paulo, they have prepared for life without him if his knee tendonitis lingers longer than expected.
2. The Chiefs aren’t sure how much Mike Pennel has left in the tank
Last season, Pennel was Kansas City’s best run defender — so much so that the Chiefs chose to allow defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi to walk in free agency. But on Sunday, Kansas City brought Nnadi back through a trade with the Jets. Most assumed he would be a depth player behind Pennel.
So when the team released Pennel on Tuesday — and then didn’t add him to the practice squad — many observers were scratching their heads.
Throughout the offseason, the Chiefs had acted like the 34-year-old defensive tackle was in the plans for this season — and then in the 11th hour, they suddenly changed course.
Asked about it on Thursday, Veach said the team was trying to get younger on the defensive line — and then praised Pennel for his play in limited games last season.
It’s not hard to decipher the GM’s comments. Kansas City appears to be concerned about Pennel’s ability to play a full 17-game season — potentially followed, of course, by a three or four-game postseason. So this might not be the last we’ll see of the Topeka native — but we might have to wait a couple of months before we see him in a Chiefs uniform again.
If this is the end of the road for Pennel, he will forever have a place in the hearts of Chiefs’ fans. He has played a significant role in Kansas City’s title runs.
3. The Chiefs really believe in this group of running backs
Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, most analysts believed the running back class was one of the deepest in recent memory. With Kansas City’s starting running back Isiah Pacheco returning from an injury-plagued 2024 season — and with Kareen Hunt’s best days now behind him — many thought the Chiefs would bring some fresh blood to the position. The team made a move in that direction by signing veteran Elijah Mitchell in free agency, but then they waited until the draft’s seventh round to select Brashard Smith. Many took this as a sign that the team liked what it had in its backfield — and the point seemed even more clear when the team waived fullback Carson Steele on Tuesday.
Kansas City’s decision to bring Clyde Edwards-Helaire onto the practice squad appears to be more about having a player it trusts — who knows the offense, provides a veteran presence and is available in a pinch — than it is about what he actually offers on the field.
But if the Chiefs weren’t happy with their running backs, we’d think they would have placed a waiver claim on a guy like the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie back Damien Martinez. They didn’t.
4. Nazeeh Johnson’s placement on IR saved Joshua Williams
I had figured the former Fayetteville State cornerback was firmly on the outside looking in for the team’s 2025 roster — but when it was announced that Johnson would start the season on the team’s Reserve/Injured list, the door opened for Williams to return for his fourth season.
It remains to be seen if Williams will hold his roster spot once Johnson returns from IR. As of right now, he is the fifth cornerback on a team that has talented players ahead of him.
5. Cooper McDonald is going to be a fan favorite
The only thing people love more than a champion is an underdog.
So when an underdog makes the roster of a championship-caliber team, he’s sure to be a fan favorite. McDonald certainly fits that bill. When the former TCU linebacker was signed after a minicamp tryout, nobody expected him to make the team.
But his special teams play — and his ability to shine when given the opportunity on defense — forced the team’s hand, making McDonald the most unlikely player to make the roster.
If he pans out and turns into a regular contributor, it won’t be long until you see McDonald jerseys on the backs of tailgaters in Arrowhead Stadium’s parking lot.
