The latest
The Kansas City Chiefs’ official statement regarding wide receiver Rashee Rice being booked in Dallas County jail on Tuesday:
“We are aware of the reports and have been in touch with the league office. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Rashee Rice did not make just one mistake. The pattern has become the story | The Kansas City Star
Last fall, after he’d returned from a six-game suspension, Rice said with a sense of satisfaction, “I was able to realize how strong I am mentally — being able to face
a lot of adversity at the time.”
The car he drove barreled 119 mph down a highway, turning the road into a personal racetrack. A passenger sat in the back of an Uber and later instead found themselves in the back of an ambulance. Other vehicles spun in the middle of the freeway as cars passed.
But after his return from a suspension, Rice’s remarks didn’t start with those affected by his actions. They started somewhere else — with himself.
His adversity, he framed it, as though some sort of misfortune had been inflicted on him.
He’s promised new, more mature versions of himself — lessons learned, growth made, steps taken. His actions portray a different reality.
Chiefs May Have a Sneaky Competition in the Linebacker Room | Sports Illustrated
Chiefs’ duo of Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill entering final year together?
For the last three seasons, the Chiefs have relied on the linebacker duo of Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill to get the job done at the second level of the defense. That tandem produced this past campaign, as the former pitched in 154 tackles and the latter had 103 to boot.
Could 2026-27 be the last hurrah for this pairing?
Heck, that was almost the case last year. The cash-strapped Chiefs could’ve moved on from Tranquill during the offseason, but he took a pay cut to remain in Kansas City for his age-31 effort. Without a contract beyond this year, he’s slated to be a free agent in the spring.
According to Over The Cap, the team can save $15 million against the cap while incurring just $4.25M in dead money if it parts ways with Bolton next offseason. Losing both players in the same month seems highly unlikely, sure, but there’s simultaneously some exciting flexibility but also a scary reality on the horizon.
Former Chiefs Super Bowl Champion Takes Free Agent Visit with Top NFC Team | Heavy Sports
Kansas City has completely revamped its cornerback room over the past few months, and it appears changes could still be coming at this spot. One of the team’s remaining unsigned free agents, Nazeeh Johnson, appears to be set to find a new home, and he has scheduled a visit with the Chicago Bears as his free agency continues to unfold.
Johnson has spent his first four seasons in the pros with the Chiefs after getting selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. While he didn’t have a massive role on the team, Johnson ended up winning the Super Bowl as a rookie with Kansas City. In 2023, though, he didn’t take the field at all, as it seemed his career was at a crossroads.
The ensuing year, Johnson earned a real role in the secondary, as he played in 16 games for K.C. (six of which were starts). Johnson finished the year with 56 tackles, one sack, and three pass breakups, although he struggled to hold his own in coverage deep down the field. Johnson made the move from safety to cornerback in 2025, but he only suited up for two games.
While the Chiefs don’t seem interested in bringing Johnson back to help its new-look cornerback room, teams across the league have been intrigued by his potential. After previously visiting both the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, Johnson is now taking a trip to Chicago, which is looking for some more help in its secondary.
Chiefs already have several trap games hiding on their 2026 schedule | Arrowhead Addict
Week 2: Indianapolis @ Kansas City
For some reason, the Colts seem to put a thorn in the Chiefs’ side no matter how good or bad either team is, especially in the last decade under Andy Reid. In fact, since 2013 Reid has lost three of five games against Indianapolis, including one of the worst collapses in postseason history back in January 2014.
That weird monkey on the back of Reid and Mahomes returns in the form of a Sunday Night Football game in just the second week of the season.
At this point, it is still unclear whether Daniel “Danny Dimes” Jones will be healthy enough to start in Week 2. Mahomes’ status is also a question. So this game, while the NFL believes it will be a powerhouse battle, could be fought out by backups under center for all we know.
With that said, the Colts had one of the best starts to a season in a long time last year and could have continued that success into the postseason if it weren’t for Jones’ leg injury and a flurry of bad decisions like trading first-round picks for a cornerback midseason.
Must-watch game for every NFL team during the 2026 regular season | The Athletic
Buffalo Bills: vs. Chiefs, Week 12
Chiefs, Chiefs, always the Chiefs.
Buffalo took a year off from being eliminated by Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes’ torn right ACL and LCL prevented a late-season surge that might have squeezed KC into the postseason and another fateful meeting. The Chiefs staggered throughout the campaign and looked like a husk of their usual, dominant selves.
Yet they remain the Bills’ bugaboo, and Allen-Mahomes still is the NFL’s superlative quarterback duel. — Tim Graham
Around the NFL
NFL OKs up to 10 int’l games in ’27; teams can’t protect games | ESPN
“There’s a path to 10 [international games] in 2027,” executive vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly said from the NFL’s spring league meeting.
The league also voted to strip teams’ ability to protect any home games from international play. Previously, teams could protect two games.
The 2026 slate features nine international games — eight league-run games and a London game as part of an agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Wembley Stadium. Playing that ninth game required NFLPA approval as collectively bargained. Now, the league can in the future play the 10 games plus the Wembley game with NFLPA approval.
NFL eyeing pro flag football launch for 2027, EVP Peter O’Reilly says | The Athletic
The NFL is eyeing a late-spring or early-summer 2027 launch for its two professional flag football leagues — one for men and one for women — Peter O’Reilly, executive vice president of club business, international and league events, said during a Monday interview on the “Up & Adams” show.
“We’re in the lab, if you will, of really building what that league’s going to be like,” O’Reilly told host Kay Adams. “Thinking about what’s the structure of it, where are we playing games, how does it roll out? Incredibly exciting to be having conversations with the athletes who are going to play in this league, who maybe dreamed one day there might be a professional flag league, and now we’re saying, ‘This is real.’
“There’s going to be a combine for this pro flag league. There’s going to be a draft. There’s going to be an opportunity to play this sport at the highest level, and it’s going to be awesome.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs’ Trey Smith ‘antsy’ after unfortunately long offseason
“I’m excited to get back to work, period,” remarked Smith. “This is the longest offseason I’ve had. I’m already a little bit antsy. I want to get back to lifting. I want to get back to lifting and stuff. I’m trying to be smart and let the body heal and let everything take its course.”
As for what went wrong in 2025, Smith feels the Chiefs simply did not play to their standard and made too many errors. The introspective guard did not let himself off the hook.
“I can speak for myself,” he remarked, “I feel like being more detail oriented [and] paying attention to the smaller things. Being more consistent — especially with my game. At the end of the day, just approaching it with a renewed sense of excitement. I feel like for us, just going out there and being the best version of ourselves — and not necessarily reinventing the wheel — but doing the little things right and being detailed in our work. There’s so much parity in the NFL, and you’re margin for error is so small. You can’t make mistakes like that. I think for us, it’s just cleaning up our game and executing higher.”
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