The latest
Ranking 2026 NFL rosters: Best projected starting lineups | ESPN
12. Kansas City Chiefs
Biggest strength: Quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a left torn ACL and hasn’t finished better than sixth in QBR since 2022, but he remains Kansas City’s best player. Before his injury-shortened 2025 season, the two-time league MVP had led his team to 10-plus wins and the AFC Championship Game seven seasons in a row. He has won the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP three times each and is still only 30
years old. Expected to be ready for Week 1, Mahomes will be counted on to lead the Chiefs to a bounce-back season. — Clay
Biggest weakness: Offensive tackle. The Chiefs added just enough at corner to allow me to stick with offensive tackle for the third consecutive year, as Kansas City’s tackles ranked 31st in run block win rate (70.8%) last season. The head-scratching, four-year, $80 million deal handed to RT Jawaan Taylor a few years ago did not work out, and the Chiefs moved on during the offseason. They’ll now turn to long-time reserve Jaylon Moore there. Left tackle Josh Simmons was serviceable in eight appearances as a rookie, and the 2025 first-round pick is a candidate for a Year 2 leap. Kansas City is also less deep after trading Wanya Morris in June. — Clay
X factor for 2026: The second edge rusher. Maybe that’s second-year player Ashton Gillotte. Perhaps it’s former first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Or it could be R Mason Thomas, this year’s second-round pick. Regardless of who it is, the Chiefs need one of those players to emerge and become a pass-rushing threat opposite George Karlaftis. If not, that will be a weak point for the Chiefs’ defense. — Walder
Nonstarter to know: RB Emari Demercado. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III is now Kansas City’s primary back, but he has never had more than 230 carries in a season and played all 17 games only once (last year). The Chiefs will probably have to depend a little bit on their backups, and the top guy is Demercado, an ex-Cardinal. Similar to Walker, Demercado is good for some explosive runs and had a career average of 6.5 yards per carry over three seasons with Arizona. He also has 50 career receptions. — Schatz
Rashee Rice, WR
This one might surprise people. Rashee Rice has shown flashes of elite play when healthy and available, but availability has been the problem. The off-the-field issues caused him to miss OTAs and mandatory minicamp. On top of that, Rice is coming off knee surgery and has been banged up frequently, which could prevent him from being fully ready when the season begins.
Missing that much of the offseason program matters. That’s where players knock the rust off, get comfortable in the playbook, and build chemistry with their quarterback. Rice should be the best receiver on this roster, and he’ll likely start. But the Chiefs can’t always rely on that, and there are capable players ready to step up if he falters.
Cyrus Allen is the main name to watch. The rookie out of Cincinnati is someone Kansas City clearly loves. Beyond Allen, players like Jalen Royals and Jeff Caldwell could also push for playing time. If Rice can’t stay healthy or available, this receiving corps has enough depth to move on without him.
Pre-Camp Breakdown: Examining the Chiefs Wide Receivers | The Mothership
Andrew Armstrong
Armstrong joined the Chiefs as a “Reserve/Future” signee back in January.
The 6-foot-4, 204-pound Armstrong went undrafted in 2025 after leading the SEC in receiving yards (1,140) at Arkansas in 2024, marking the second-best single season in terms of yards and catches (78) in school history. It was a strong follow-up to Armstrong’s initial campaign with the Razorbacks a season prior, which included 56 grabs for 764 yards and five touchdowns.
That overall performance put a bow on an impressive career that began at Texas A&M-Commerce, a Division II school, where Armstrong tallied 77 catches for 1,317 yards and 16 touchdowns between the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
Every NFL team’s most intriguing newcomer heading into training camp | The Athletic
Kansas City Chiefs: Kenneth Walker III, running back
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would’ve been the pick … though calling him a newcomer isn’t technically correct because this is his second coaching stint with Kansas City. Instead, we’ll go with Walker, whom the Chiefs paid up for in free agency while hoping he’ll add an explosive element to their run game. Beyond that, Walker’s work ethic and no-nonsense style have already been an early culture fit alongside Bieniemy. It’s a factor that shouldn’t be overlooked, as internally, the Chiefs believed their work standard and attention to detail slipped a bit during last season’s 6-11 campaign. — Jesse Newell
SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid helped deliver a message of unity and patriotism Sunday as guest narrator for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s special broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” honoring America’s 250th anniversary.
Reid, one of the NFL’s most successful coaches, drew parallels between building a winning football team and strengthening the country. He told viewers that America’s founders understood the challenges ahead but believed unity would keep the nation moving forward.
“Our Founding Fathers knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they believed that if we stayed united, we can keep moving forward — whether on the football field, in our communities or in our homes,” Reid said during the program.
He also emphasized the importance of continual improvement and the nation’s founding principles.
Around the NFL
Saints’ Justin Reid: Cam Jordan’s return ‘huge’ for culture of the club | NFL.com
Jordan’s return helps answer one glaring question on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, which is in need of edge help to disrupt the passer. As Reid points out, the soon-to-be 37-year-old (on July 10) brings much more than simply sack stats to the Saints entering Year 16.
“Huge for the culture of the team, hard worker, still productive going into Year 15-16, whatever it is, but I think that aside from his production on the field — which he still has a healthy engine running — I think that he’s so good for the defensive line and the defense in general just by bringing that veteran leadership, that consistency,” Reid said. “Having a Hall of Fame guy in the locker room that guys can bounce questions off of, they know what it looks like. ‘Hey, if I want to play this long, it looks like Cam Jordan. Do what he does.'”
Locker rooms, particularly growing ones like the one entering Kellen Moore’s second season, need veterans like Jordan to serve as player-coaches to fill leadership gaps and ensure the squad is rowing in one direction to achieve its goals.
Inside the chaotic, violent weekend that derailed Terrion Arnold’s NFL future | The Athletic
Terrion Arnold was looking for a thief.
A quarter-million dollars in cash, jewelry and other valuables had vanished from the beach-themed townhouse the NFL cornerback had rented in Largo, Fla., about a half-hour outside Tampa.
Talking with police, Arnold ticked through the list of what was missing. An $80,000 diamond chain and pendant with his initials. Goyard and Louis Vuitton bags. Four pairs of Louis Vuitton shoes. Two Rolexes. A cellphone. And what he called “the most important thing” — his Bible.
At one point, officers zeroed in on the cash Arnold reported stolen — $100,000 that was stashed in a bag in the Airbnb. Must be going to the Hard Rock casino, they surmised.
“Oh my God, you know I was,” Arnold responded, according to a recording of the call obtained by The Athletic from the Largo Police Department. “It’s the offseason, man … Blackjack and roulette.”
Arnold’s playful tone belied what had unfolded in the days prior, and what would happen in the months that followed. The burglary set in motion a dizzying series of events that culminated last week in a Tampa courtroom, where the 23-year-old sat mostly expressionless in a red jailhouse uniform, the word INMATE stamped across his chest, with his family gathered in two rows behind him.
Predicting Teams That Will Finish Last in Every NFL Division for the 2026 Season | Bleacher Report
AFC West: Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders don’t need to accomplish much to see improvement from their three-win 2025 season.
They could have a bright future with first-time head coach Klint Kubiak, whose offense helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory last season. The foundation also looks promising with quarterback Fernando Mendoza, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty.
However, the Raiders’ short-term outlook has major obstacles.
First and foremost, Las Vegas is in a tough division with Super Bowl and perennial playoff contenders. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs fell from postseason grace last year, but they’re an easy pick to be a bounce-back team if Patrick Mahomes returns from a torn ACL to suit up for Week 1.
According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to start at the beginning of the season. The Raiders’ beat reporter also noted that Mendoza mostly practiced with the second- and third-team offense through mandatory minicamp.
Based on the early plan for Mendoza, the Raiders are taking a measured approach to this rebuild. While wins are always important, Las Vegas may emphasize development around Cousins this year.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs get second player on NFL’s ‘Top 100’ countdown: Travis Kelce
On Monday, tight end Travis Kelce became the second Kansas City Chiefs player to be revealed on this year’s “NFL Top 100 list.” The league revealed Kelce as the No. 79 player on its official X account. Center Creed Humphrey came in at No. 94 earlier this summer.
Last year at this time, Kelce was ranked No. 37 on this annual list.
Over the years, the NFL has unveiled the “NFL Top 100” in various ways. In 2026, the league partnered with X, planning to announce two players each weekday leading up to the top 10, which will be unveiled on NFL Network from Monday, August 24, through Friday, September 4.
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