Training camp is here, and the Kansas City Chiefs are ramping up practices in St. Joseph, Missouri. During the first week of camp, the Chiefs practiced with no pads, but the team will strap them up all the way on Monday, setting the table for what the roster will look like in 2026.
Through the ranks of the 90-man roster, some players can benefit from the camp sessions, but others could find themselves on the wrong end of the stick.
It may just be practice, but camp performance can set the tone for how
a player’s season will go, whether it is in a positive direction or negative. Let’s look at three players with the most to lose at camp:
Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore
With a year in the Chiefs’ system under his belt, Moore should be the full-fledged number one option at right tackle this season. Moore started six games in 2025 before an injury ended his season in December, but many called for him to start over Jawaan Taylor for most of the season.
However, as the offseason has progressed, the room has become more crowded than it should be.
Moore was fine when he played, but undrafted free agent Esa Pole also made an impact when he was able to see the field, which sparked debate in the offseason about a possible competition for the starting right tackle job in 2026.
So far in camp, adding to the intrigue, undrafted rookie Khalil Benson has been the primary starter with the first-team offense while Moore has been working with the second team.
This may be just to give Benson a shot to show that he has what it takes to compete at the NFL level, and the odds still favor Moore to end up being the starter — due to his experience and contract — but if he were to falter in camp, or play poorly in the preseason, it could jeopardize his future in the NFL.
Safety Chamarri Conner
Conner has had an up-and-down stint since he arrived in Kansas City in 2023. Early on in his career, he showed that he could be an exciting player, capable of making plays on the ball and creating highlight-level plays.
Conner can make splash plays and has had the tendency to come up big in tough spots, but as an every-down player, he has not played at the highest level.
Last season, the Chiefs attempted to line up Conner as an every-down safety, but it did not quite pan out. With the departure of free safety Bryan Cook this offseason, Conner should have been primed for a larger role in 2026, but this offseason the team signed Alohi Gillman to serve as the team’s free safety for the coming seasons, and Conner will also have to continue to compete with Jaden Hicks for the strong safety position this season.
A poor camp and preseason from Conner could take him out of the running to be one of the starters at safety altogether, and now there are also other players who could find ways to get on the field over him in other situations.
Gillman was only one of the offseason defensive back additions, but with Kader Kohou and Jadon Canady also in the mix to be the team’s Nickel, the defensive back room, while not proven, has become crowded, and if Conner fails to show significant improvement, he could find himself as a special teamer in 2026.
Tight end Noah Gray
Since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Noah Gray has lined up primarily as the Chiefs’ second tight end, and since then the team has not looked to push another player, or another group of players, into that role.
Kansas City’s tight end depth has been poor for multiple seasons now, and it is not looking much better, and that is precisely why Gray could be a loser once camp and the preseason conclude.
If any player behind him in the depth chart can make any sort of immediate impact, or show that they can surpass him, the addition would be welcome by Chiefs Kingdom.
Gray has not been bad for Kansas City, but being a below-average run blocker and scheme-dependent pass catcher has not allowed the Chiefs to have much diversity from the primary backup for Travis Kelce.
The entire tight end room behind Kelce will have plenty to prove, but if any combination of Jared Wiley, Jake Briningstool, Tre Watson, or Mason Pline can show solid run blocking with consistency in the passing game, they will likely overtake Grays ‘ position.
