The preseason is officially over for the Kansas City Chiefs, and the time has come to set an official 53-man roster. Depth will be absolutely vital as Kansas City makes its push at a third consecutive Super Bowl title, making Tuesday’s league-wide cut deadline a very big day.
We know that stars like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will be there, as well as key rookies like Xavier Worthy, but let’s take a look at who else could be included in that roster when the regular season starts.
Final 53-Man Roster Projection for the Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback (2)
Starter: Patrick Mahomes
Backup: Carson Wentz
There’s less drama in this position group than just about any other on the Kansas City roster. Without any semblance of a QB controversy, there’s no reason to carry a third quarterback; a backup to serve as injury insurance for Patrick Mahomes, who has picked up minor knocks in most of his pro seasons, should be sufficient.
Carson Wentz is arguably the best substitute the Chiefs have had in the Mahomes era, and he should be able to fill in nicely if and when called upon. But with his own injury issues, could the Chiefs be setting themselves up for disaster should both passers get hurt in the same game?
Running Back (3)
Starter: Isiah Pacheco
Backups: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Carson Steele
Isiah Pacheco will quite clearly be starting for the Chiefs this season, while Clyde Edwards-Helaire is nowhere close to challenging for the top spot, but he will definitely be rostered. The real question is who the third back will be for Kansas City.
We’ll project undrafted rookie Carson Steele, who looks to make his NFL dreams come true after a phenomenal career at Ball State and UCLA. Steele has rushed for 87 yards and a pair of scores via just 11 carries this preseason.
Steele has created separation from Deneric Prince, who was an undrafted rookie himself last year but did not record a statistic with Kansas City. Prince could hang around if the Chiefs decide to go with four backs, but he could just as well end up on the practice squad once more.
Wide Receiver (7)
Starters: Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy
Backups: Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross, Justin Watson
Last year’s top receiver Rashee Rice will be joined in the team’s base formation by offseason acquisition Hollywood Brown and highly-touted rookie Xavier Worthy. Rice might be dealing with a suspension soon, but there’s no word just yet; we’ll have him on the roster, as well as a bit of extra depth just in case.
There’s not much to debate in terms of backups either. Mecole Hardman will absolutely be back after scoring the winning touchdown in Super Bowl 58. Justin Watson will be back after his most productive season yet, while youngsters Justyn Ross and Skyy Moore will each likely be given another chance to impress at the NFL level.
The most notable omission is Kadarius Toney, who could be on the way out after a disastrous 2023 campaign with Kansas City.
Tight End (3)
Starter: Travis Kelce
Backups: Noah Gray, Irv Smith Jr.
This is one of the first challenging choices we have, despite the clear-cut top of the position group, with Travis Kelce starting and Noah Gray standing in as a capable backup.
Rookie Jared Wiley from TCU has had a pretty nondescript first preseason in the league, and could easily be passed over in favor of Irv Smith Jr. Kansas City could stash Wiley on the practice squad to be brought up later, or they could potentially go the opposite route and do that with Smith.
Offensive Line (9)
Starters: Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney, Trey Smith, Jawaan Taylor, Kingsley Suamataia
Backups: Wanya Morris, Hunter Nourzad, Lucas Niang, Mike Caliendo
This line should be one of the best in the league once again, especially now that Creed Humphrey is locked in with a historic contract. Joe Thuney is another veteran star, while Trey Smith is a comfortable starter and Jawaan Taylor took a big step up throughout the stretch run last year.
The rookie, Kingsley Sumataia, might be just a bit raw but is expected to get the starting nod. Behind him, there’s some solid depth. Wanya Morris can step in at just about any line position, while Lucas Niang can also contribute nicely as a tackle. Mike Caliendo and Hunter Nourzad round things out with some youth as interior line subs.
Defensive Tackle (5)
Starters: Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi
Backups: Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel, Neil Farrell
Chris Jones is one of Kansas City’s overall best players, while Derrick Nnadi is locked into a starting role as well. Tershawn Wharton was a major rotational presence last year, while Neil Farrell and Mike Pennel will look to see an increase in snaps after a very quiet 2023 for each player.
Without any true stars in this group beyond Jones, expect continuity to be king as the Chiefs hope to simply maintain the strong performance the defense put forth a year ago.
EDGE (5)
Starters: George Karlaftis, Mike Danna
Backups: Malik Herring, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Truman Jones
George Karlaftis and Mike Danna are a clear-cut top pairing at this position for the Chiefs. Charles Omenihu was the biggest contributor last year behind that duo but is currently inactive with an injury.
In his absence, expect returning players Malik Herring and Felix Anudike-Uzomah to reprise their roles from a year ago. They’ll likely be joined by Truman Jones, a practice squad rookie for the Chiefs last year, who could see his first true NFL action this season.
Linebacker (6)
Starters: Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal
Backups: Jack Cochrane, Curtis Jacobs, Cole Christiansen
The trio of Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, and Leo Chenal put in some tremendous performances down the stretch last season; expect them to see most of the snaps to start this one. With Willie Gay Jr. gone, however, there’s an opportunity for some new players to see rotational snaps.
Curtis Jacobs, an undrafted rookie out of Penn State, could be a big beneficiary. He has had a solid preseason and could very well beat out one of Cole Christiansen or Cam Jones for a fringe roster spot, while whoever misses out will likely be a practice squad member.
Secondary (10)
Starters: Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Justin Reid, Bryan Cook
Backups: Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson, Keith Taylor, Deon Bush, Jaden Hicks, Chamarri Conner
With L’Jarius Sneed leaving town and Justin Reid dealing with an injury this preseason, this is perhaps the most interesting position group we’ll discuss. Due to Reid’s injury, we’ll go a bit safety-heavy and make it an even split with five players at each position.
Trent McDuffie and Joshua Williams are the presumptive cornerback starters with Nazeeh Johnson and Jaylen Watson set to back them up, but the fifth spot is a bit hazier. We’ll go with Keith Taylor, who had some run last postseason, over options like Nic Jones and Kamal Hadden.
At safety, Reid is the core of the group, while Bryan Cook is expected to start up top. Deon Bush is a bit of a fringe player but should find his way onto the roster, while Chamrri Conner and Jaden Hicks have little to worry about on cut day.
Special Teams (3)
Kicker: Harrison Butker
Punter: Matt Araiza
Long Snapper: James Winchester
This group is as clear-cut as any on the roster. Harrison Butker, a key part of Kansas City’s Super Bowl run, just signed a new contract, Matt Araiza has been very impressive as he attempts an NFL comeback, and James Winchester should be fine despite a minor injury this preseason.
