Chiefs Check-in: Mahomes Is a Go, Allen Turns Heads, plus injury updates

Rookies, quarterbacks, and select veterans have been in St. Joseph for a week now, and the full squad has been engulfed in the Missouri Western tradition for the last three days. The team wrapped up its third full practice Friday and will have one more tomorrow before an off day Sunday. Pads come on for the first time tomorrow as well, which is when things start to get real.

The best news out of camp is the news that was already known but is worth repeating. Patrick Mahomes is fully cleared and practicing without restriction. For a team that watched its franchise quarterback go down against the Los Angeles Chargers last December, seeing him back on the field in St. Joe without limitation is the headline above all others.

The early standout from the first week of full-squad work is fifth-round rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen. Head coach Andy Reid made a point of noting Sunday that Mahomes has already developed some trust in the former Cincinnati Bearcat, a meaningful endorsement this early in camp for a player who was largely under the radar as a Day 3 pick.

Nohl Williams has also gotten off to a strong start on the defensive side, flashing the coverage ability that made him one of the more underrated rookies in the league last season.

On the offensive line, the right tackle competition has provided one of the more interesting early subplots. Jaylon Moore got the start with the first team on day one, but undrafted free agent Kahlil Benson stepped in with the ones on day two. Reid has made clear the job is potentially up for grabs, but let’s not forget how early it is.

In the secondary, Chamarri Conner and Alohi Gilman have been splitting the safety reps with the first team, while the cornerback rotation has featured a mix of Williams, L’Jarius Sneed, and Mansoor Delane outside, with Chris Roland-Wallace getting most of the early reps at nickel.

The injury report, as always this time of year, has been one of the busier storylines of the opening week. Defensive end Ethan Downs and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg both suffered season-ending injuries, losses for the depth of both position groups. Defensive end Ashton Gillotte also left Friday’s practice with a hamstring strain, which will bear watching given how thin the edge rusher room already is. Omarr Norman-Lott remains on the PUP list as he continues his ACL recovery, Delane is in a non-contact jersey with his shoulder, and both Rice and Sneed are having their workloads managed. The Chiefs have dealt with a notable amount of attrition before pads have even gone on.

Royals Report: Perez Makes History Again, but the Deadline Looms

Salvador Perez keeps adding to his legacy. The future Hall of Fame catcher blasted his 318th career home run this week, passing George Brett for the most in franchise history. He is up to 15 on the season, showcasing notable pop at 36 years old. It was another memorable moment for one of the most beloved players in Kansas City history.

On the mound, the rotation was excellent across the board. Noah Cameron, Randy Dobnak, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha each went at least six innings and allowed no more than two runs in their starts. Cameron and Dobnak each turned in shutout performances over eight and seven innings, respectively. Unfortunately for Cameron, the bullpen squandered a 3-0 ninth-inning lead against the Twins on Thursday, turning a win into a loss and summing up the kind of season it has been.

The Royals went 3-3, splitting the Detroit series and going 1-2 against Minnesota, and now sit at 46-64 with three days until the MLB trade deadline. They are firmly outside the playoff picture, and the question facing general manager J.J. Picollo is whether he moves veterans for prospects or holds the roster together for next season.

Adding to the concern is the injury front. Vinnie Pasquantino returned to the injured list with right wrist soreness, and third baseman Maikel Garcia suffered a setback to his injured hand on a rehab assignment and is awaiting further evaluation. Two of their most important offensive contributors are now up in the air, along with Bobby Witt Jr.

The Royals have three more on the road against the Colorado Rockies before returning home to host the Twins next week.

Sporting Scoops: No Answer for LAFC

Sporting Kansas City dropped a 4-0 decision to LAFC on the road, with the match effectively over by halftime after David Martinez scored in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time to make it 3-0.

Sporting managed just one shot on goal all evening and offered little resistance throughout. The loss drops them to 4-2-11, last place in the Western Conference.

Sporting returns home tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. to host Houston Dynamo FC, a team with an 8-2-6 record that will provide another stiff test.

What to Watch This Week

Chiefs

• Practice Saturday, off Sunday, then daily through next Saturday

• Pads on for the first time this Saturday

Royals (46-64)

• At Colorado Rockies (42-67) for three

• Home vs. Minnesota Twins (55-55) for three

• MLB Trade Deadline: Aug. 3

Sporting KC (4-2-11)

• Home vs. Houston Dynamo FC (8-2-6): Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m. CT

It feels good to be talking about football again. The first few days of full team camp are in the books. The pads will come on Monday, and that will be the true test of where players are in the process.

That doesn’t mean the ramp-up period hasn’t brought some interesting storylines into the mix. There are some emerging stories and surprises coming out of training camp. Rookies are getting significant opportunities early on to prove themselves with the first team.

Here are early reactions from the first week of Chiefs training camp.

Cyrus Allen?!

It’s early, but it’s getting difficult to deny the hype surrounding Cyrus Allen. He’s already getting several reps with the first-team offense and Patrick Mahomes. Beyond that, however, he’s making the most of his chances.

There is a long way to go. The pads aren’t even on. But the arrow is certainly pointing up on the former Cincinnati Bearcat.

The two highlight plays he made in camp today (a one-handed grab and a contested catch on the sideline) are massive moments early on in camp. It’s not just that Allen came down with two wildly impressive catches. The fact that Patrick Mahomes trusts him enough to make them is a story in and of itself.

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We start with the Las Vegas Raiders, who are the AFC West team with the lowest odds to win the Super Bowl this season. The Raiders hired Pete Carroll after going 4-13 in 2024, only to go 3-14 in 2025. They did end up with the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, so Pete’s tenure wasn’t without success. TE Brock Bowers continued to impress in his sophomore season, though he ended the season on IR due to a PCL injury he suffered early in the season but played through.

Pete Carroll was fired after the season, though GM John Spytek was retained. Carroll was replaced as HC by Klint Kubiak, who becomes their fifth head coach since they fired Jon Gruden in 2021. Did you know that the Raiders haven’t retained a head coach other than Jon Gruden for longer than 3 years since HC Art Shell (1989-1994)? That’s some absolutely bonkers instability at the top.

Anyway, let’s talk about the Raiders and free agency!

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In 2025, Andy Reid opted to forgo the rookie and quarterbacks-only portion of Training Camp, instead opting for everyone to report at the same time and begin practice together. It was a departure from the norm for Andy Reid, but with a smaller-than-normal rookie class, it made sense. Now in 2026, the Chiefs returned to their normal off-season plan, and …

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The news out of St. Joseph last Friday was about as good as Chiefs Kingdom could have hoped for. Patrick Mahomes arrived at Missouri Western State University fully cleared to practice, and by the sound of it, the last eight months of rehab have done little to dim his competitive fire.

“It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, and so we’ve kind of hit that next step, and now it’s just going to be about building and keep getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes, I can try to be available and be ready to play,” Mahomes said.

The clearance came just two days before rookies and quarterbacks reported, following a visit with team physician Dr. Dan Cooper that gave the medical staff the comfort level to give him the green light.

“Him (Cooper) seeing the numbers and stuff that I’ve been putting up, he gave them (Chiefs medical staff) the comfortability to let me go out there and be fully cleared to practice,” Mahomes said. “I don’t get hit, so that’s one part of it, but it’s still good to be out there and have bodies around and being able to go through and run the offense.”

A veteran like head coach Andy Reid knows not to throw caution to the wind when it comes to a franchise quarterback like Mahomes, but it sounds like Mahomes will still get the necessary reps to get prepared for Week 1 of the 2026 season.

“We’ll start off with usual reps,” Reid said. “The nice thing about having this rookie camp is you can kind of gradually build it up and then he gets a day off, normally that third day anyway. So, we’ll get an idea where he’s at there, but he’s been working so hard, you have a pretty good feel that he’s in a good place.”

When asked about his expectations for Week 1, Reid was optimistic but measured.

“Listen, I’m optimistic, and I know that he (Mahomes) is extremely optimistic, but I think you’ve got to see how things go here,” Reid said. “Let’s just see where we’re at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day-by-day and see where it goes.”

Mahomes, for his part, is not just aiming to return to where he was. There is a reason why guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers were able to be the best in the business for so long.

They were able to get the ball out quickly and/or rely on their offensive line and run game to lengthen their careers. Throughout the rehab process, Mahomes seems to have also shifted his mindset for when he comes back.

“I think it’s about getting the ball out of my hands,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, I like to make big plays happen, and sometimes I won’t take the short one, or I won’t take the first read because I’m trying to make a bigger play happen. It’s getting the ball out of my hands, making plays how they happen. Then whenever the deep ball is there, you have to hit it … If we can do that as well as the run game that I’m excited for, I think we can get back to being a dynamic offense.”

He also acknowledged running less, something the 422 rushing yards he compiled in just 14 games last season bears out as a legitimate area of concern.

That said, Mahomes knows swapping out Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco for Kenneth Walker, Emari Demercado and Emmett Johnson should lessen the burden.

“I’m going to obviously try and take care of myself a little better than I did last season,” Mahomes said. “I think I ran too much last season in general; I’ll try to be better with that. All else fails, I’ll give it to K9 (Walker) and let him just go out there and work.”

As for evolving into a better passer from the pocket, Mahomes credited OTAs and mini camp for that. The 10-year veteran mentioned that throughout those workouts there were times that he would have scrambled, but instead went through his progressions.

Perhaps the most revealing moment of Thursday’s session was when Mahomes was asked what the toughest part of the rehab process was. The answer had nothing to do with football.

“Honestly, the toughest part was the beginning, not being able to get up and chase my kids around,” Mahomes said. “I know that sounds crazy, but being a dad and being active, I always want to be around my kids and playing and stuff like that. I think that was tough. Once I was able to do that, it kind of motivated me to kind of keep getting better and better.”

Mahomes had all the support in the world, and obviously did not attack these last eight months alone. He mentioned speaking with Brady, who suffered a similar injury at a similar age, and also former teammate Tyrann Mathieu, who suffered a slew of injuries throughout his career.

He also found competition in an unexpected place, staying in touch with veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who suffered a similar injury on a similar timeline. The two spent time coming back through competing with each other.

“It would start off as how much deadlift, like what you’re deadlifting, where you’re at,” Mahomes said. “Then it’s like sending little videos, he’s jumping and doing certain acceleration things, and I’m sending him next week doing cutting and stuff like that. It keeps the competition going because it’s a long process and you feel lonely sometimes because you’re doing stuff by yourself and you’re just competing with yourself. It gave me someone else I can compete with to kind of push my competitive drive.”

The full squad arrives July 29. By Mahomes’ own admission, this training camp will be the hardest he has had in terms of what it demands of him.

If all the other boxes he’s checked since last December are any indication, he will also pass this test with flying colors, leaving him ready for Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos on December 14.

EXTRAS

Rashee Rice: Reid confirmed Rice has been rehabbing at the facility since his release from jail and will participate in camp, albeit maybe not on a full-time basis quite yet. Mahomes added that he has been throwing to Rice regularly during the rehab process.

“He’s doing great. I’ve thrown it to him, he’s caught. He’s doing a lot of stuff he needs to do,” Mahomes said. “I don’t know if he’ll be out on the field, but I know he’s rehabbing and doing what he needs to be doing to be on the field whenever camp gets going.”

Mansoor Delane: The first-round cornerback was undergoing his final physical (shoulder) as of Thursday and is expected to be cleared, although he has been seen in a non-contact jersey. Reid offered an encouraging word on the rookie.

“We like the way he goes about his business. He’s a focused kid, he seems to be a smart, sharp kid, and then he’s willing to work,” Reid said. “He was banged up a little bit, but he’s willing to work, and he’s aggressive that way, too aggressive in the case where he hurt himself there, but I think you got a good player there.”

Omarr Norman-Lott: The second-year defensive tackle is expected to begin camp on the PUP list as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in Week 7 of last season. Reid noted he is making progress and could see the field at some point during camp.

“Whether it’s during training camp or yeah somewhere in training camp potentially, he’ll be out there, but yeah, I think we just got to keep the strength part of it coming with him,” Reid said.

L’Jarius Sneed: Reid indicated the veteran cornerback will be eased back into action gradually, consistent with how the team has always managed his knee, dating back to his first stint with the Chiefs.

“We always, like we did before, kept an eye on him with his knee, and we’ll just take him slowly and gradually get him back into the mix as we go, but look forward to getting him on the field,” Reid said.

The one Chiefs item worth noting this week is that the franchise released the first renderings of their new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, set to open in 2031.

The fully enclosed facility will feature translucent ETFE roof panels, seat approximately 70,000 fans, and include more than 20,000 parking spots. Kansas City-based firms MANICA and HNTB have been selected as the lead design architect and architect of record, respectively.

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in the team's release that the new building "will hold 70,000 fans, it will still be the best place in the world to tailgate, and the whole building will be built for noise."

The full story is available now on Chiefs OnSI.

Training camp opens Tuesday in St. Joseph. It is officially football season.

Royals Report: A Winning Week, but Witt Lands on the IL

After a rough stretch that left them with the worst record in the American League, the Royals responded with their best week in some time, going 5-2 against the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants to open the second half.

They took two of three from the Padres and swept the Giants before dropping the opener of a four-game set against the Detroit Tigers last night. Kansas City now sits at 43-61, no longer holding the AL’s worst record, which has been claimed by the Los Angeles Angels. They are still 10.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with the trade deadline looming, so the path to October is a long one, but a winning week is a winning week.

The offensive highlight of the week belonged to Salvador Perez, who carried the brunt of the load despite hitting just .190. He blasted three home runs and drove in six runs, continuing what has been a memorable season for the future Hall of Famer.

On the mound, Randy Dobnak, Luinder Avila, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha were outstanding across five combined starts, pitching 28.2 innings, allowing just seven earned runs, and striking out 23.

The significant off-field news was not as positive. Bobby Witt Jr. was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back tightness, a development worth monitoring closely for a team that cannot afford to be without its best player for an extended stretch.

The Royals are on the road this week for three against the Tigers before heading to Minnesota to face the Twins.

Spain Wins the World Cup

The FIFA World Cup came to a conclusion Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it was Spain claiming their second title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in extra time.

Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the story through 90 minutes, making a World Cup final record 11 saves to keep his side alive despite being thoroughly outplayed. Spain recorded 20 shot attempts to Argentina’s two, but could not find a way through until substitute Ferran Torres buried a first-time shot in the 106th minute off a Nico Williams header from a Pedro Porro cross.

The match was further complicated in the 93rd minute when Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez was sent off with a red card, leaving the defending champions to play all of extra time a man down. A desperate late rally led by Lionel Messi nearly produced an equalizer in the final seconds, but Giuliano Simeone’s volley off a corner kick flew over the crossbar.

Kansas City’s run as a World Cup host city was a memorable one, highlighted by Messi’s hat trick against Algeria in group play and Argentina’s thrilling quarterfinal victory over Switzerland at Arrowhead that sent the defending champions on their way to the final.

Sporting Scoops: A Rare Win at Children’s Mercy Park

Sporting Kansas City picked up a much-needed home victory this week, defeating Minnesota United FC 2-1. Dejan Joveljic opened the scoring in the 28th minute before Manu Garcia doubled the lead in the 54th with a curling effort from the edge of the box.

Minnesota pulled one back late, but goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland made several key saves. Sporting improves to 4-10-2 and heads back on the road tomorrow to face LAFC at 9:30 p.m.

What to Watch This Week

Chiefs

• Training camp opens Tuesday, July 29 at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, MO

Royals (43-61)

• At Detroit Tigers (49-54) for three games

• At Minnesota Twins (51-53) for three games

Sporting KC (4-10-2)

• At LAFC (9-3-5): Tomorrow, 9:30 p.m. CT

The balancing act is finding ways to take both short- and long-term consideration into the moves he makes. There are financial constraints that the team must operate within for not just this year, but future years.

The Chiefs are currently projected to have around $4 million dollars in cap space for 2026. The team likes to hold some reserve for moves during the season. That doesn’t necessarily keep them from being able to add a veteran, as they could include incentives in a deal that would push some player earnings into 2027’s cap.

That’s at least the thought process used by those of us who look at the roster and see flaws at wide receiver, edge rusher, safety, and linebacker. It looks like one of the more flawed rosters in the Mahomes era. There is a clamoring for additional improvements. And while it doesn’t feel like it there is much time left to make a move, there are still ways the Chiefs could be approaching the 2026.

Here are six reasons why the Chiefs could be patient in making a move before training camp.

Quiet confidence

Some in the national media were surprised to see the Chiefs trade Wanya Morris to the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason, given the perceived concerns with the offensive line (which I do not understand).

The local beat saw the emergence of Esa Pole and Khalil Benson as reasons the team felt comfortable moving on from their 2023 third-round pick. Clearly the team agreed.

As much as we see question marks around the roster, the lack of activity could be an indication of what they see from at least some of their existing talent. Players like defensive ends Ashton Gillotte and R Mason Thomas, wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton, linebackers Jeffrey Bassa and Cooper McDonald, and safety Jaden Hicks all have the talent to be meaningful contributors. We just haven’t seen a ton of on-field production from them to this point.

Is it likely that all these players are intentionally being afforded runway to emerge as viable starters/contributors? Probably not. But at least a few of these positions, there is likely a quiet confidence in what they have in the building already.

Early camp evaluations

With several young players on the roster at positions of concern, there is runway for them to take control of a meaningful role.

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The KC Diamonds players take us behind the scenes of professional softball in the PSL—from their journey through college powerhouse programs and coaching roles to navigating dorm life at Avila University and staying after games to sign autographs for 2.5 hours.

As a reminder, here is how I calculated the AV for each player:
Rookies: Historical AV based on draft slot.
Second Year Players: Historical AV based on earned AV in rookie year, and on draft slot.
Third Year Players: Weighted average of first two years (75% second year, 25% rookie year)
Veterans: Weighted average of the player’s average AV over the past four seasons and their average AV over the past two seasons (70% past two years, 30% past four years)

Previous articles in this series include:
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Defensive Line
Offensive Skill Positions

Without further ado, let’s jump right into it!

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Here is a position-by-position look at the defensive players with the most at stake when the pads go on in St. Joseph.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Defensive End

At this point, anything Felix Anudike-Uzomah shows would be a welcome addition. The Chiefs have opted not to address defensive end through free agency this offseason, so any production at all from the former first-round pick would be a net positive.

Kansas City lost Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna to free agency, meaning some combination of Anudike-Uzomah, second-round rookie R Mason Thomas, and Ashton Gillotte will have to pick up the slack behind George Karlaftis from an already thin grouping. There is still an argument to be made that an additional depth piece should be added before camp breaks.

The local plot of this story and the lack of production has been well documented here, but so far, his development arc has essentially frozen. To make matters worse, his 2025 season was completely lost after a devastating hamstring injury last preseason.

In 2024, Anudike-Uzomah showed some promise as a player who could hold up against the run, though his draft profile coming out of Kansas State always pegged him more as a speed rusher. The tools that made him a first-round talent have not disappeared at 25, and the depth chart in front of him is not so deep that snaps are out of reach.

Staying healthy and simply being playable would go a long way. The bar Danna and Omenihu set last season was not particularly high. His NFL future beyond 2026 is very much on the line, but 2026 is a great place to start. The Chiefs need him, and he needs to have an impactful preseason.

Omarr Norman-Lott, Defensive Tackle

Norman-Lott finds himself in a similar position to Anudike-Uzomah in some respects, though with one significant difference. He is only entering his second NFL season and is coming off a Week 7 torn ACL, which affords him a degree of patience that a player like Anudike-Uzomah no longer has.

The Chiefs made Norman-Lott a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft despite him being a part-time player who averaged just 17 snaps per game for Tennessee as a fifth-year senior. What made him stand out was his production in those limited snaps.

He led all FBS interior defensive linemen with an 18.9 percent pass rush win rate and racked up 43 pressures and 10 sacks over his final two seasons with the Volunteers, according to PFF. That is significant production from an interior lineman.

Upon arriving in Kansas City, he appeared to add considerable weight and shifted from a three-technique to a nose tackle role in the base defense. Whether the two were connected is unclear, but shoulder and ankle issues followed throughout the preseason, causing him to miss Week 1 before a torn ACL in Week 7 ended his season entirely.

In the limited action he did see, he posted six pressures and a sack, all of which came across just two games in Weeks 2 and 3.

He did not participate in any offseason team activities, so exactly when he will be ready remains to be seen. The depth chart has also changed significantly around him, with the additions of Khyiris Tonga and Peter Woods joining Chris Jones, who is still playing at an All-Pro level.

That slots Norman-Lott fourth on the interior depth chart when he does return. When he steps back onto the field, his weight and position will be the first things to monitor. The NCAA and NFL are not a one-to-one comparison, but the fact is that he had a history of production playing at a lighter weight and playing over a guard and tackle rather than a center and guard.

Could the Chiefs turn him back into a situational pass rusher? Careers that begin the way his has can unfortunately unravel quickly, which is why getting as much as possible out of a former Day 2 pick matters sooner rather than later.

Jeffrey Bassa, Linebacker

Jeffrey Bassa’s safest role in 2026 is likely still as a special teams ace. That said, it would be encouraging to see the 2025 fifth-rounder out of Oregon eclipse the 4 percent defensive snap share he logged as a rookie.

What he did in those 39 snaps was not nothing, however. Fifteen tackles and a forced fumble in limited action is a respectable return.

The Chiefs somewhat famously selected him over a running back in that draft, a significant position of need at the time, because the coverage linebacker was too good a value on their board to pass up. That kind of organizational conviction suggests there is a belief he can contribute beyond special teams.

The departure of Leo Chenal to the Washington Commanders opened a door, but it is not a straightforward one for Bassa to walk through. The issue is stylistic.

Bassa is a fundamentally different player than Chenal, and the snaps Chenal vacated are more likely to go to 2025 undrafted free agent Cooper McDonald, who is better suited to fill that role despite being less athletically gifted.

Bassa earning defensive time would mean either nudging Drue Tranquill off the field or pushing Tranquill into more of a strongside role than he typically occupies. A strong camp could change the conversation entirely.

Tranquill’s own future with the team beyond 2026 makes the linebacker room worth watching closely. The opportunity is there, but Bassa has to seize it.

Kristian Fulton, Cornerback

The cornerback room is loaded with players who have something to prove this summer, and it is worth acknowledging all of them before zeroing in on Fulton specifically.

Mansoor Delane has enormous expectations as the sixth overall pick, the highest the Chiefs have used on a player since 2013. Nohl Williams needs to solidify himself as a genuine starter after flashing in a limited rookie role. L’Jarius Sneed has until the end of camp to prove he is healthy enough to be worth a roster spot on a non-guaranteed contract.

And among Kader Kohou, Jadon Canady, and Chris Roland-Wallace, someone needs to emerge as the team’s starting nickel corner, with Kohou specifically needing to demonstrate he is fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last offseason.

With all of those bodies competing at the position, Fulton is the one most squarely on the chopping block. He flashed enough down the stretch in 2025 to convince the Chiefs not to release him and save $5 million on the cap, but that reprieve does not have to be final.

If he is unreliable again, Brett Veach can still make that move on cutdown day in late August. The second year of a two-year, $20 million deal is enough to earn him a chance, but Fulton needs to be at least earning third corner reps in St. Joseph, or his time in Kansas City could end before the season even begins.

If Delane, Williams, Sneed and Fulton play well, there is still room for all of them, due to injury concerns, but it all starts with a healthy and productive August.

Jaden Hicks, Safety

Like Bassa, Jaden Hicks was a player the Chiefs selected in the fourth round because he was simply too good a value to pass up.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic, whose draft guide is among the most respected in the industry, had Hicks as his top-rated safety and the 39th overall prospect in the 2024 class, describing him as “a rangy, intimidating presence with elite size and multi-dimensional traits.”

At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, the size and football intelligence that made him coveted were on display in his rookie season. He created five passes defensed and three interceptions while collecting 29 tackles on just 31 percent of snaps played.

Year two was a different story. With Justin Reid departing for a payday with the New Orleans Saints, the assumption was that Hicks would step into a larger role seamlessly. Instead, he played 42 percent of the snaps and produced little outside of 42 tackles, seemingly losing the trust of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo along the way.

The safety room heading into 2026 is still up for grabs, but it is an uphill battle. Free agent signee Alohi Gilman’s contract suggests he is in line to start, and Chamarri Conner’s move back to his more natural position at safety brings a player who logged 98 percent of snaps in recent seasons into the mix as well.

The team did lose Bryan Cook to the Cincinnati Bengals, but Roland-Wallace's status as a safety versus a nickel is a complication as well.

Spagnuolo does deploy three-safety sets quite often, but Hicks will need a very mature training camp to carve out anything more than a situational role on this defense. The talent and the pedigree are there. The question heading into St. Joseph is whether the trust can be rebuilt.

Part one of this series, covering the offensive players with something to prove, is available now on KCSN.

Royals Report: A Rough First Half Ends With a Whimper, All-Star Game Provides Bright Spot

The Royals were swept into the All-Star break by the Baltimore Orioles, capping the first half of the season with a five-game losing streak. Kansas City now sits at 38-59, tied for the worst record in the American League with just over two weeks until the trade deadline. At this point, the conversation around this roster should be shifting entirely toward what J.J. Picollo can do to replenish the farm between now and the deadline.

The All-Star Game itself was a bright spot for a couple of Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. scored a run after drawing a walk, and Michael Wacha tossed one inning and struck out two batters as the American League blanked the National League 4-0.

Speaking of replenishing the farm, Picollo made the most of the 2026 MLB Draft. With the sixth overall pick, Kansas City selected Louisville outfielder Zion Rose, a two-time first-team All-ACC selection and this year’s All-American who slashed .417/.491/.646 with 47 RBI and 24 stolen bases. It is a polished college bat with a high floor.

The next four picks rounded out a solid class, with right-hander Taylor Rabe out of Ole Miss in the first round and Jack Slightom out of Lyons Township High School in Illinois in the second, left-hander Maxx Yehl from West Virginia in the third, and outfielder Dominic Battista from Oswego East High School in Illinois in the fourth.

The Royals open the second half at home against the San Diego Padres before hosting the San Francisco Giants to close out the week.

World Cup: Argentina Is Going to the Final, and Kansas City Played a Role

The last World Cup match at Arrowhead Stadium delivered exactly the kind of night the city deserved.

Argentina survived a tense quarterfinal against Switzerland, winning 3-1 in extra time after a match that turned out to be one of the best of the tournament. Alexis Mac Allister broke the tie in the 10th minute, heading home a Lionel Messi corner kick to give Argentina an early lead.

Switzerland responded in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye slipped one past Emiliano Martinez to level it at 1-1. The match changed dramatically five minutes later when Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off with a second yellow card for simulation, leaving Switzerland a man down for the remainder of the match.

Despite playing with 10 men, the Swiss defended heroically and forced extra time. Argentina finally broke through in the 112th minute when Julian Alvarez curled a spectacular 25-yard strike into the net, and Lautaro Martinez sealed it in stoppage time with a breakaway finish to make it 3-1. It was a fitting farewell for Arrowhead as a World Cup venue.

Argentina, a Kansas City host-site team, then traveled to Atlanta for their semifinal against England this past Wednesday, where they pulled off another comeback. Anthony Gordon put England ahead in the 54th minute, but Argentina rallied late. Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 84th minute, and Martinez struck again in the 90th to complete a 2-1 victory and book Argentina’s place in the final.

They will face Spain on Sunday at New York New Jersey Stadium with the World Cup on the line. The match is slated to be an even one, with the betting lines listing Spain as underdogs at +125 to claim the title. Before the final, France and England meet in the third-place match Saturday at 4 p.m. in Miami.

SKC Scoop: Back in Action, Still Searching

Sporting Kansas City returned to MLS action this week after a seven-week World Cup break, and the rust was apparent. The club fell 3-2 to St. Louis City SC in their first match back, and sits in last place in their conference with a 3-2-9 overall record.

Capita and Dejan Jovelic each found the back of the net, equalizing the game at one and then two, but St. Louis scored a goal on a penalty kick in the 85th minute that Sporting was unable to match.

Sporting hosts Minnesota United FC on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with an opportunity to get things going in the right direction.

What to Watch This Week

Royals (38-59)

• Home vs. San Diego Padres (48-48) for three

• Home vs. San Francisco Giants (41-55) for three

Sporting KC (3-9-2)

• Home vs. Minnesota United FC (6-4-5): Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. CT

World Cup

• Third Place: France (-110) vs. England, Saturday, 4 p.m. CT in Miami, FL

• World Cup Final: Spain (+125) vs. Argentina, Sunday, July 19, 2 p.m. CT in East Rutherford, NJ

When an undrafted player makes an NFL roster, it’s not just a cool story for the player. It’s also a massive win for an NFL organization when they can find a player that slipped through the cracks of the entirety of the league during the draft.

It’s estimated that around 25% of NFL players rostered began their journey as undrafted players. The math makes…

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As a reminder, here is how I calculated the AV for each player:
Rookies: Historical AV based on draft slot.
Second Year Players: Historical AV based on earned AV in rookie year, and on draft slot.
Third Year Players: Weighted average of first two years (75% second year, 25% rookie year)
Veterans: Weighted average of the player’s average AV over the past four seasons and their average AV over the past two seasons (70% past two years, 30% past four years)

Previous articles in this series include:
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Defensive Line

Offensive skill positions include running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers. We will be looking at all three of those in that order.

After adding in an indicator for just presumed starters (per ESPN.com depth charts) to the graphic last week, and writing an article with those graphics, I’ve realized that seeing the starters' expected approximate value (AV) is more valuable than seeing the entire position group's expected AV. Thus, I have sorted it by starter expected value rather than by overall position group expected value. This should be the last time this graphic changes, but I think it is worth the pain.

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Whether it is roster hopefuls or seasoned vets, many Chiefs have something to prove or a job to secure.

Here is a position-by-position look at the offensive players with the most to prove when the pads go on in St. Joseph.

Garrett Nussmeier, Quarterback

The Nussmeier pick was about as shocking as a seventh-round selection could possibly be. Brett Veach is not in the business of wasting picks, so the Chiefs brass likely sees something in the LSU signal-caller that warranted the investment.

With Patrick Mahomes working his way back from his ACL and LCL injury, Nussmeier will see plenty of action in preseason games, giving him a chance to prove the pick was worth it.

The preseason will be crucial for both Veach and Andy Reid to determine whether he is worth carrying as a third quarterback on the 53-man roster. That is a bar the Chiefs have not cleared since 2023, when they kept Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert, and Shane Buechele.

Coming out of the draft, many pundits thought Nussmeier had the chops to be a second or third-round pick, making this a true value-add to the Chiefs draft class. He is known for having a high football IQ and can make throws at all three levels of the defense.

There is still a reasonable chance Nussmeier slips through waivers and lands on the practice squad, but a strong preseason could change that calculus entirely. Given the premium placed on the quarterback position across the league, a standout showing could put him on an active roster. The question is whether he can make that case before the final cuts.

Brashard Smith, Running Back

Smith’s path to the NFL is one of the more unique ones on this roster. He spent his first three college seasons as a wide receiver at Miami before transferring to SMU for his senior year and switching to running back full-time. The move paid off immediately. He finished fourth in college football in all-purpose yards, rushing for 1,332 yards at 5.7 yards per carry with 14 touchdowns, while adding 39 catches for 327 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns.

The Chiefs liked what they saw enough to take him in the seventh round in 2025, but he did not see much of the field, aside from special teams. He averaged 26.7 yards on kick returns and 11.3 yards on punt returns, and showed a glimpse of his rushing ability with 12 carries for 56 yards (4.7 yards per carry) against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18.

The depth chart in front of him has changed significantly, however. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are gone, replaced by Kenneth Walker, Emari Demercado, and Emmett Johnson, all of whom project ahead of Smith in the running back pecking order.

To hang onto his roster spot, Smith will need to lock down the return game as the team’s primary kick and punt returner, show involvement in the short passing game, and, if he has grown at all in the pass-blocking department, his spot should be a lock. He will need to flash in the preseason. There is no doubt about that.

Jalen Royals, Wide Receiver

Jalen Royals’ first order of business in training camp will be making sure that 2026 fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen does not pass him on the depth chart. That is not a position a fourth-round pick from one year ago should find himself in, but after finishing 2025 with just two catches for four yards on 86 snaps, the bar is not high for someone to clear him. Neither target came from Mahomes, and that was despite Rice only suiting up for eight games, by the way.

If we are projecting his ceiling based on his college career at Utah State, his best-case role in 2026 is as Rashee Rice’s primary backup in the slot, functioning as the yards-after-the-catch merchant the Chiefs envisioned when they drafted him. Showing he can play on the outside would be a bonus.

Reid likes to mix and match his receivers, and if Royals can prove to be a reliable slot option for Mahomes, there is a natural fit for him to handle those snaps and bump Rice to the outside periodically. Reid offered an encouraging early read during OTAs.

What you want to see from Royals in training camp and in the preseason games is simple. He needs to be running with the ones. If that is not happening, his role on this team could genuinely be in question in year two.

Noah Gray, Tight End

The Noah Gray career arc is a puzzling one. He did enough through his first three seasons to earn a three-year, $18 million extension, and he rewarded the organization for that in year four with a career-high 40 catches, 437 yards, and five touchdowns.

Then the year his extension actually kicked in told a completely different story. He produced just 21 catches for 178 yards, the lowest output of his career outside of his rookie season.

The challenge for Gray’s value on the team is that the Chiefs’ tight end room is currently filled with receiving-first options. There was some hope he could develop into a hybrid weapon, given that he also played some fullback and was a serviceable blocker during his time at Duke, but that ceiling has not been fully realized at the NFL level.

He does not have much competition for his roster spot, but that is almost beside the point. With this likely to be Travis Kelce’s final season, it is becoming increasingly clear that Kelce’s heir apparent is not currently on the roster, and Gray’s path to relevance beyond 2026 depends on recapturing the form he showed in 2024.

His spot on the 53 is safe, and there is only so much the preseason can tell you about a tight end, but what Chiefs Kingdom should be listening for is training camp buzz surrounding the sixth-year veteran. After a quiet 2025, Gray needs to make some noise.

Jaylon Moore, Offensive Tackle

Jaylon Moore is heading into his sixth NFL season and his second with the Chiefs, who signed him to a two-year, $30 million free agent deal last offseason. At the time, the signing made all the sense in the world. Moore had spent four seasons as the backup to future Hall of Famer Trent Williams in San Francisco. He had just 12 starts to his name, but every time he filled in, he looked like an adequate NFL-caliber left tackle.

The calculus changed when the Chiefs drafted Josh Simmons, shifting Moore into a swing tackle role. He wound up with six starts, a career high, filling in at both left and right tackle at various points throughout the season.

When Jawaan Taylor was cut early this offseason, the door opened for Moore to own the right tackle position outright, a spot he has not played much of even dating back to his college days. That said, he does fit the profile of a right tackle, and there is a natural pairing with right guard Trey Smith on the right side that could work well.

The competition, however, could be real. Second-year tackle Esa Pole, who is 6-foot-7 and 319 pounds, flashed when injuries hit the offensive line at the tail end of last season and has now accumulated four career starts of his own.

Then there is Kahlil Benson, one of the more intriguing stories of the offseason. After a unique college career that included stops at Indiana and Colorado before transferring back to Indiana for their national championship run, where he started 16 games, Benson went undrafted in 2026 before quickly signing with the Chiefs after a standout rookie minicamp tryout. At 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds with a combination of raw power and athleticism, he has quietly become one of the more talked-about players heading into camp.

Reid has already noted both Pole and Benson getting reps with the first unit during the offseason. When you start hearing about a player getting multiple consecutive days with the ones, that is typically a meaningful indicator. Moore has the experience and a year of familiarity with the offense in his favor, but a strong camp is not optional. The job is his to lose, but there are younger, cheaper options ready to take it from him if he does not have a strong showing in St. Joseph.

Part two of this series will cover the defensive side of the ball ahead of training camp.

ESPN seems to be running a stir the pot a bit, ranking the Chiefs as the 12th-best roster in the league and Kelce as just the 10th-best tight end, despite the fact that he put up the fourth-most yards and sixth-most receptions at the position in 2025. I know the Chiefs went 6-11, but they've bought more grace than that.

The same wave of analysis has the offensive line, which includes Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Kingsley Suamataia, and Josh Simmons, ranked in the bottom 10 of the league by multiple outlets, including ESPN's Mike Clay and Warren Sharp’s Sharp Football Analysis.

Football is played on the field, though. We will see how right everyone is or is not come fall. In the meantime, let’s get into what is actually happening.

Royals Report: Tolbert Makes History, but the Week Ends Even

The Royals went 3-3 on the week, taking two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies before the New York Mets returned the favor to close things out.

Monday, in the Phillies finale, was a big one. Kansas City put a 15-1 drumming on Philadelphia behind an astonishing five-hit performance from shortstop Tyler Tolbert, who delivered his hits during a historic 12-consecutive-at-bat stretch that tied an MLB record. Noah Cameron backed him up with five innings of one-run ball and seven strikeouts, making it a complete night.

Tolbert was not done. On Tuesday, he went five-for-five again against the Mets, this time adding a home run, as the Royals outlasted New York in a wild 16-12 affair. Seth Lugo took the ball that night and was tagged for six earned runs over 4.1 innings, but the offense was more than enough to make it work.

By week’s end, Tolbert had slashed .684, one of the more eye-popping single-week performances you will see. Infielder Nick Loftin and center fielder Lane Thomas were the next best, hitting .455 and .409, respectively. On the mound, Cameron and Luinder Avila put forth the strongest outings of the week, while Michael Wacha had two uncharacteristic starts, surrendering 10 runs over 10.2 innings and nudging his season ERA up to 3.77.

The good news off the field came in bunches. Bobby Witt Jr. and Wacha earned All-Star selections, Jac Caglianone will represent Kansas City in the Home Run Derby, and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino is nearing a return from the IL. On a team that has struggled to string things together, those are welcome storylines heading into the break.

The Royals have three road games against the Baltimore Orioles before the All-Star break gives everyone a chance to breathe.

World Cup: USA Bows Out, Arrowhead Gets One More

The United States Men’s National Team’s World Cup run came to a bitter and humbling end this week. A 4-1 defeat to Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle was not what anyone had in mind after the Americans won Group D and appeared to be building momentum.

It started promisingly enough. Malik Tillman equalized in the 31st minute with a brilliant free kick, making it 1-1. Then, just 61 seconds later, Belgium retook the lead, and that was essentially the ballgame. The immediate deflation of that reply took the wind completely out of the American squad.

Belgium dominated the majority of the game, capitalizing on USA’s defensive mistakes throughout the second half, and Romelu Lukaku hammered home a late goal to finalize the 4-1 result.

The Americans generated virtually no big scoring chances after Tillman’s equalizer, outside of when it did not matter at the end, and the gap in quality between the two sides was difficult to ignore by the final whistle.

It is a disappointing exit for a team that had genuine belief heading into the knockout stage, but Belgium was simply the better side on the day, by a wide margin.

On the bright side for Kansas City fans, the World Cup is not done at Arrowhead just yet. Tomorrow night brings one of the marquee matchups of the entire tournament, as Lionel Messi and Argentina take on Switzerland at 8 p.m.

Messi already delivered a hat-trick at Arrowhead in group play. It would be hard to top that, but with the best player in the sport's history, you never quite know.

What to Watch This Week

Royals (38-56)

• At Baltimore Orioles (43-51): Three games before the All-Star break

World Cup at Arrowhead

• Argentina (-145) vs. Switzerland: Saturday, July 11, 8 p.m. CT at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

And to be fair, this team is not without its flaws. There are definitely things worth questioning that could come back to bite this year’s versions. Personnel changes or lack thereof, questions about offensive innovation, concerns about edge rusher, wide receiver, tight end, and safety.

ESPN ranked the Chiefs as …

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Top 5 Plays of 2025: Number 4

Leo Chenal’s interception of a rushed Lamar Jackson pass allowed the Chiefs to survive a slow start and keep them out of a deficit that could have proved to be insurmountable. The Ravens had a 9-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to start the game. The Chiefs followed with a Field Goal drive in return but Ravens immediately worked back into Chiefs’ territory looking to put a nother 7 points on the board. Falling behind 14-3 would have been a tough hurdle for a struggling Chiefs’ offense to overcome.

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