Observations From the Chiefs Preseason Opener

Football is officially back and with fall around the corner, the regular season is on the horizon. However, the preseason comes first and game one of the preseason had some intrigue in the Chiefs camp. They may have lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-13, but there were a couple of standouts.

In typical Andy Reid fashion the key starters only got one drive before leaving the game. Players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Isaiah Pacheco left the game to avoid injuries. This means that the depth was put to the test early and got to put in some work. Let's see who didn't stand out in game one.

Chiefs Receiver Depth Showed Potential

While the starting receiving core only had one drive, that one drive already proved to cause issues. Hollywood Brown had his first catch as a Chief and went down with an injury . That injury puts the depth receivers in a spot to prove themselves and in game one they showed flashes of potential.

One of those receivers was Justyn Ross, who is coming off a tumultuous season where he was suspended for six games. The big-bodied receiver made some plays that showed his potential in the Chiefs offense. He would "Moss" a corner and make a good read when a play broke down for a grab that was called back. If Ross is to make the 53-man roster, catches like this are the way he is going to do it.

Another receiver who showed their potential was Xavier Worthy. While he didn't rack up any catches, the 2024 first-round pick showed how he will be used in the offense. With the Hollywood Brown injury, Worthy likely gets more snaps and targets if Brown is out for any length of time in the regular season.

To round out this section, both Cornell Powell and Nikko Remigio had some great snaps. Remigio had 3 catches for 35 yards to lead the team and Powell had 3 catches for 24 yards. The depth receivers showed out for the most part in game one for the Chiefs. With a key injury, all of these players have a shot to claim a spot on the 53-man roster. Let's get into the next observation.

Chiefs Left Tackle Situation Looks Locked Up

Coming into the year, the Chiefs had question marks about the left tackle spot with Donovan Smith leaving in free agency. The Chiefs would then draft Kingsley Suamataia in the third round to potentially take that spot. Coming into camp it was a position battle between him and Lucas Niang and Suamataia might have locked up the spot in game one.

Suamataia is already getting first-team reps and he looked good in those reps against Jacksonville. This position battle might be over already and the Chiefs might have their left tackle for the foreseeable future. All of these observations have been on the offensive side, and that isn't changing with the last observation.

Carson Steele is Coming for the Chief's Backup Running Back Spot

In potentially the biggest movement in the Chiefs camp, the backup running back spot is going to have some competition. Isiah Pacheco is the starter, but it isn't confirmed who his backup is. Currently, the Chiefs have Deneric Prince, Carson Steele, and Louis Rees-Zammit as their backup running backs. In game one of the preseason, Carson Steele made his name known in the Chiefs Kingdom with one run.

This run alone makes Carson Steele an intriguing power back as the Chiefs like to have a fullback on the roster. Whether Steele gets the backup running back role or not he might have just secured a roster spot either way if Andy Reid wants a fullback on the roster.

The Chiefs are looking to do the impossible and fight for the three-peat and these preseason games mean a lot to the depth of the team. That depth could make or break a season if the injury bug bites the Chiefs and it could lead to some interesting developments later down the road.

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