KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs have until 3 p.m. Tuesday to whittle down the 90 players remaining on the club to 53 for their initial roster of the 2025 season, and many difficult decisions remain for general manager Brett Veach and his staff.
Players had their last chance to impress in Friday night’s preseason finale, a 28-27 loss to the Chicago Bears. The Chiefs return to practice Tuesday at 1:20 p.m., so the majority of the roster and preferred practice squad candidates will likely be the only players taking the field.
There are a couple of rules to keep in mind when building a 53-player roster. A rule change for 2025 allows teams to place up to two players on injured reserve during the reduction to 53 players who can be designated to return. In the past, players had to make the roster first, then be placed on injured reserve.
Players with fewer than four seasons accrued must pass through waivers if released during the reduction to 53. Players with four or more seasons accrued become free agents immediately. That allows teams to use a loophole if they need to place more than two players on injured reserve next week. A vested veteran (such as Mike Pennel or Robert Tonyan) can be released and immediately be re-signed the next day without being exposed to waivers.
How difficult are the final decisions? Here are my last four players on the roster, and first four off the roster:
Last Four On: Mike Edwards, Cooper McDonald, Nikko Remigio and Malik Herring
Last Four Off: Marlon Tuipulotu, Esa Pole, Joshua Williams and Cole Christensen
After the 3 p.m. Tuesday roster deadline, teams have until 11 a.m. Wednesday to claim players placed on waivers. The Chiefs own the No. 31 position on the waiver wire, which means 30 other NFL clubs (everyone but the Eagles, who are No. 32) must pass on a player before the Chiefs claim becomes valid. That’s why the Chiefs might be active in the trade market before the Tuesday deadline if there is a player they covet. The Chiefs also have veterans in whom other clubs might have an interest, such as cornerback Joshua Williams, offensive tackle Wanya Morris or wide receiver Jason Brownlee.
Underscoring that there’s nothing set in stone, the Chiefs may still make changes after 3 p.m. Tuesday before preparation for Week 1 begins. The club is still searching for upgraded depth at several positions, especially running back, defensive tackle and cornerback.
Based upon observations during training camp, the three preseason games, practices in Kansas City this week, and interviews with team and league sources, here’s my projection for the initial 53-player roster.
Quarterback (2)
Starter: Patrick Mahomes
Backup: Gardner Minshew
Practice squad: Chris Oladokun
In the mix: Bailey Zappe
Friday night’s game appeared to reinforce what the Chiefs learned during training camp: Oladokun is the more reliable and consistent backup. Oladokun’s decision-making and awareness are superior to Zappe’s, and he also possesses a strong arm. It’s a perk that he’s a hard worker who gives maximum effort and has been a valuable scout team quarterback. Every team could use a guy like Oladokun.
Running Back (3)
Starter: Isiah Pacheco
Backups: Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith
Practice squad: Carson Steele
In the mix: Elijah Mitchell and Michael Wiley
The preseason had three purposes for the Chiefs at running back: prepare Pacheco and Hunt for the regular season (check), acclimate the explosive Smith into the offense as a chess piece (check), and identify a productive fourth running back (strike). The Chiefs would love to have a fourth running back, ideally someone cost-effective with upside speed who can contribute on special teams — ideally a backup or complement to Smith. The club hoped Mitchell could fill that role, but he hasn’t displayed the dynamic playmaking he possessed earlier in his career. Steele is a great addition to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Wide Receiver (7)
Starter: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown
Backups: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Royals, Tyquan Thornton and Nikko Remigio
Practice squad: Jason Brownlee and Jimmy Holiday
In the mix: , Mac Dalena, Key’Shawn Smith, Elijah Badger and Hal Pressley
The Chiefs are keeping six wide receivers; that’s a given. Remigio’s role is the most precarious, but it’s hard to leave him off the squad, and Friday night’s game reiterated that. There is no experienced punt returner on the club outside Remigio — and don’t say Xavier Worthy. He’s never returned a punt in an NFL game, preseason or otherwise, and no one in the NFL wants a starting receiver as their punt returner — it’s too much of a risk. Trying to slide Remigio through waivers onto the practice squad is dicey since there are teams that would absolutely love to have a reliable returner with good hands. Brownlee likely won’t make it through waivers, which makes him a potential trade candidate in the days and hours ahead.
Tight End (4)
Starter: Travis Kelce
Backups: Noah Gray, Jared Wiley and Robert Tonyan
Practice squad: Tre Watson
In the mix: Geor’Quarius Spivey
Injured reserve: Jake Briningstool (projected)
Tonyan absolutely deserves a slot on the roster, but he’s not your typical Chiefs’ third-string tight end. He’s not an elite blocker but he’s a more than capable tight end capable of spelling Kelce when needed and fulfilling a reliable pass-catcher role. The Chiefs backed off Briningstool in practice on Wednesday after his brief return, and it’s evident he needs more time to work his way back from the hamstring injury that sidelined him much of training camp. Placing him on injured reserve with a designation to return keeps open a lot of possibilities for the season ahead.
Offensive Line (9)
Starters: LT Josh Simmons, LG Kingsley Suamataia, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, RT Jawaan Taylor
Backups: T/G Jaylon Moore, G/C Mike Caliendo, C/G Hunter Nourzad and T Wanya Morris
Practice squad: T Esa Pole, C.J. Hanson and T Chukwuebuka Godrick
In the mix: G Dalton Cooper and C Joey Lombard
Non-Football Illness: T Ethan Driskell (projected)
If Remigio is the 53rd player on the roster, then No. 54 is likely Pole. If the Chiefs keep only six receivers or five linebackers, it’s to keep Pole as a 10th offensive lineman. But the Chiefs have probably effectively smuggled him during the preseason, and can possibly slip him past waiver claims. If the Chiefs get offers for any offensive lineman, it’s likely Morris, and that might open the door for Pole. If Godrick clears waivers, he’s still eligible for the international player designation as a 17th practice squad member.
Defensive Line (9)
Starter: DE George Karlaftis, DT Chris Jones, DT Mike Pennel and DE Mike Danna
Backups: DE Charles Omenihu, DT Omarr Norman-Lott, DT Jerry Tillery, DE Ashton Gillotte and DE Malik Herring
Practice squad: DT Marlon Tuipulotu and DT Fabien Lovett
In the mix: DT Coziah Izzard, DE Owen Carney and DE Nate Matlack
Injured reserve: DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah and DE Janarius Robinson
A safe projection is that the Chiefs keep nine defensive linemen. Who that ninth lineman is, however, is uncertain. Injuries have limited the choices, but it’s likely a decision coming down to either Herring or Tuipulotu. The difference may come down to versatility. The Chiefs have far more edges (Danna, Omenihu and potentially Herring) who can kick inside than they do tackles (Jones) who can move outside. While the Chiefs primarily move edges inside only on passing downs, they have experimented with the opposite in camp in other situations. My last change on this projection was flipping Herring over Tuipulotu.
UPDATE: Sunday’s trade for defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi will displace Herring in the roster projection, making him a likely practice squad target. Herring is a vested veteran and becomes a free agent immediately if released.
Linebackers (6)
Starters: Drue Tranquill, Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal
Backups: Jeffrey Bassa, Cam Jones and Cooper McDonald
Practice squad: Cole Christiansen and Brandon George
In the mix: Xander Mueller
Injured reserve: Jack Cochrane (projected)
Cochrane’s knee bone bruise might be a blessing in disguise for the Chiefs if it allows them to keep McDonald. The Chiefs may have wanted to hide the 6-foot-3, 240-pound TCU product during the preseason, but he “unfortunately” posted 14 tackles, tied for 11th in the NFL in the preseason, and he added a 10-yard sack on Friday night. More good news for the Chiefs: Bassa had 15 tackles during the preseason, ranking tied for seventh. Cochrane should be ready to return full speed after the first four games of the season.
Cornerback (5)
Starters: Trent McDuffie and Kristian Fulton
Backups: Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson and Nohl Williams
Practice squad: Joshua Williams and Kevin Knowles
In the mix: Melvin Smith Jr., Ajani Carter and Azizi Hearn
Friday night’s game sealed the position of Joshua Williams as the team’s sixth corner, and there’s just no room on the roster. But the 6-foot-3 Williams still owns the traits that coaches covet at cornerback. Some teams will view Williams as a better fit for their system, making him a likely trade target. Knowles steadily emerged through training camp as the best young up-and-coming cornerback with the most upside, and he proved his value Friday night with three defensive tackles, a special teams tackle, and a blocked extra point try.
Safety (5)
Starters: Bryan Cook and Chamarri Conner
Backups: Jaden Hicks, Chris Roland-Wallace and Mike Edwards
Practice squad: Glendon Miller and Major Williams
In the mix: Jacobe Covington
Injured reserve: Deon Bush
Don’t be fooled when you see Roland-Wallace defending against slot receivers; he’s a safety now, not a cornerback. But his versatility, along with Conner, is what allows the Chiefs to keep five cornerbacks. This is a highly versatile Kansas City secondary, and its safety group underscores that point. Miller and Williams are ideal young safeties for the practice squad, Miller in the box and Williams on the back end.
Specialist (3)
Starters: K Harrison Butker, P Matt Araiza and LS James Winchester
The Chiefs are as happy as can be with their trio of specialists. Nothing to worry about here.
