The Kansas City Chiefs will play their first preseason game on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals. It will be a valuable opportunity for rookies, veterans, and draftees to assess where they stand. However, with only one week left of training camp, we’ve learned a lot about the 2025 Chiefs.
The first exhibition game for the Kansas City Chiefs should settle a few remaining questions from training camp. Now that players can hit opponents for the first time this season, we can officially say football is back.
It’s tough to judge what we see during training camp. Most plays are scripted, although some natural play happens. It’s still not the same as live game action. For the Chiefs, Saturday’s game serves as a test for some of their key rookies.
Still, despite their results, some players have opened their teammates’ eyes. So, will those players make an impact Saturday?
Left Tackle Josh Simmons might only see two or three series on Saturday. However, he’s been the talk of camp and frequently mentioned on this blog. What we do know is that he’s healthy, and now he gets his first taste of NFL competition. So far, he hasn’t shown anything to suggest his debut will be successful.
With injuries to Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown, the wide receiver room has turned into an excellent opportunity for Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals, Jason Brownlee, and Tyquan Thornton to showcase their talents. Before Rice’s groin injury, he was practicing at a high level. Thornton, the former Patriots second-round pick, has been impressive since OTAs, and now he’ll get plenty of reps on Saturday to compete for a spot on the final roster.
Both rookie defenders, Ashton Gillotte and Omar Norman-Lott, have been impressive. The Chiefs need more pressure to collapse the pocket, and Norman-Lott has done well going up against Chiefs center Creed Humphries. As for Gillotte, he’s battled Simmons all camp, and that will bode well for his rise to increased playing time.
The Chiefs’ running back group is both deep and skilled. Isiah Pacheco seems to have returned to his rookie form, and next to him is fellow seventh-round pick, Brashard Smith. They could potentially be the leading backs this season in yards from scrimmage.
At the linebacker position, I am interested to see both Jeffrey Bassa and Brandon George. Although George went undrafted, there are high hopes for Bassa, who has demonstrated his speed and coverage skills in camp. He’s almost guaranteed to make the roster, but George will need to outplay Jack Cochrane for a spot on the 53-man roster.
In the second string, Kristian Fulton returned to practice but won’t play Saturday, if at all, during the preseason. That means rookie Nohl Williams will get an extensive look. Veteran cornerback Nazeeh Johnson is healthy and could be a starter this season, but Fulton isn’t healthy enough to start the regular season.
The starters are expected to play a game or two, so the backups will get significant work on Saturday. Still, there are at least five or six open roster spots, so every snap matters this weekend for those players and veterans on the bubble.
