Chiefs training camp: 9 questions that will follow the Chiefs out of St. Joseph
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Thursday marks the final day of Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western State University, but don’t mistake the end of camp for the end of the competition.
There’s still a right tackle job to win, a linebacker spot to claim, a young secondary to sort out and perhaps another roster move to make.
Then there’s the small matter of deciding whether anyone should be allowed within 10 feet of Patrick Mahomes during a preseason game.
Two games remain before attention turns completely toward the regular-season opener against Denver.
Here are nine questions the Chiefs are taking with them when they leave St. Joseph.
1. Who wins the Chiefs’ right tackle job?
This remains the position battle of camp. Jaylon Moore arrived as the expected starter. He’s the veteran, and head coach Andy Reid has repeatedly talked about the good work he’s put together.
Then former Indiana Hoosier Kahlil Benson made things complicated. Benson’s rise from undrafted free agent to a possible starter has been one of the better stories of camp.
Offensive line coach Andy Heck said the Chiefs noticed his “dominant physical traits” almost immediately at rookie minicamp.
The Chiefs have also moved both players around, giving them work at guard as well as tackle. That’s valuable because offensive line depth has a funny way of becoming extremely important by November.
At some point, though, “good problem to have” becomes “OK, but seriously, who’s starting?”
With everything Kansas City wants to accomplish offensively, figuring out who protects that edge remains the biggest question coming out of camp.
2. Can the Chiefs get a ‘new-assistant coaching’ boost?
A new head coach can come in and turn things around immediately.
Mike Vrabel took New England to the Super Bowl in his first season as head coach in 2025. Jim Harbaugh took over a mess with the Chargers and immediately turned them into a playoff team in back to back seasons. Seattle head coach Mike MacDonald last February led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in just his second season.
The Chiefs won’t have a new head coach, but will have a few different voices around him.
Eric Bieniemy is back as offensive coordinator, bringing plenty of familiarity. He also brings a decibel level Chiefs players certainly remember with him. Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator during the peak seasons of the dynasty, helping the team win two Super Bowls.
Chad O’Shea brings 24 years of NFL coaching experience to the receivers. His résumé includes three Super Bowl victories, 12 division titles and five conference championships.
DeMarco Murray is at the other end of the spectrum. The former NFL running back is coaching in the league for the first time after working in college.
New coaches don’t automatically fix an offense, but sometimes a new voice, a different teaching style or even a little extra edge can shake a group out of its comfort zone.
After 2025, that might not be a bad thing.
3. Will the Chiefs make a move at wide receiver?
Assistant GM Mike Bradway gave us something to ponder on Wednesday when he said the Chiefs are “open for business, open for anything.”
Wide receiver is an obvious place to look.
Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton appear to lead the room, but the depth chart gets young and unproven quickly after them.
One name floating around the NFL rumor mill is Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr., and the Chiefs have been mentioned in speculative trade proposals. Jacksonville, in reports, has provided the relatively important detail that it doesn’t appear interested in trading him.
So don’t start photoshopping him into a Chiefs uniform yet.
The broader question is legitimate, though.
Bradway said Kansas City will have a clearer picture of who’s available and what players cost after the preseason. The Chiefs also expect to create additional salary-cap flexibility.
4. Who becomes the third linebacker?
Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill will be your top two linebackers entering the 2026 season.
The third spot is considerably more interesting.
Jeffrey Bassa made a compelling case during his second training camp. He spent his rookie season learning Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and says a full offseason has allowed him to play faster and communicate with more confidence.
Bassa has also added a little weight while trying to maintain his speed, an important balance for a player who could be asked to help replace what Leo Chenal provided. The third linebacker isn’t necessarily going to play every snap. But somebody has to emerge.
Bassa has two preseason games left to make the job his.
5. Who emerges as Kenneth Walker’s primary backup?
It’s crystal clear that Kenneth Walker, coming off a Super Bowl MVP and a free agent contract with the Chiefs, is the clear No. 1.
After that, things get fun.
Rookie Emmett Johnson ran for 59 yards on 12 carries against the Rams and showed the physicality Murray wanted to see. Brashard Smith is the lone holdover from last year’s running back room. He’s added muscle, can contribute as a receiver and returner and already has a year in the system.
Johnson is a promising rookie, but Smith gives it a player who already has a year in the system and can contribute in different ways.
So, another solution: Why not both?
We may end up spending training camp trying to determine whether Johnson or Smith is the No. 2 running back, which feels like exactly the kind of August debate that ends with both of them getting eight touches in a game in October.
Either way, this running back room looks very different than it did a year ago.
6. How quickly can cornerback Mansoor Delane become a major piece?
First round draft pick Mansoor Delane lost valuable training camp time to injury.
The rookie is back at full participation, and defensive backs coach Dave Merritt said this week the Chiefs are beginning to see the “sticky coverage” they saw on his LSU tape.
They need it.
Kansas City’s secondary is undergoing a major makeover after losing Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook. Alohi Gilman is new, and Jaden Hicks is taking on more responsibility.
Communication and chemistry will likely remain a work in progress even as the regular season begins next month. Delane doesn’t need to become an instant star, but in a secondary replacing three starters, “reliable immediately” would be a pretty nice start.
7. Which young receiver forces his way onto the field?
Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen both have had moments in the preseason and training camp.
Allen was Kansas City’s most-targeted wide receiver against the Rams and made an athletic third-down catch.
Royals’ selling point according to coaches is versatility. O’Shea said the Chiefs can move him around because he’s capable of handling multiple receiver positions mentally.
Rice, Worthy and Thornton are ahead of them on the depth chart.
If the Chiefs don’t trade for another receiver, there’s an opportunity sitting there. Allen or Royals just has to take it.
8. Can the young defensive line grow up quickly?
Defensive tackle Chris Jones is still the leader of the group and defensive end George Karlaftis is looking for a healthier season.
The intrigue is everywhere else.
Free agent acquisition Khyiris Tonga adds experience inside, coming off a season that saw him play in the Super Bowl for the Patriots. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, a member of Kansas City’s Super Bowl LIV team, is back.
Rookies Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas have shown enough to get the coaching staff’s attention. Woods brings power and athleticism; Thomas had some moments as a pass rusher against the Rams.
Don’t forget Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen says FAU is healthier, more physical and more explosive after offseason surgery.
Maybe Woods becomes an immediate contributor, Thomas provides some pass rush and Felix finally breaks through? Maybe Ogbah turns back the clock and Karlaftis stays healthy? Pick three and the Chiefs probably feel terrific.
The concern is what happens if we’re standing here in November saying, “Well, Chris Jones is still really good.”
9. Should Patrick Mahomes get a preseason tune-up?
Here’s the question guaranteed to start an argument.
If Patrick Mahomes is healthy and medically cleared, should Andy Reid give him one or two series before the preseason ends? The argument against it takes about three seconds.
Why risk it?
Mahomes is coming back from a torn ACL. Nobody cares whether he completes four passes against Tampa Bay or Seattle if there’s even a small chance of jeopardizing his regular season.
Counterargument: Kansas City opens the season against Denver on Monday Night Football. That’s a divisional opponent with a Super Bowl caliber defense, not exactly a gentle reintroduction to live NFL action.
A game brings a pass rush, real timing and the possibility of taking a hit.
If Mahomes isn’t ready, don’t even discuss it.
If he’s fully healthy? Maybe it’s worth a conversation.
Training camp can answer only so much.
The Chiefs will leave St. Joseph knowing more about Benson, Bassa, Delane, Woods and the rest of a young roster, but two preseason games remain to turn evaluations into decisions.