Chiefs Stock Report: Three Players Rising and Falling After Week 2

In a game that saw them score 33 points but give up 30, the Kansas City Chiefs flashed plenty of good and bad to go around.

That applies to both sides of the ball, too. Head coach Andy Reid and coordinator Eric Bieniemy's offense got the job done and had one of its better performances in recent memory, although an individual player or two failed to live up to the hype. Elsewhere, Steve Spagnuolo's defense fell flat on its face after absolutely dominating in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.

Let's parse through the highs and lows of Kansas City's Sunday Night Football overtime triumph over the Indianapolis Colts and single out three players whose stock is trending up, as well as three who need to bounce back in Week 3.

Chiefs Stock Up After Week 2

The following players found a way to improve over their prior-week performances and are on the up and up heading into a new week of play.

Patrick Mahomes

Despite providing a couple of vintage "Mahomes Magic" moments in the regular-season opener versus Denver, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was critical of how he fared. He made up for his self-perceived shortcomings in a major way against Indianapolis, providing the Chiefs with one of the top performances of his illustrious career.

Mahomes went 32-of-47 passing for a staggering 382 yards and three touchdowns, also taking just two sacks and looking far more comfortable inside the pocket. He delivered a multitude of high-difficulty throws in the process, looking every bit of the two-time MVP he is. It'll be hard to match that level of output on a week-to-week basis, but it's impossible to not be impressed.

Jalen Royals

After a major letdown of a rookie season that was essentially a redshirt campaign, former fourth-round pick Jalen Royals got off to a bumpy start to training camp. He upped the bar as the summer circuit went on, though, only to be rewarded with zero offensive snaps in Week 1. That number spiked to 12 when the Colts came rolling into town, and the Utah State product made the most of it.

Royals converted on both of his targets, turning them into just six yards but scoring the first touchdown of his professional career. He also managed a couple of tackles on special teams. If you're looking for any other reason to praise his showing, Reid had some positive things to say following Sunday's victory in overtime.

“Yeah, he got a haircut, so we decided to give him the ball," Reid said. "No, listen, he's a great kid, never says a word. I mean, the kid is quiet as anybody I've been around, and just plays hard, and you got to see some production. You saw it in the preseason, and now you get to see it during the season. It was great for him.”

Tyquan Thornton

Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton made a name for himself last year when he burst onto the scene and made a series of high-variance catches in impact moments. That led many to believe he could replicate that statistical production in a scaled-up role, but it also forced others (including this writer) to hit the pause button a little bit.

Week 1 saw Thornton go silent versus a tough Denver secondary, but he feasted with two extremely impressive snags this past Sunday.

Thornton's first big-time grab was on a 45-yard heave from Mahomes on a third-and-11 during the third quarter. For his next trick, he hauled in a third-and-12 overtime pass for a gain of 30 and held on to the ball despite taking a huge hit from defensive back Hunter Wohler. It's becoming increasingly clear that even if Thornton doesn't star in the box score every week, he's only one chance away from showing why he's a top-three receiver on the depth chart.

Chiefs Stock Down After Week 2

These players are far from doomed, although they'd certainly benefit from better days at the office in the next game or two.

L'Jarius Sneed

The arc of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed has taken numerous turns since he re-signed with the club during the offseason. At one point, the slot job seemed to be etched in stone for Kader Kohou, but then Sneed straight-up took it from him as the summer went on. Sneed then capitalized with a lockdown performance in Week 1 before the pendelum swung all the way in the other direction in Week 2.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sneed was targeted 13 times in coverage and surrendered 10 receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis. Other sites don't depict him being quite that bad, but there's no denying that he struggled to bottle up receiver Josh Downs and Laquon Treadwell on multiple occasions.

This was a massive week to forget for the 29-year-old, bringing his true value into question moving forward.

Xavier Worthy

For as high as receivers like Royals and Thornton should be soaring after another week of play, the outlook on Xavier Worthy might be equally as bleak. (Yes, even with him scoring a touchdown.)

The third-year man came into the season with some buzz after he and Kansas City admitted that a 2025 shoulder injury limited a lot of what was asked of him in the offense. That turned out to be true, as the Chiefs have moved him around the formation and are giving him WR1 volume and snaps to match. The problem is Worthy hasn't produced in those opportunities:

Xavier Worthy has a legitimate argument for the worst receiving profile of any WR with meaningful volume through 2 games:

Among 47 WRs with 10+ targets:
• 46th in yards
• 46th in Y/rec
• DEAD LAST in Y/RR
• 20% drop rate
• 0-for-2 contested
• 9th-lowest passer rating when…
— Tyler (@theDFSturtle) September 21, 2026

Something isn't clicking here. Worthy's speed doesn't look nearly as lethal as it did in college (or, heck, his rookie season in KC), his contact balance is poor and he still doesn't have great spatial awareness. Is breaking down his role the best way to build him back up? That's something to keep an eye on.

R Mason Thomas

On the proverbial panic meter among these three players, rookie defensive end R Mason Thomas finds himself much closer to a zero than a 10. The second-round pick simply didn't look quite as flashy as a pass rusher in Week 2, although he did get in Colts quarterback Daniel Jones' face and force a hurried, inaccurate late-game throw that was pivotal.

The main bugaboo for Thomas was in run support. He got washed out of halfback Jonathan Taylor's 24-yard touchdown scamper and didn't hold up well against the Indianapolis offensive line. The good news is that Taylor is one of the best in the game, as is the front five paving the way for him. Easier matchups are ahead for the Oklahoma product; no real need to worry here.

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