Five Storylines to Watch in Chiefs Preseason Week 3 Against the Seattle Seahawks

The Kansas City Chiefs host the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Friday night in the final preseason game of the 2026 season, and the timing could not cut it any closer.

All NFL rosters must be trimmed from 90 to 53 less than 48 hours before the final whistle, which means every snap on Friday night carries consequences for a few camp hopefuls.

Patrick Mahomes will again sit, as will Josh Simmons (back), Ashton Gillotte (foot), Chamarri Conner (knee), and presumably Kenneth Walker (foot). Wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice likely won’t either, as neither has played this preseason.

Seattle is in a similar situation, keeping most of their key starters off the field. What we will get is a game that tells us about the select few still battling for those final spots and those hoping to inch up the depth chart.

For a handful of Chiefs, Friday night is their last chance to make a case. Here are the five storylines worth watching most closely.

Nussmeier vs. Milroe

As it turns out, this will not be the first time quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier and Jalen Milroe have shared a field. The two faced off on November 9, 2024, when No. 11 Alabama defeated No. 15 LSU 42-13.

Milroe ran wild that night, taking 12 carries for 185 yards and four touchdowns, while Nussmeier threw for 239 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The result went the other way that day for the Chiefs' seventh-rounder.

With Justin Fields sitting this one out, it is safe to assume Fields has the backup quarterback spot locked up and Nussmeier has a 53-man roster spot secured after two strong preseason showings. But another strong night would not hurt his case to either compete for the backup role later this season or ensure that it is his job to lose next season.

Both Andy Reid and Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald have indicated that their respective quarterbacks are likely to start from the outset, which means Nussmeier will get a full game. Snapping an eight-game preseason losing streak with a strong offensive output from the former LSU signal-caller would be a fun way to close out exhibition season.

The Young Offensive Skill Players Have One More Audition

Defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, R Mason Thomas, and Hicks have already made their cases over the past two weeks. There is nothing to prove there, other than showing it when it counts. This storyline is about the offensive players who have done the same and have one more chance to build on it.

The names to watch are running back Emmett Johnson, wide receivers Cyrus Allen and Jalen Royals, and tight ends Jake Briningstool and Jared Wiley.

Johnson and Allen have roster spots locked up, but efficiency playing alongside backups is what you want to see from both of them. For Allen, the goal is to continue showing his ability to win at all three levels of the field. For Royals, carrying over the yards-after-the-catch ability he showed last week in Tampa is the priority after going a full season largely quiet.

The tight end piece of this storyline carries the most weight. Whether the Chiefs keep three or four tight ends depends on how the rest of the roster shakes out. If they push toward six or seven wide receivers, or go heavy on the offensive line, four tight ends may simply not fit.

Briningstool has outperformed Wiley in back-to-back games. Friday night should go a long way toward settling this one. Finding ways to punch the ball into the end zone will be key for this group as a whole.

Three Defensive Players Looking to Make a Statement

Defensive tackle Peter Woods, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, and safety Xavier Nwankpa have all garnered positive storylines throughout training camp, but have not yet delivered a defining moment in game action. Friday night is their best opportunity to do that.

Woods was one of the most talked-about players in St. Joseph all summer, but his preseason performances have not yet matched the camp hype. Playing three-tech alongside Chris Jones is the role he was drafted for. Jones has shown he has the potential to kick out to the edge on obvious passing downs, so there is a natural deployment that could showcase Woods' pass-rush ability if the coaching staff chooses to use it that way. He needs to show he can be a threat in year one rather than a developmental piece.

Bassa earned praise from the Chiefs brass when they selected him in the fifth round a year ago, and the organization made a statement this summer by letting Leo Chenal walk in free agency. The question is whether Spagnuolo trusts him enough to give him defensive snaps in the regular season, or whether he becomes a special-teams ace. Limiting the mental mistakes, particularly biting on play-action, that have gotten him out of position this preseason would go a long way toward answering that question.

Nwankpa is playing with house money after going undrafted despite earning All-Big Ten honors last fall. Drawing the start last week with Gilman and Conner both out showed the coaching staff sees something in him. A strong finish to the preseason could shift his status from fringe roster candidate to a legitimate 53-man lock.

The Right Tackle Competition Gets One More Look

Last week, rookie UDFA Kahlil Benson drew the start at right tackle while Jaylon Moore shifted to left tackle in place of Simmons. It will be worth watching whether Reid flips that deployment on Friday.

Benson had a rough go in his first career start at right tackle, grading out as the worst pass blocker on the field. If Moore has won or is winning this job, getting him as many reps at right tackle as possible before the season opener makes sense, particularly if Trey Smith plays and the two of them can begin developing chemistry along the right side.

The Simmons injury does not appear to be a long-term concern, but getting Benson reps as a swing tackle in the meantime is not a bad use of this game either. Former New York Giants tackle and guard Joshua Ezeudu was brought on this week as depth who can play nearly every position along the line. With added competition, both Moore and Benson need to show competency this week, less than three weeks from facing one of the most vaunted defensive lines in football in the Denver Broncos.

Can Anyone Take the Return Job From Nikko Remigio?

This is quietly one of the more interesting roster battles of the final preseason game. Nikko Remigio has proven himself to be one of Dave Toub's most trusted special teamers, and Toub seemingly tends to pound the table for his guys when it comes to roster decisions.

The problem is that Remigio provides virtually no value to the offense, which creates a roster crunch. If someone else can handle the return duties, it frees up a roster spot for a player who contributes on both sides of the ball. It is not as if Remigio is an all-pro punter, either.

The leading candidate to make that happen is Brashard Smith, who averaged 26.7 yards per kick return and 11.3 per punt return last season and has the athleticism to be a genuine threat in the return game. Emari Demercado and Cyrus Allen are also possibilities.

Remigio is not easy to dislodge, but if someone makes it impossible to ignore them, the door is open. Dave Toub said as much this week.

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