Chiefs Unveil Inactives for Primetime Showdown

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It’s official.

The Chiefs will square off against the NFL’s No. 1 defense missing three-fifths of their Week 1 starting offensive line. Kansas City announced Trey Smith (ankle) and Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) as inactive for Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan). The team placed left tackle Josh Simmons (wrist) on injured reserve Wednesday.

Wanya Morris is expected to replace either Simmons or Taylor and make his first start since the 2024 regular-season finale. Head coach Andy Reid said Friday the team spent the week of practice interchanging Morris at left and right tackle.

At the other tackle, the Chiefs will start Jaylon Moore. The unrestricted free agent joined the Chiefs seven weeks before they drafted Simmons. He replaced the rookie over a four-game stretch in October while Simmons tended to personal family issues away from the team.

On special teams, a significant inactive for Kansas City is return specialist Nikko Remigio, who sustained a concussion during practice. While Tyquan Thornton and Brashard Smith can handle the kickoff returns, the Chiefs don’t have an obvious backup punt returner. Remigio has returned every Chiefs punt, including postseason, since Dec. 8 last year.

brashard smit — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith (24) runs against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Rookie Jalen Royals was thought to potentially be active in order to return punts, but the wide receiver won’t dress on Sunday.

Another interesting inactive is veteran Kristian Fulton, again a healthy scratch. The Chiefs on Saturday placed defensive back Chris Roland-Wallace (back) on injured reserve, and because Fulton had recent experience against Nico Collins and the Texans (in the 2024 playoffs with the Chargers), some thought he might be up.

Also on Sunday night, all four tight ends will be active for Kansas City – a first for the Chiefs this season. Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Robert Tonyan and Jared Wiley could present unscouted looks the Texans haven’t seen from the Chiefs on film.

Finally, rookie Esa Pole will make his NFL debut. One of the more fascinating stories on the Chiefs’ roster, Pole (pronounced POH-lay) didn’t play football until college.

Texans update

Keep an eye on cornerback Kamari Lassiter. Listed as questionable for the game, Lassiter is active with a foot injury. He didn’t practice most of the week and could be a rare weak link in the Houston secondary.

The team also this week placed two defensive starters on injured reserve, defensive tackle Tim Settle and safety Jaylen Reed.

Here are the full inactive lists for both teams.

Kansas City Chiefs

RB Elijah Mitchell

WR Jalen Royals

G Trey Smtih

T Jawaan Taylor

CB Kristian Fulton

WR Nikko Remigio

Houston Texans

WR Braxton Berrios

QB Graham Mertz

CB Alijah Huzzie

CB Ja’Marcus Ingram

DE Solomon Byrd

LB Jamal Hill

T Jarrett Kingston

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