Updated Chiefs Depth Chart After Roster Cuts: Who's Starting in Week 1?

As the month of September begins, the Kansas City Chiefs are quickly closing in on their regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos. Head coach Andy Reid's team now has both training camp and a three-game preseason slate in the books, which gave decision-makers ample chances to look at the roster.

In just the few days since its 53-man roster was set, Kansas City has already made a multitude of moves on the fringes via two waiver claims and over a dozen practice squad additions. Things could look different between now and September 14, but the dust seems to have settled for now.

The depth chart has shaken out a bit differently than it appeared entering camp, so let's take an updated look at where the Chiefs' players stack up.

Post-Roster Cutdown Chiefs Depth Chart

This pre-Week 1 Chiefs depth chart projection is broken up by position and includes three groups per spot: starters, primary backups and depth pieces. Practice squad and injured reserve players aren't included but could be mentioned below some of the lists.

Quarterback

Starter: Patrick Mahomes
Primary Backup: Justin Fields
Depth: Garrett Nussmeier

No surprises here. Nussmeier enjoyed a surprisingly solid preseason, thus earning him a spot on the initial 53, and Mahomes' ongoing recovery from knee surgery added validity to the club carrying a third signal-caller. Fields should be the backup for now, though, which is likely the correct call.

Running back

Starter: Kenneth Walker
Primary Backup: Emmett Johnson
Depth: Brashard Smith

The biggest shock of cutdown day was the Chiefs deciding to part ways with veteran halfback Emari Demercado. That signaled that rookie Emmett Johnson was set to become RB2 in Kansas City despite questions about his pass protection. Reid, on the other hand, doesn't seem one bit worried about the Nebraska product's ability to keep Mahomes clean.

Wide receiver

Starters: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton
Primary Backups: Cyrus Allen, Jalen Royals
Depth: Nikko Remigio

Andrew Armstrong was a nice story throughout the offseason but will have to settle for the practice squad for the time being. There's a ton of pressure on the Rice-Worthy-Thornton trio to live up to expectations in 2026-27, especially with Allen's hype dying down and the jury still being out on Royals. Remigio is nothing more than a special teams ace at this point.

Tight end

Starter: Travis Kelce
Primary Backup: Noah Gray
Depth: Jared Wiley, Jake Briningstool

Kelce is back for year No. 14 and believes he can still find ways to improve, although fighting off Father Time again is a tall task. Gray regressed immensely from 2024 to 2025 but has no immediate competition on the depth chart. Wiley carries prospect status into his third season, yet Briningstool is the more intriguing player who managed to sneak onto the initial 53.

Offensive tackle

Starters: Josh Simmons, Jaylon Moore
Primary Backups: Kahlil Benson, Diego Pounds
Depth: Joshua Ezeudu

This is where things could get weird, albeit not until Simmons' back injury lingers for another week or so. Moore has probably won the starting right-side gig over Benson, who joins Pounds as an undrafted rookie free agent on the roster. The acquisition of Ezeudu, another trade pickup around the same time as Pounds, could serve as depth at either left tackle or left guard.

Interior offensive line

Starters: Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith
Primary Backups: Mike Caliendo, Hunter Nourzad
Depth: N/A

This is fairly straightforward. The Chiefs' interior trio could be among the league's best, and both Caliendo and Nourzad are trusted to be backups at their respective positions of guard and center. Look for someone like Ezeudu or Benson to kick inside if need be in the event of multiple injuries. Pete Nygra, whom the coaching staff likes a lot, is on the practice squad.

Interior defensive line

Starters: Chris Jones, Khyiris Tonga
Primary Backups: Peter Woods, Bryson Eason
Depth: N/A

Jones and Tonga should be a nice one-two punch on the interior of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's front. Woods is brimming with upside as a first-round pick and won't be tasked with handling starter-level snaps out of the gate. Marcus Harris was waived and has since re-signed to the practice squad after dazzling against the Seattle Seahawks, with Eason taking his spot fresh off the waiver wire.

Defensive end

Starters: George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte
Primary Backups: R Mason Thomas, Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Depth: Jack Pyburn

This group was already worth worrying about coming into training camp, then Gillotte suffered a ruptured plantar fascia that may not keep him out of the regular-season opener but absolutely could hamper him if he plays. If he isn't as productive as he should be, keep an eye on how much Thomas gets involved. His burst and bend are rare, especially for a Spagnuolo-coached player. Anudike-Uzomah desperately needs a solid year; Pyburn is a wild card as a waiver claim.

Linebacker

Starters: Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Cooper McDonald
Primary Backups: Jeffrey Bassa, Jack Cochrane
Depth: N/A

The Chiefs' linebacker unit is a top-heavy one, placing hefty expectations on Bolton and Tranquil. Who "starts" and plays 40-ish percent of the snaps as the SAM is anyone's guess, and perhaps there's an argument for Bassa, but it seems unlikely that the coaches agree. Cochrane's name has picked up steam in recent weeks, although it may be McDonald's job for now. The Cam Jones reunion (practice squad) is worth noting.

Cornerback

Starters: Mansoor Delane, Nohl Williams, L'Jarius Sneed
Primary Backups: Kristian Fulton, Jadon Canady
Depth: N/A

The second Delane got out of his yellow non-contact jersey at camp, he was back on track to be the top corner for Week 1. Williams was outstanding in a very limited preseason sample, thus holding Fulton off. A big-time twist compared to the last Chiefs On SI projection was Kader Kohou being cut (and coming back to the practice squad) and Sneed seemingly taking his job as the first-string nickel man.

Safety

Starters: Alohi Gilman, Chamarri Conner
Primary Backups: Chris Roland-Wallace, Jaden Hicks
Depth: Xavier Nwankpa

Spagnuolo didn't shut the door on Conner spending some time in the slot, but it does seem unlikely at this juncture for any meaningful stretch. Roland-Wallace, a hybrid safety-corner piece, is a more suitable candidate if necessary. Hicks is entering a make-or-break reset year of sorts. Nwankpa, a UDFA from Iowa, is a sneaky-fun inclusion on the first 53-man roster.

Specialists

Starters: Harrison Butker, Matt Araiza, James Winchester

This has been on everyone's bingo card for months. Unless one of these three players got hurt or unexpectedly retired, the starting group was always cemented.

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