How Much Will the Chiefs' Starters Play vs. the Cardinals?
Heading into Week 1 of the preseason, Andy Reid told everyone that the Kansas City Chiefs' starters would end up playing the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers. That couldn't have been further from the truth, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes was pulled after one series. As Week 2 approaches, a different timeline has been given.
On Friday night, the Chiefs will play the Arizona Cardinals in their second preseason game of the year. It remains to be seen how teams will handle not having a fourth contest on the schedule but nevertheless, things could be different than in years past. Conner Christopherson of Arrowhead Report joined me on today's Roughing the Kicker podcast to talk about not only roster cuts, but also how long the starting lineup could play in this game. Reid gave his own indication on Wednesday.
"Like I mentioned yesterday, we'll go a half, somewhere there about, with the starters and then the twos and threes will take the second half, which is the third and fourth quarter," Reid said. "We'll just split it up there."
If I were a betting man, I'd take the under on one half played by the Chiefs' starters. It's entirely possible that the new-look offensive line gets a decent amount of reps but even then, more than a few drives simply doesn't seem like something Reid would do. Mahomes is the NFL's most prized possession, so it's almost a sure thing that he doesn't spend the entire first half on the field. Many teams are refraining from playing their star quarterbacks at all.
As with most preseason games, how the second- and third-string players perform is probably the biggest storyline. Most of the starters have their roles locked up at this point, aside from position battles that manage to stand out. Along the fringes of the roster, though, there's a lot left to be decided. On Tuesday, the Chiefs will have to cut their overall total from 85 players to 80. That isn't the 80-to-53 cut that sends many players packing, but it's still significant.
Because of that, it would be very surprising if the entire Chiefs starting 22 on both offense and defense plays anywhere close to a half of football. Weirder things have happened but considering Reid's recent history and how much is on the line, it doesn't make a great deal of sense. Only time will tell just how long players like Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and Tyrann Mathieu last against the Cardinals.
Read More: Frank Clark’s Hamstring Injury Opens Door for Rest of Chiefs’ Defensive Ends
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