NFL
By Bill Carroll
Can the Chiefs win it all again? Absolutely. If you were at all wondering, the Chiefs are still contenders. Mahomes is still magic, Reid is probably scheming plays on Waffle House menus, but the path has gotten tougher, the margin for error is thinner, and the mystique has worn off. The Chargers are likely to improve, the Bills are hot on their heels, the Ravens are rising. Fangio is lurking. And the Chiefs are running out of ways to survive on Mahomes magic alone.
Kansas City’s rookie mini-camp wrapped with 87 players, draft picks, un-drafted hopefuls, and more than a few guys angling for a spot in the backing group for Mahomes’ Sonny Rollinsesque improvisations. No pads, no real contact, but enough 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 to separate the future stalwarts from the future practice squad MVPs.
OTAs [Organized Team Activities] Travis Michael Kelce missed OTAs due to another commitment—he spent the weekend at Kansas City’s Big Slick Celebrity Weekend, joining his brother Jason, teammate Patrick Mahomes, and a lineup of Hollywood stars.
When Patrick Lavon Mahomes II was asked about the veteran tight end, who is heading into his 13th season, he responded:
“If it’s the last ride, you would never know,” Mahomes said of the 35-year-old Kelce. “The way he’s talking about football, the way he’s talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year. He doesn’t seem like a guy that, it’s his last ride or he’s tired of the job. He’s in here, he’s working. I know his body feels good. I think it feels better than even last year before going into last season.
“I think he’s motivated to go out there and have an even better year.”
Other than that, the
The Draft, Un-Drafted Rookies and Free Agents, Oh My!
Kansas City has a few places on both sides of the ball that may provide opportunities for younger players to seize time from established veterans. This is particular;y true of the running back, offensive line and receiver groups on offense and the defensive secondary.
The Draft: More Than Just Window Dressing and Plugging Holes?
The Chiefs didn’t grab headlines in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they may have quietly patched some of their biggest leaks. No splashy trades, no leapfrogging into the top 10, instead targeted moves to protect Mahomes, add speed, and reinforce the trenches.
🛡️ Round 1, Pick 31: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
A potential Week 1 starter at left tackle, if the medicals check out. High-upside pick who could solidify the blindside for years… or end up on IR before Halloween.
💥 Round 2, Pick 63: Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Raw but explosive. Not a plug-and-play starter, but if the Chiefs can coach him up, he could be the perfect complement to Chris Jones.
🔥 Round 3, Pick 66: Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville
Chiefs EDGE prototype: high motor, good bend, and just enough twitch to give OTs problems. Not flashy, but could push for snaps early.
🛡️ Round 3, Pick 95: Nohl Williams, CB, Cal
Depth pick with scheme fit written all over him. Physical, instinctive, and the kind of guy Steve Spagnuolo turns into a contributor by mid-season.
⚡ Round 4, Pick 133: Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
One word: electric. Great hands, sharp routes, and could crack the rotation if the Skyy Moore experiment ends early (again).
📈 Round 5, Pick 152: Jeffrey Bassa, LB, Oregon
Fast, versatile, and a clean fit behind Bolton and Tranquill. Won’t start, but adds real value on special teams and nickel packages.
🚀 Round 5, Pick 164: Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
A speed back with burst and wiggle. Could carve out a niche role, especially if Kareem Hunt ages out mid-season.
✅ Big Mini-Camp Winners
Three tryout players left with contracts in hand:
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Jimmy Holiday (WR): A 4.40 burner out of Louisiana Tech, Holiday adds juice to an already fast (and crowded) receiver room.
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Major Williams (S): A play-maker from Carson-Newman who stuffed box scores and made his case as this year’s “who?” turned “why not?”
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Cooper McDonald (LB): Flashed enough downhill pop and awareness to earn a deal and push for rotational snaps.
All three play positions of need, and all three have beaten the odds, for now.
❌ Big Mini-Camp Loser: Skyy Moore
While others are clawing their way up the roster, Skyy Moore is sliding down it. The former 2nd-round pick has been leapfrogged by just about everyone with working hamstrings. Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown headline the sprint relays. Reclamation project and former Patriot, Tyquan Thornton‘s official 40-yard dash time at the 2022 NFL Combine was 4.28 seconds. He was first given an unofficial time of 4.21, which would have been a record, but the official time was adjusted. JuJu Smith-Schuster is back to play adult in the room, Jalen Royals looks ready for more snaps already, and Rashee Rice, once he is 100% that means Mahomes’ favorite, ‘must have it’ target is number one again.
Moore has thus far tallied, in three NFL seasons. 43 catches and one TD. He’s healthy again, but healthy doesn’t mean he will grow his place in the offense or even maintain his spot. He will need to be a true special-teams asset and/or reclaim the WR3/4 role to stay. He’s owed $2.05M in the final year of his rookie deal. The Chiefs would save $1.58M by cutting him. I will not be shocked if they make that move.
🔍 Big Picture: Can the Chiefs Survive the AFC Gauntlet?
Let’s be clear: the Chiefs are still contenders. Mahomes is still Mahomes, Reid is still scheming plays on Waffle House menus, and the defense, anchored by Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie, is much more than serviceable. However, there are some area where the Chiefs most improve. Their RBs had 5.8% of their designed yardage produced on 15+ yard carries. Third-lowest by any team since 2006.
But the rest of the conference got smarter. Baltimore is a worthy adversary; they’re fast, physical, and led by an evolved and improved Lamar Jackson who’s no longer limited in the pocket.
🛡️ How to Beat the Ravens (If You Can)
Defensive coordinator Stephen Christopher Spagnuolo will need to be less blitz-happy and more disciplined:
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Simulated pressure, not full-tilt blitzes.
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Match zones with robber rotations to confuse Lamar’s reads.
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A green-dog linebacker spy to bottle up the scramble lanes.
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Five-man fronts to slow down options looks and force decisions.
In short, stay patient with your running game and play like you know Lamar can pick you to pieces throwing, because he can.
🧠 And If They Get to the Super Bowl? Say Hello to Vic Fangio
If the Chiefs get through the AFC meat grinder, waiting on the other side might be Vic Fangio’s Cover 6 fortress in Philadelphia. Fangio rarely blitzes. He doesn’t over-commit. He dares you to make boring decisions, and most quarterbacks crack.
But Mahomes isn’t most QBs.
To crack the Eagles’ Cover 6, KC needs:
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Deep posts from the slot to stretch quarters’ safeties.
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Smash and corner/flat combos and run, run run! to beat the boundary cover-2 shell.
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Pre-snap motion to trigger rotations and force misalignment.
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Under-center play action and RPOs to manipulate underneath defenders.
Reid has the schematics. Mahomes has the vision. What they need is execution and discipline, two things that are occasionally elusive for Kansas City when the stakes rise.
🏆 The Verdict
Can the Chiefs win it all again? Absolutely. But now the path is rougher, the margin for error is thinner, and the mystique has worn off. The Ravens are rising. Fangio is lurking. And the Chiefs are running out of ways to survive on Mahomes magic alone. This isn’t about staying kings of the AFC. It’s about proving they’re still built for war.
