KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There aren’t many true position battles or hotly contested roster battles for the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs.
That’s not a bad thing, but it also relegates preseason to a white-knuckle injury watch.
A few of the fringe players who get cut when the Chiefs pare the roster to 53 players in 10 days — the NFL deadline is 3 p.m. Central on Aug. 27 — may end up on other NFL teams, but most will revert to the practice squad and still factor into the mix in the quest for a three-peat.
But here are a few storylines worth keeping an eye Saturday as Kansas City hosts the reigning NFC runner-up Detroit Lions in the second preseason game:
1. Can the Chiefs avoid injury?
Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he planned to play his starters for a half against the Lions, but how much will key personnel actually play?
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, running back Isiah Pacheco and others probably don’t need the in-game reps to be sharp for the Sept. 5 opener against Baltimore.
But Kansas City would be in trouble if any of those three — or a handful of other players — were lost to a lengthy injury.
After watching wide receiver Hollywood Brown injured on the first offensive snap in Jacksonville last week, nobody would blame Reid if the starters don’t quite make it to halftime.
It'll be interesting to see how first-round pick Xavier Worthy does in what's expected to be more-extensive action.
He, Brown, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson — and Mecole Hardman Jr., in my opinion — are locked into roster spots for the upcoming season, but there's also plenty of competition for a sixth and maybe even seventh receiver spot, depending on how quickly Brown recovers from last week's sternoclavicular joint dislocation.
It will be up to Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Nikki Remigio and Montrell Washington to impress enough to lock down a roster spot with strong performances against Detroit and Chicago in the final two preseason games.
2. Niang’s readiness
Lucas Niang sat out 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but emerged as a starter in 2021.
It’s easy to forget, but Niang, a former third-round pick from TCU, took over at right tackle midway through his first NFL season and started nine games.
A knee injury in Week 17 ended his season and he missed most of 2022 on injured reserve.
By the time he was healthy again, Kansas City had paid Jawaan Taylor handsomely to play right tackle and Niang was relegated to a backup role.
Taylor’s injury, which isn’t expected to be long-term but will keep him out of the Detroit game, provides a chance for Niang to cement his spot on the roster.
Wanya Morris entered camp in a position battle with rookie Kingsley Suamatia for the left-tackle job, but he’s also struggled with injuries.
The Chiefs need someone to establish themselves as a backup swing tackle, so it’s worth watching how Niang holds up against a feisty Lions pass rush.
3. Who’s the No. 2 cornerback?
Trent McDuffie is Kansas City’s clear-cut top corner after L’Jarius Sneed was traded in the offseason, but nobody has locked down the No. 2 spot yet.
Jaylen Watson won’t play as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury and Joshua Williams will be looking to rebound from an uneven performance against the Jaguars.
Nazeeh Johnson, who’s also in the mix to start at corner, missed the preseason opener as he continues to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered in training camp last season.
4. Kick-returner battle
Wide receiver Nikko Remigio remains atop the depth chart at kick returner, but he’s not a lock to make the roster and will need to impress against Detroit and Chicago — and as camp transitions back to the team facility — to make the initial 53-man roster.
Hardman is a known commodity and easily slots in as the second deep man, but Deneric Prince and Louis Rees-Zammit, who are fringe roster hopefuls for a possible fourth running back spot, could bolster their case with impressive showings in the return game.
5. Rotational DL pieces
Chris Jones and Tershawn Wharton are likely to start flanked by George Karlaftis and Mike Danna with Charles Omenihu remaining on the Physically Unable to Perform List to start the season.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Mike Pennel have separated as the top backups in those spots along with productive veterans Derrick Nnadi and Malik Herring, but Neil Farrell Jr., Matt Dickerson and Truman Jones could use some splash plays — even if they’re on special teams in Jones’ case — to merit a roster spot.
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