Chiefs-Cardinals Preseason Week 1: 10 winners and 3 losers

In Saturday night’s 20-17 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Kansas City Chiefs came out cooking in all three phases of the game. They forced turnovers, scored touchdowns and made plays on returns. The key starters (including quarterback Patrick Mahomes) got in, executed and got out. The vibes were good. It looked like once again, the Chiefs were focused and having fun.

Unfortunately, just before halftime, we saw why it’s so important to get out of preseason games healthy. After Jaylen Watson was pulled from the field due to a concussion, safety (and special teams contributor) Deon Bush went down with a non-contact Achilles injury, leaving on a cart.

Otherwise, it wasn’t a bad night for the Chiefs. Plenty of players got a chance to make a good first impression.

Here are some who impressed — and a few who didn’t— in Kansas City’s preseason opener.

Wide receiver Jason Brownlee: We’ve been hearing about the former Jets wideout in training camp — and he wasted no time getting involved, recording a spectacular diving back-shoulder catch for the opening score. Another target in the second quarter was nearly (and probably) completed, but the call wasn’t overturned on review.

Cornerback Nohl Williams: The rookie had an active first half, making some physical tackles and defending a pass in the end zone. Even though he’s best known for snagging interceptions, he looks the part of a Chiefs corner: shedding blocks and hitting people.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew: What more could you want to see from a backup quarterback in Kansas City? He’s got the personality and the mobility to fit into Patrick Mahomes’ offense — and was able to lead a touchdown drive. But the most impressive thing might have been the way Minshew stood in the face of pressure to deliver passes.

Safety Jaden Hicks: Getting that first interception of the season out of the way had to feel good, but Hicks also delivered some big hits against the run. It was a solid performance for one of the secondary’s new leaders.

Wide receiver Jalen Royals: Royals has been billed as a Rashee Rice-style receiver. On Saturday, he showed why this is so. The rookie had back-to-back catches, showcasing strong hands in traffic and the ability to move the chains on underneath routes and screen plays. He was also active on special teams, with a solid kickoff return and playing as a gunner on punts.

Cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace: In the opening game, this second-year player was a turnover machine. He recovered a fumble during the opening kickoff, giving Mahomes a very short field for his only drive. Then he got a second-half interception to cap off a strong day for the physical slot corner.

Kicker Harrison Butker: His 58-yard kick to tie the game might have been good from 65. But we shouldn’t overlook that the placement and spin of the opening kickoff created the opportunity for the coverage unit to create chaos and get a turnover. Butker already looks like he’s in mid-season form.

Defensive end Janarius Robinson: In a crowded position group, this former Las Vegas Raiders player needs to make plays to get noticed. That’s just what he did in the third quarter, swatting away a block before chasing down the quarterback for a clean sack.

Tight end Robert Tonyan: Another veteran trying to win a roster spot, Tonyan seems to have taken the lead in the race to be the third tight end. On catches of 20 ,19 and 10 yards, Tonyan looked the part in head coach Andy Reid’s tight-end-friendly offense — much to the delight of Travis Kelce.

Cornerback Joshua Williams: With so many defensive backs on this winners list, Williams obviously faces some competition to make the 2025 roster. But he responded well in this game, making a couple of drive-killing plays — including a tackle for loss. Even if it was in the second half of the first preseason game, it was good to see Williams making his presence known.

The second-team offensive line: It wasn’t easy to see who was specifically responsible, but the second offensive line gave up too much pressure — and also took some penalties. The Chiefs need to prove they have the offensive line depth to make it through what is usually a 20-game season. That means Wayna Morris, Hunter Nourzad, Jaylon Moore, Mike Caliendo and others need to show something more in the preseason.

Quarterback Bailey Zappe: The former New England Patriots player looks scrappy and has a live arm, but his mistakes were too big to ignore. His two interceptions were the Chiefs’ only turnovers — and took points off the board. You can’t fault him for trying to make a play — after all, he is auditioning for 32 NFL rosters — but he didn’t do himself any favors on Saturday night.

Running back Brashard Smith: While the seventh-round rookie’s speed and potential are obvious, success didn’t come easy in Arizona. The team clearly wanted to get a good look at what Smith can do, calling his number five times in the second half. But after his one catch lost six yards, those touches netted just four yards.

Note: Applying the labels “winners” and “losers is not intended to be a judgment on the talent or character of any of these players. It’s just a simple way to grade their performance in a single game. No disrespect should be inferred.