ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs returned to training camp practice on a sunny Tuesday morning on Missouri Western’s campus, just four days ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Here’s a look at six things we’ve learned about the roster through 12 practices.
1. Simmons is the talk of camp
Make no mistake: The Chiefs are planning to start 2025 first-round pick Josh Simmons at left tackle in the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Simmons, who dropped to 32nd in the draft because of a knee injury last season, was out on the field sooner than expected over the summer and has impressed coaches with his professionalism and work ethic.
There’s also this: The guy is talented. His movement skills and quick pass sets surpass anyone the Chiefs have had at left tackle lately, though the question will be whether some of his technique — like hand placement — stays sound against better competition in the NFL.
Simmons will have to show himself capable when the games start. And he’ll also face a different sort of pressure as left tackle of the Chiefs — a position on a team that will receive laser-focus from media types on nearly every snap.
K.C.’s staff has had a difficult time tamping down optimism with the rookie, though. If he hits as even as an average left tackle this season, the Chiefs can start to dream of the offense getting back to some previous years’ dominance.
2. Another rookie has been great … with a caveat
The Chiefs are thrilled with the progress of second-round rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott — even if you haven’t heard about him making many standout plays in recent camp practices.
There’s a good reason for that. Norman-Lott recently tweaked his ankle during an on-field drill, and since then, he’s been grinding through workouts while getting back to full strength.
That setback hasn’t dampened the Chiefs’ enthusiasm regarding the Tennessee product. Norman-Lott is an explosive athlete inside and is expected to provide some nice pass-rushing juice next to All-Pro teammate Chris Jones. K.C. also wants Norman-Lott to add some good weight so he can potentially increase his snap count; that number will be worth watching after he played just 225 defensive snaps in 13 games as a rotational player for the Volunteers last season.
Norman-Lott’s big personality has shown through as well. He’s somewhat similar to Jones in that he seems to enjoy being the center of attention during news conferences.
The Chiefs certainly believe they’re going to get a lot out of Norman-Lott this year — even if he hasn’t flashed as much over the past few days.
Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, pursued by linebacker Leo Chenal, looks to be back in top form after last year’s season-ending knee injury. (Denny Medley / Imagn Images)
3. Mahomes’ top target is clear
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice, more than likely, is going to face an NFL suspension soon for his role in a 2024 Dallas car-racing crash.
The team still hasn’t limited his reps much in the meantime. And when he’s been out there, Rice has clearly looked like the second-best skill player behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes while getting the largest percentage of receiving targets.
Rice, in other words, has looked great. And it’s particularly encouraging that he doesn’t appear to have lost any burst after suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 of last season.
K.C. might have to wait a few weeks until Rice becomes active. But when he’s in there, he should be the team’s clear WR1 based on what we’ve seen so far.
4. One receiver has all but earned a roster spot
Perhaps no player has increased his stock more in recent months than fourth-year receiver Tyquan Thornton.
A 2022 second-round pick of the Patriots, Thornton joined K.C.’s practice squad late last season but was never activated while learning the playbook.
He’s taken off since.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Thornton started to emerge during summer practices, and he’s only been better since camp started. In Tuesday’s practice, that included a pair of impressive deep catches on passes from Mahomes.
Hard to say what was better- Mahomes’ placement or Thornton’s grab #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/GSGXovgFgs
— Taylor Burr (@TaylorBurr10) August 5, 2025
“There’s a lot of trust building now between him and Pat,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Tuesday.
K.C. loves speed on the outside, and Thornton certainly qualifies after previously running a 4.28-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine. He could also help on special teams, in both the return game and as a potential gunner on the punt unit.
To be clear, Thornton can’t completely no-show the preseason. The team is interested to see how he’ll perform in a higher-pressure setting.
As it stands now, however, he’s earned a spot on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster — something that wasn’t a given before camp began.
5. Some dark-horse candidates have emerged
Last season, undrafted rookie cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace made the Chiefs’ opening-game roster as a cutdown-day surprise.
So, who are the candidates to be this season’s Roland-Wallace?
There are a few.
It’s best to start in the tight ends room. Veteran Robert Tonyan — he had no NFL catches last season — has gotten plenty of camp run with the first-team offense while showing off strong pass-catching skills.
“I feel like this year, I’ve just been trying to get better every day,” Tonyan said Tuesday. “The situation I’m in, we have so many plays out there, you’re not going to make every play. But you’ve got to learn quick and not make the same mistake twice.”
Two undrafted rookies have a chance, too. Jake Briningstool, a Clemson product, joined the Chiefs in the offseason after coach Andy Reid called him personally to talk about his potential role with the team. Briningstool has done well when he’s in, but he’s also struggled to stay on the field with a hamstring injury.
Tre Watson, out of Texas A&M, also has made a recent push up the depth chart with an outside chance to sneak his way to the 53.
Two other first-year players to track are offensive tackle Esa Pole and defensive back Kevin Knowles.
Pole, at 6-7 and 319 pounds out of Washington State, earned second-team reps at left tackle during a recent practice and appears to be competing for a final offensive line spot.
Knowles, a Florida State product, saw some second-string snaps lately in a crowded Chiefs secondary.
6. Two positions remain uncertain
The Chiefs appear to have two places lacking depth where a late roster addition could make sense: running back and defensive tackle.
At running back, starter Isiah Pacheco appears to be full strength after suffering fibula and rib injuries last season, but K.C. doesn’t seem to have much explosiveness behind him. Kareem Hunt is a short-yardage specialist who turns 30 this week. Free-agent pickup Elijah Mitchell has yet to show the burst he had in his earlier days, while seventh-round running back Brashard Smith is super athletic but still working to pick up the playbook as a sort of receiver-back hybrid.
The Chiefs could be on the lookout for a third-down back who can both pass protect and provide big-play ability. Whether that becomes available after roster cuts remains uncertain.
At defensive tackle, the Chiefs could use a run stopper — both now and in the future — to play alongside Jones. Mike Pennel remains the top candidate for now, but he just turned 34. Marlon Tuipulotu and Fabien Lovett are younger, but both lack NFL playing experience; if either emerges, that could go a long way toward helping one of the team’s biggest question marks.
And if they don’t … well, the Chiefs might be in the market for reinforcements, perhaps even over the next few weeks.
(Top photo of Josh Simmons: Ed Zurga / Getty Images)
