Arrowhead Pride
Nine observations from Day 2 of KC Chiefs minicamp | Kansas City Star
Under-the-radar players to watch in the summer
The Chiefs will have their run test Thursday, so this was the last practice look until late July. With that in mind, here are four players on my radar:
Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong: The second-year receiver won’t threaten for any of the top three or four receiver spots, but he’s shown he might have the chops to make the back end of the room competitive.
Offensive tackle Kahlil Benson: I entered Chiefs offseason work thinking the right tackle battle was a two-man race between Jaylon Moore and Esa Pole, but Benson looks to be a dark horse in the mix.
Linebacker Jeff Bassa: Leo Chenal is now a member of the Washington Commanders, meaning there is a vacancy to fill in terms of linebacker snaps. After what amounted to a redshirt year on defense, look for Bassa to get an opportunity to prove himself.
Cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace: Now in his third year in the system, Roland-Wallace seems to have earned the trust of Steve Spagnuolo. The only thing that could stand in the way of an expanded role is if Sneed proves healthy and productive.
2026 NFL season: What We Learned during first wave of minicamps | NFL.com
1) Mahomes deal could have ripple effect. Wednesday’s news of a historic contract extension for Patrick Mahomes likely tethers the quarterback and the Chiefs together for many years to come and could keep him a Chief for life. Mahomes is now under contract for the next eight seasons, through his age-38 year in 2033.
It’s not shocking that we arrived here. This is the perfect marriage of city and athlete. But it’s also a strong indicator that the Chiefs have no fears about Mahomes’ health coming off a torn ACL. Tom Brady suffered a similar injury at roughly the same stage of his career, and he went on to play 14 more years after that.
Major contracts such as Mahomes’ don’t just affect the athlete, his agent and team. It also has a league-wide effect, especially at such a premium position as quarterback.
I can imagine Lamar Jackson and other elite quarterbacks who are extension-eligible perked up a bit when the Mahomes news rolled in. It has a direct effect on Jackson and others, even if each of their individual situations may differ somewhat.
Even though Jackson has two years left on his deal, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in January that he wanted to get an extension done with Jackson prior to the new league year, which started in March. We’ve missed that first marker and are about six weeks from the start of training camps.
While there’s still time to get a deal done before games begin, Jackson could play this coming season and try...
