Arrowhead Pride
Before the Kansas City Chiefs can decide what players to acquire in free agency or the draft this offseason, it’s important to identify the pillars of the team and their statuses for the short and long term. The current strengths and weaknesses of the roster will guide the Chiefs’ choices.
To do this, I broke down the 51 current rostered players for 2026 and tiered them based on their status with Kansas City moving forward. Enjoy!
Players: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, right guard Trey Smith, center Creed Humphrey, left tackle Josh Simmons and defensive tackle Chris Jones
The five players I listed above are, in my opinion, the five best players on the team and should factor into the Chiefs’ plans for the next three years at least. Mahomes, Smith, and Humphrey are all firmly in their primes on long-term deals.
Simmons was not always on the field in 2025, but his long-term projection is exciting. He played like a top-10 left tackle as a rookie and has All-Pro upside. As long as he avoids injuries, he’ll be a star for the next decade.
There will be some disagreement about Jones’s inclusion here. There is a possibility the Chiefs could look into trading Jones. The Chiefs would save around $15 million in cap space by trading him.
However, Jones is still a top-5 defensive tackle capable of destroying offenses when it matters most. Jones had a slow start to the year, but after the bye week, he was playing fantastic football. The potential compensation for Jones would likely not be enough to outweigh what he brings to Kansas City’s defense. The Chiefs’ pass rush could not afford such a loss.
Players: linebacker Nick Bolton, defensive end George Karlaftis, left guard Kingsley Suamataia and kicker Harrison Butker
As important cogs to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s machine of a defense, Bolton and Karlaftis signed contracts with the team last offseason. Bolton is the team’s signal caller, and Karlaftis is a dependable, versatile player up front.
The surprising inclusion is Suamataia, but his 2025 play warranted it. Over the course of the season, he continued to improve, smoothly transitioning from tackle to guard by utilizing his unique physical traits. He also made significant improvements to his technique compared to his rookie season.
Players: Cornerback Trent McDuffie and wide receiver Rashee Rice
McDuffie could have been extended and put into Tier 1, but Kansas City didn’t reach an agreement with the All-Pro cornerback last offseason. He will be on the fifth-year option in 2026, which means the Chiefs could trade him and have no dead money. If this team decides it needs more draft capital, a potential trade of McDuffie is the easiest path to getting that. The decisions surrounding him could be the first domino to fall this offseason.
Rice is complicated. In my opinion, there is no circumstance where the Chiefs...
