The Kansas City Chiefs were on the doorstep of history last season, nearly becoming the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. However, that pursuit of immortality came up just short with Andy Reid and Co. falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Fast forward a few months, and the AFC juggernaut is back to the drawing board, charting a path back into the winner’s circle.
Like the other clubs throughout the league, Kansas City has been stacking days throughout the offseason program and laying the foundation for the upcoming 2025 campaign. Now, those workouts are going to ramp up before they head off for the summer break with mandatory minicamp.
It’s worth emphasizing that these workouts won’t give us any definitive results for how various position battles (or the season as a whole) will unfold for the Chiefs. Instead, they’ll set the stage for what’s to come later this summer at training camp. Even with that in mind, however, it’s a great opportunity for us to take the temperature of some of the bigger questions that the defending AFC champions have on the roster.
Below, we’ll highlight some key aspects of Kansas City’s upcoming minicamp, identifying key position battles and players to watch.
How is the left tackle battle shaping out?
Player(s) to watch: Josh Simmons, Jaylon Moore
Kansas City’s Achilles’ heel during the 2024 season was the offensive line, particularly at left tackle. Patrick Mahomes‘ 36 sacks over the regular season were a career high, and was sacked 11 more times throughout the playoffs, including six times during Super Bowl LIX. That simply had to improve, and the Chiefs went out this offseason and double-dipped at the left tackle position, signing Jaylon Moore in free agency and then selecting Josh Simmons in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
As this position battle relates to minicamp, it remains to be seen how much Simmons will be able to participate. The rookie suffered a knee injury during his final collegiate season for the Buckeyes and is still on the mend. While Reid had previously stated that he expects Simmons to be ready for training camp, he could be limited during this period. Simmons was looked at by NFL Draft evaluators as arguably the best offensive tackle prospect in this class, but the injury dented his stock. If he returns to full form soon, it could prove to be a major get for Kansas City.
That said, if he’s sidelined for these reps, it could give Moore, who signed a two-year, $30 million deal with the team, to build some momentum heading toward training camp.
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What will be the pecking order at wide receiver?
Player(s) to watch: Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, Jalen Royals, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore
The Chiefs have a really interesting collection of receivers on the depth chart, and how the group jockeys into position will be a storyline that carries over into training camp.
On the health front, Rashee Rice will be under the microscope as the third-year receiver is coming back after missing the bulk of last season due to knee and hamstring injuries. Before going down for the year, Rice was on a tremendous run, albeit over a three-game stretch. While admitting this is a small sample size, Rice’s three games to start the 2024 season had him on track for 136 catches, 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. Of course, he likely wouldn’t have kept that pace up, but it does indicate how big of a piece is about to be reinjected into this offense.
Meanwhile, Hollywood Brown wasn’t able to do much with the Chiefs last year either. After signing with the club last offseason, Brown suffered an injury in the preseason that held him out until late December. While he played throughout Kansas City’s Super Bowl run, he only posted five catches for 50 yards and wasn’t able to find his footing so late in the year. After re-signing, Brown gets a much-needed reset.
Of course, 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy will be a popular Year 2 breakout, especially after he caught all eight of his targets for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. How he looks heading into his sophomore season could throw more steam on the hype train.
While those three figure to be the top three options, the Chiefs did draft Jalen Royals in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Utah State and have Skyy Moore and JuJu Smith-Schuster on the roster. That trio could duke it out for the No. 4 slot in the receiver room, starting here at minicamp.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
June 16, 2025 | 8:50 am
