My final preseason game report of 2026. It’s real game time from here on in for the next 6 months.
And, in this final game, it actually wasn’t all junk backups facing the other team’s junk backups. The Kansas City Chiefs actually worked several first-team offensive players, but they worked with Garrett Nussmeier (22-34 for 198 yards, 0 TD/1 INT, 1-1-0), so it’s hard to have any amazing takeaways for the KC first-team offense because they were stuck with a weak third-string QB. It was all very odd.
And I think the most odd thing from watching this game was just how mediocre the Kansas City Chiefs are. I think there’s two teams this season that are getting by on legacy beliefs, despite the fact that both of these teams showed us last year that they were not the teams we all think they are… but that hasn’t stopped the mainstream from pushing both of them as favorites in their own division this year again — and those two teams are the Buffalo Bills and these Kansas City Chiefs.
Granted, this game had a lot of backups and backups to the backups playing especially for Seattle, but that’s the thing — Seattle, once again this preseason, just has the better depth talent and it’s supremely coached as they outplay their opponents who threw a lot of first-team stuff at them this preseason, and the Seattle 2nd and 3rd-team defense doesn’t look like it’s a huge drop-off from the first-team defense. I know they just won the Super Bowl, and no one thinks they’re gonna repeat — but I think this season the football world will come to terms with the fact that Mike Macdonald truly is one of the five best coaches in the NFL, and he’s better than Andy Reid in the Year of Our Lord 2026.
An example of the trouble that the Kansas City Chiefs are in, especially right off the bat this season: they are hosting the Denver Broncos on MNF and their starting left tackle is a guy that they recently acquired from a local tryout. That’s what’s protecting Patrick Mahomes in Week 1. How in the world is this possible? The Chiefs have 411 capable wide receivers in training camp and yet their starting left tackle won his spot by winning the ring toss game at a local carnival or something. I love the Broncos +3 on Monday Night Football.
OK, let’s talk about the players to comment on from this game, and I’m gonna have them in the order of being the ones that most caught my attention.
Player Notes…
– Let’s talk about the QBs from this game 1st…
This was the best game I have ever seen from Jalen Milroe (16-26 for 223 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 7-20-0). He still locks onto his first receiver option way too much, but in this game he actually identified the proper receiver off the bat and when he threw it, it was a frozen rope and on the money a few times, which is way more than he has been throwing accurately. He’d still be a bit of a liability if forced to start, but his running ability can help gloss over his obvious pass-game ability issues and it might be OK for the short term. He’s got all the tools… he just doesn’t have the mindset or the ability of an NFL high-level passing QB.
On the other side of the field, Nussmeier got the start for the entire game. And in my book, after having watched him in every preseason game and knowing what I know about his last season at LSU — I do not see an NFL QB here at all. He’s a #3 QB at absolute best.
– All the name wide receivers for the Chiefs, including Travis Kelce (0-0-0, 1-8-0/2), played in this game. But again, they had little impact or opportunity for me to scout them because Nussmeier struggles to complete passes and the main guys were only in for a short period of time. I want to point out two of the wide receivers I made notes on, because everyone else was pretty irrelevant and some never even saw a target (like Rashee Rice).
First let’s talk about Cyrus Allen (0-0-0, 1-12-0/2). The good news is he was weaving in and out with the starters some…that’s nice. The bad news is: as the game wore on and the first-team guys disappeared, Allen was still in this game and really working way too long in it for me to even think about him becoming a starter or any type of impact in fantasy right away.
Secondly, the best-looking wide receiver on the Chiefs in this game (because he was like the only one that got good targets) was 2025 UDFA Andrew Armstrong (0-0-0, 5-54-0/8). I had high grades on Armstrong coming out of Arkansas last year. I thought he was one of the best deep sleeper WRs in the draft. I think he’s a discount DeAndre Hopkins potential for his future. But he had a bunch of off-field issues and teams shied away from him. The Chiefs are continuing to work with him so they must see something as well. I know he’s a good on-field worker, but I don’t know if he’s a real hard worker behind the scenes--thus he didn’t make the team, but is on the practice squad.
– Emmett Johnson (7-39-0, 1-15-0/1) was the starting KC running back right from the jump. Kenneth Walker wasn’t even in uniform, but Kelce was and so was Rice. I thought Johnson ran fine in this game as he has all preseason. Of all of those mid-range rookie RB names floating around out there like Demond Claiborne, Kaytron Allen, Nicholas Singleton… Johnson has definitely looked better than all of them. And it’s not even close. But before you get too excited, Brashard Smith (16-72-0, 1–5-0/1) entered the game after him and basically looked like a faster version of Johnson. I have no idea why Smith’s career has sagged so fast. Remember back to last year at this time people were calling for a Smith takeover right away. People were in love with this rookie who was a speedster known for his third-down ability… which is kind of like what Johnson’s vibe is right now. Johnson is a tougher runner than Smith, but Smith is faster and quicker. They both made the roster.
– 3rd preseason game in a row where Elijah Arroyo (0-0-0, 1-24-0/1) is working several series from the jump. I don’t see anywhere how he is being treated as a valued starter. They’re either trying to get the rust off of him or they just see him as a random option to put in the game in passing situations and he may get a couple of targets in regular season games. He looks like a star when he gets the ball, but he rarely gets the ball and he’s usually in the game behind Eric Saubert (0-0-0, 1-1-0/1).
– I finally got to see more of Seattle 6th-round draft pick WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (0-0-0, 3-58-0/4) in this game. He’s a skinnier speedster WR that didn’t look like he was anywhere near ready for the NFL. Seattle agreed by cutting him and rightfully giving his roster spot to UDFA rookie Montorie Foster Jr. (0-0-0, 1-13-0/1). I’m way more interested in Foster for a deep sleeper dynasty than I am anything from Henderson. But it’s still early for Henderson.
That’s it. On to the regular season.
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