With the NFL Draft officially in the rearview mirror, teams have a pretty good idea of what their roster will look like heading into the 2026 season.
The Kansas City Chiefs had a wildly disappointing 6-win 2025 season, but are fully confident they can turn things around and be Super Bowl contenders once Patrick Mahomes returns from his ACL tear. Today, we’re going to see if that’s possible. First, we’ll go over their depth chart and predict the Chiefs’ starting lineup, and then we’ll dive into their 2026 schedule and see if a return to the postseason is possible.
Starting Lineup Projection
Offense
There is absolutely no doubt that Patrick Mahomes will be the Chiefs’ starting quarterback this season. The only thing that could stop him is a setback in his ACL rehab, but he’s supposed to be ready for OTAs, according to multiple reports, so he should be ready for Week 1.
The starting running back spot is also pretty secure. The Chiefs went out and spent big on Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker, who had one of the most dominant postseason runs we’ve seen in a while from a running back. He’s always been the clear best back in Seattle, but now he gets his shot at being a true RB1.
Wide receiver has at least one spot up for grabs. With the NFL announcing Rashee Rice won’t face any discipline for his legal situation, he is guaranteed to be one of the starters. When he’s on the field, he’s a top-10 receiver in the league. But behind him, it’s a bit more questionable. Xavier Worthy will probably earn a starting spot, but Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen will all be in the mix. The WR2 and WR3 battle will be very interesting in Kansas City.
With Travis Kelce set to return to the team in 2026, the tight end spot is also locked down. There’s no debate, he is the TE1 on this team until he decides to retire. Noah Gray is a good second option, but he’s nowhere near Kelce’s level.
Then there’s the offensive line, which is also pretty locked in. Josh Simmons will get another shot at left tackle after a shaky rookie season, Kingsley Suamataia had a pretty good season at left guard and should return to that spot, Creed Humphrey is a top-two center in the league, Trey Smith has been absolutely fantastic for years and Jaylon Moore is easily the best right tackle they have.
The offense isn’t too difficult to predict for KC. It seems most of the starting spots are locked down, but some of the depth battles will be very fun.
Defense
While the offense is easy to predict, the Chiefs defense has a lot of very intriguing battles set to take place.
George Karlaftis will likely be one of the starters at edge rusher, but the second spot is wide open. Felix Anduike-Uzomah has not proven he’s good enough to play in the NFL, and they just drafted R Mason Thomas in round two. Karlaftis and Thomas seem like the easy picks here.
At defensive tackle, Chris Jones is absolutely going to start, but the question is, who will be next to him? Will it be free agent addition Khyiris Tonga or first-round rookie Peter Woods? Tonga is probably the smart pick, but I’m going to lean Woods here. I’m not a Woods fan, but if they can find a way to extract his potential, he could be their full-time starter by midseason.
Linebacker is one that’s pretty much locked down. It’s going to be Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill. A few others guys will fight for that third rotational spot, but those two will be the main guys at linebacker.
Cornerback should be an entertaining battle. Mansoor Delane will start right away, but after that, there’s no guarantees. Nohl Williams played pretty well as a rookie and can be penciled in, but he’s going to have to earn it this offseason. Then there’s the slot corner spot, which will see guys like Kader Kohou and Jadon Canady fight it out. Canady, a fourth round rookie, comes from Oregon, where he had a really strong senior season. Kohou didn’t play in 2025 due to a torn ACL but had a pretty strong 2024 season. I’m leaning Canady, but if they want the experience, it could be Kohou.
Finally, at cornerback, it’s probably going to be Alohi Gilman and Chamarri Conner. Gilman had a pretty strong 2025 campaign, and while Conner didn’t, they just don’t have many other experienced options at safety.
Chiefs’ 2026 Opponents & Record Prediction
The NFL has yet to release the full schedule, but we do know who the Chiefs and everyone else will be playing, just not when. On paper, the Chiefs’ schedule is easier than it typically is, but it’s still no walk in the part.
First, they have to play their three divisional opponents – the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders – twice each. The Broncos and Chargers are big threat, and the Raiders could give them a bit of scare if they play late in the season.
For the remainder of their home schedule, the Chiefs have to host the New England Patriots, the Super Bowl runner ups, and the San Francisco 49ers, who when healthy are one of the best teams in the league. The Indianapolis Colts likely won’t be a pushover, either. They do get to play the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals, though, so that’s a plus.
Their road schedule is even tougher than their home schedule. Outside of their divisional opponents, the Chiefs have to play the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. The Seahawks and Rams were the two best teams in the NFC last year, and the Bills are always a challenge with Josh Allen. They also have to face a high-flying Cincinnati Bengals offense in the Jungle. Their schedule does let up a bit with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons, but those are their only two “easy” road games.
It’s a tough schedule, but making the playoffs is still doable. Let’s see how I think they’ll do in 2026.
Home
vs Denver Broncos: L
vs Los Angeles Chargers: W
vs Las Vegas Raiders: W
vs New England Patriots: L
vs New York Jets: W
vs Arizona Cardinals: W
vs San Francisco 49ers: L
vs Indianapolis Colts: W
Away
at Denver Broncos: L
at Los Angeles Chargers: L
at Las Vegas Raiders: W
at Buffalo Bills: L
at Los Angeles Rams: L
at Seattle Seahawks: W
at Miami Dolphins: W
at Cincinnati Bengals: W
at Atlanta Falcons: W
Record Prediction: 10-7
