As NFL teams prepare for their training camps to begin, NFL.com has been releasing its annual training camp previews for the teams in every one of the league’s divisions. On Friday, it was the AFC West’s turn.
Writer Christian Gonzalez identified three Kansas City Chiefs storylines to watch:
1. Can Josh Simmons solve the Chiefs’ offensive line issues? Kansas City used its first-round pick on Simmons, who brings high upside with his talent, but there are some health concerns surrounding him. Simmons suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury in his final college campaign. So far in the offseason, Simmons has impressed his teammates, who have compared the Ohio State product to Trent Williams. It’s high praise from his peers, but his availability for the 2025 season is yet to be determined. A healthy training camp and a potential starting role as Patrick Mahomes’ blindside blocker could make Simmons a draft steal for the Chiefs at No. 32 overall.
2. With the Chiefs selecting Jalen Royals in April’s draft, Kansas City is looking for pass catchers who can contribute in any capacity. Kansas City’s leading wide receiver in yards in 2024 was rookie Xavier Worthy, as Hollywood Brown missed most of the regular season due to a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason and Rashee Rice, Mahomes’ top target, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. It led to the Chiefs having a less potent offense for a majority of the season and into the playoffs. With Kansas City seeing DeAndre Hopkins and Mecole Hardman sign with new teams this offseason, training camp will provide a sneak peak at the WR depth chart before Week 1.
3. The injury bug derailed Isiah Pacheco’s third season. The Chiefs RB suffered a fractured fibula in Week 2, and when he returned, he didn’t appear to be the same angry runner down the stretch of the Chiefs’ regular season and playoff run. Pacheco has bulked up to 216 pounds, just like how he entered the NFL. Meanwhile, the Chiefs took a flier in the draft by selecting Brashard Smith out of SMU in the seventh round. Pacheco will hope he can have an impact just like his first two seasons in the league, but if he has a slow start, Smith, along with Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell, could take some snaps from the electric RB1.
Gonzalez also had training camp takes for the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.
My takes
1. I think Gonzalez’ writeup on Simmons is a little incomplete. While it’s accurate to say “his availability for the 2025 season is yet to be determined,” that’s leaving out an important point: head coach Andy Reid — who typically gives only vague information about any player’s injury progress — has made it clear that the former Buckeye will be a full participant at training camp. As long as his patellar tendon injury isn’t aggravated by practicing in pads, there’s no reason to think he won’t be physically prepared for Week 1. The unknown factor is whether he will be ready to be a starting tackle in the NFL. That is the one thing we don’t yet know about Simmons — and is why Jaylon Moore is on the roster.
2. While I agree with Gonzalez that a lot of attention will be focused on Royals, I think the real wide receiver storyline will be about the reboot of 2024’s wide receiver corps. The team was forced to be without Mahomes’ primary wideouts for almost the entire season, so we never got a chance to see what that would look like. I think it’s even fair to wonder whether tight end Travis Kelce would have had a substantially more productive season if both Rice and Brown had been available. I can’t help but believe we could see a real uptick in Kansas City’s offense.
3. Pacheco has admitted that he didn’t feel quite like himself when he returned from last season’s injury — which is precisely why he chose to bulk up a little. So it’s reasonable to expect that he will be closer to his normal self in 2025. What is far more interesting to me is how the players behind him will shake out. At this point a year ago, our Nate Christensen wondered whether the Chiefs had enough depth at running back. But now, it’s hard to see how the team can keep Pacheco, Hunt, Mitchell, Smith and Carson Steele — and then there’s undrafted free agent Elijah Young to consider, too.
