3 projected starters for the Kansas City Chiefs who could end up losing their job by the middle of the 2026 season
The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for the 2026 season, and there are three starters who could lose their job midway through the season.
The Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2026 NFL season with legitimate position battles brewing at right tackle, wide receiver, and edge rusher.
Training camp hasn’t started yet, but a few starters’ grips on the depth chart look genuinely tenuous. With younger, hungrier players pushing from behind, Kansas City could look like a different team by midseason.
Jaylen Moore, RT
The first starter in danger is right tackle Jaylen Moore. Moore is entering the second year of a two-year contract, and the Chiefs have options behind him who flashed real potential in 2025. Esa Pole played well when Kansas City dealt with offensive line injuries last season, stepping in and holding his own when the team needed him most. Then there’s Khalil Benson, the undrafted free agent offensive tackle from Indiana who stands at 6’6, 320 pounds. Benson has generated buzz heading into the 2026 season, and the Chiefs seem to genuinely like what they’ve seen from him so far.
Moore will almost certainly start the season as the right tackle. That said, if things aren’t going well on the right side through the first half of the year, Kansas City won’t hesitate to make a change. Training camp will tell us a lot about how close this competition really is.
Rashee Rice, WR
This one might surprise people. Rashee Rice has shown flashes of elite play when healthy and available, but availability has been the problem. The off-the-field issues caused him to miss OTAs and mandatory minicamp. On top of that, Rice is coming off knee surgery and has been banged up frequently, which could prevent him from being fully ready when the season begins.
Missing that much of the offseason program matters. That’s where players knock the rust off, get comfortable in the playbook, and build chemistry with their quarterback. Rice should be the best receiver on this roster, and he’ll likely start. But the Chiefs can’t always rely on that, and there are capable players ready to step up if he falters.
Cyrus Allen is the main name to watch. The rookie out of Cincinnati is someone Kansas City clearly loves. Beyond Allen, players like Jalen Royals and Jeff Caldwell could also push for playing time. If Rice can’t stay healthy or available, this receiving corps has enough depth to move on without him.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE
The third starter who could find himself on the outside looking in is edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. He’s currently listed as a starter, but that designation might not hold up for long. The players behind him, despite being younger, appear to be more talented.
If Ashton Gillotte is the one who initially takes the starting role instead, I still think he would eventually lose that spot to R Mason Thomas, the rookie edge rusher. Thomas has elite tools that the Chiefs simply won’t be able to keep off the field. His ability to get to the passer at a high rate, combined with his run defense, makes him the best of the three options at the position. Thomas is the type of player who forces his way into the lineup regardless of what the depth chart says on paper.
The bigger picture
Kansas City has built enough roster depth that no starting spot is truly safe. The Chiefs’ willingness to let competition play out through training camp and into the regular season is what keeps this roster sharp. These three positions will be worth monitoring closely once games start, because the players pushing for those spots have the talent to seize them.