The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for what is essentially the second half of their 2026 NFL season after a Week 5 bye. It’s the earliest bye week of the Patrick Mahomes era. It also came on the heels of the team’s first substantial injury of the year.

Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton suffered a dislocated ankle that required surgery. Kansas City placed him on injured reserve with a 12- to 16-week rehab and recovery timeline. The Chiefs also lost WR Rashee Rice to a hamstring strain that is believed to be minor.

What’s clear is that the wide receiver position will see some changes coming out of the bye. Beyond that, several players were trending in the right direction ahead of Week 5. Here’s a look at the players who should realistically get more action and more opportunities as the Chiefs make a 13-week push to the postseason.

WRs Cyrus Allen and Jalen Royals

Rookie WR Cyrus Allen generated plenty of hype coming out of training camp and the preseason. Unfortunately, he hasn’t lived up to it yet because the opportunities simply haven’t been there. With only four healthy wide receivers on the 53-man roster, now looks like Allen’s time.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke about Allen on Monday and indicated he’s likely to work in a bit more than he has to this point.

“Yeah, I think (WR Cyrus Allen) he would probably work into the mix there a little bit more,” Reid said. “He’s a good football player, and even though he’s young, he’s got good ability.”

Allen is probably the closest thing Kansas City has to a player who can fill Thornton’s specific role. Outside of Xavier Worthy, he might also be the fastest receiver remaining on the active roster.

On the flip side, there’s Jalen Royals, who has been playing behind Rice. If Rice is limited in any way, Royals is the most natural fit to step in. In four regular season games, Royals has caught three passes for 17 yards and his first career touchdown (long of 11 yards). He’ll need to pick up the pace, but the opportunities are there for the taking.

RB Brashard Smith

Kenneth Walker III and Emmett Johnson have a stranglehold on the running back position. That said, I won’t be shocked to see more of Brashard Smith in the coming weeks, potentially cross-training at wide receiver.

The former college wideout can be a jack of all trades in Kansas City, though he’s mostly played running back and special teams. Given the injuries at receiver, I think we could see him work into the slot more and get some unique motion out of the backfield.

Look at how the Buffalo Bills have handled their backfield with James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Ray Davis. Smith could realistically play the Ty Johnson role as a pass-catching back who works in the screen game and runs Texas routes or wheel routes out of the backfield.

TE Jake Briningstool

Briningstool has been the clear No. 3 tight end behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. His pass blocking leaves something to be desired (one pressure allowed on just two pass-blocking attempts), but he’s proven to be one of the team’s better run blockers at the position. In fact, he leads all Chiefs tight ends in run-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. That includes both Gray and Kelce.

With the running game becoming a much bigger part of the offense, getting your best run-blocking tight end on the field more often makes sense. Also, don’t put it past Kansas City to lean into more 13-personnel play-action looks. Briningstool made some acrobatic catches during training camp and the preseason.

DE R Mason Thomas

Our first defender to make the list played the most defensive snaps of his young NFL career in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Thomas has emerged as the top defensive end option opposite George Karlaftis. If he hasn’t overtaken players like Ashton Gillotte and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, it won’t be long.

The pass rush hasn’t recorded a sack in over three weeks, but it is producing plenty of pressure and disruption. Thomas has 10 pressures, third-most on the team behind Karlaftis and Chris Jones. Among players with 99 or more pass-rush snaps, his 13% win rate ranks second on the team. The rookie is a rising star and it feels like only a matter of time before he’s contributing at a rate commensurate with players like Karlaftis and Jones.

LB Jeff Bassa

Bassa has played just 18 defensive snaps through four games. That feels like far too little for the second-year professional, especially with Cooper McDonald still sidelined by injury. He’s allowed one catch for 5 yards on the season.

After Bassa delivered a perfect peanut punch to force a fumble on special teams in Week 4, I think his role in the third phase will grow. He should also realistically start working into different subpackages on defense. His tackling and coverage still need work, but the Chiefs need more of the athleticism and playmaking he brings. It’s especially opportune with Cam Jones being activated to the 53-man roster. Jones can take a larger role on special teams, with Bassa earning more time on defense.

DB Chris Roland-Wallace

The Chiefs might want to shake things up in the secondary during this stretch run. Chamarri Conner is working back into things, and Alohi Gilman has been a mixed bag. Meanwhile, Roland-Wallace has been one of the team’s best defenders on limited snaps.

He’s recorded three total pressures, four tackles, and two solo stops. According to Pro Football Focus, Roland-Wallace has played 48 coverage snaps through the first four weeks. He’s allowed just two receptions for 25 yards and owns the second-highest coverage grade of any Kansas City defender.

A dozen of those snaps came in the slot, which has been a problem area for the Chiefs. Whether they give him a more permanent slot role or move him to deep safety to alleviate Gilman, Roland-Wallace has earned more opportunities through his play.

WR Andrew Armstrong

Kansas City added WR Justin Watson to the practice squad, which still houses two other wide receivers: Andrew Armstrong and Omari Evans. Evans, with his 4.2 speed, seems like the more natural replacement for a player like Thornton. However, many believed Armstrong had made a case for the 53-man roster.

Armstrong offers a different prototype than the other receivers on the team, and he does the little things right. His run blocking was one of the big highlights of the preseason for the Chiefs. He was planting defenders on their backs like it was his job, and over the next several weeks, it may realistically be his job.

Armstrong should get the call-up from the practice squad for at least the next few weeks while Watson gets back into the swing of things. He can also contribute as a multi-phase special teams player. That will matter with most of the receivers on the roster now needing increased roles as Kansas City navigates these injuries.