The Kansas City Chiefs had a bad season, but according to this ranking their roster is still pretty good.
The Kansas City Chiefs went 6-11 last year, and they fell apart down the stretch after quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a knee injury. But Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder of ESPN did a piece rating the roster of every team in the NFL and the Chiefs came out surprisingly high at 12th.
It’s an interesting exercise given the discrepancy between where Kansas City ranked and where the Chiefs finished. The writers also flagged the strengths, weaknesses and a couple of other factors for each roster, so let’s go there and see what they identified and why it matters.
Biggest strength: Quarterback
There’s still a strong “in Mahomes we trust” contingent around the league, and this choice verifies it. The arguments validate it, at least for the moment according to the writers: “The two-time league MVP had led his team to 10-plus wins and the AFC Championship Game seven seasons in a row. He has won the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP three times each and is still only 30 years old."
He’s also coming off a serious knee injury that will limit his mobility, which has been a key part of Mahomes’ playmaking ability. Those are the arguments at the moment, so we’re all basically just picking sides until we see him on the field.
Biggest weakness: Offensive tackle
This is an interesting choice, given that you could also go with the receiving group or the rebuilt secondary. The Chiefs have a lot of uncertainty right now, so this choice also reflects that aspect of the roster. Then again, when Esa Pole and Kahlil Benson get talked up, it might be a good sign that the choice is valid.
X factor for 2026: The second edge rusher
Fuzzy choice, obviously, with Ashton Gillote, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and new draftee R Mason Thomas being mentioned. The first two feel like wishful thinking, but it certainly makes sense to point to Thomas as an X factor, especially given the athleticism he brings to the table.
Nonstarter to know: RB Emari Demercado
Who?? Okay, that’s not fair, so we’ll make a legitimate argument against this particular choice. Demercado does bring to intriguing athleticism to the arguemnt, but he was also an afterthought in Arizona. Moreover, Demercado was prone to some serious mental mistakes with the Arizona Cardinals, which is the last thing the Chiefs need this year. The Chiefs do have a backup running back problem of sorts, but Demercado isn’t the answer.
