The Kansas City Chiefs run defense was just completely dominated on Friday night by the Seattle Seahawks in a 33-16 preseason loss. It was the kind of injury-riddled showing that really teaches us nothing about who'll make the defensive side of the final roster.
But we did learn plenty about the offense in the loss, specifically when it came to usage patterns — who was in the game when, how they performed, how their role differed from last week.
Here are four Chiefs players who took a big step toward making the final roster on Friday.
Robert Tonyan, Tight End
In 2020, Robert Tonyan caught 11 touchdown passes, but you'd be forgiven for assuming those days were all over, considering he wasn't even targeted a single time while playing for the Vikings in 2024.
But it appears Tonyan has a chance to reinvent himself in 2025 with the Chiefs, a team known for heavily utilizing the tight end position. He showed why on Friday, catching five passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Seattle.
Notably, Tonyan outshone Jared Wiley, his primary competitor for the role of No. 3 tight end in KC behind Travis Kelce and Noah Gray. Wiley had the game's first reception, but that was it for him. On the next drive, Tonyan caught a pair of passes, including the only offensive touchdown of the game for Kansas City.
Carson Steele, Running Back
At this point, it's a three-way battle for the third and fourth running back spots in KC behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, and two players are starting to really stand out.
Carson Steele has a leg up on Elijah Mitchell in the battle for a roster spot in KC because he can play some fullback as well, but it was clear on Friday that Andy Reid views Steele as more than just a fullback. He was the first Chiefs running back with a carry in the game, ending up with four carries on the first drive of the game.
Sure, the Chiefs weren't playing their full array of starters, but it's still very notable that it was Steele who was getting those early carries while Mitchell didn't get his first touch until midway through the second quarter, at which point Steele already had six carries. (It's also notable that Mitchell averaged 2.3 yards per carry and was dropped in the end zone for a safety.)
Brashard Smith, Running Back
Rookie Brashard Smith feels like a lock to make the Chiefs roster at this point due to his versatility. He entered college at Miami in 2021 as a wide receiver before converting to running back in 2024 when he transferred to SMU.
He still has plenty to learn about playing this position since he's new to it, but his athleticism is off the charts, and he can be a major receiving threat out of the backfield.
Smith averaged 7.3 yards per carry on Friday, finishing with the same number of rushing yards as Carson Steele despite having four fewer carries. He was also targeted twice, catching both passes for 16 yards. Because neither Mitchell nor Steele are guys who make much of an impact in the receiving game, it feels like those two are in a one-on-one battle for a roster spot while Smith has already locked up one of the four running back slots. It's going to be a lot of fun to see how Andy Reid uses him.
Chris Oladokun, Quarterback
I don't necessarily think Chris Oladokun is going to make the Chiefs' final roster, but I do feel pretty confident at this point that if the Chiefs decide to carry a third quarterback, Oladokun will win the job over Bailey Zappe.
Just look at the usage on Friday night. Oladokun played before Zappe did, and while neither player did much of anything, the fact that it's Week 2 of the preseason and Andy Reid had Oladokun as the backup to Gardner Minshew feels notable, especially considering that a week ago, it was Zappe who was in that role.
Oladokun offers some intriguing athleticism for the Chiefs. While he lacks the same amount of NFL experience as Zappe, there are situations where that doesn't really matter, and with the way Zappe has looked this preseason, this appears to be one such situation.