The Kansas City Chiefs' preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams looked a bit odd given the vast majority of their starters were nowhere to be found, but that gave fringe players a chance to show that they should make the team's initial 53-man roster. Guys like Cyrus Allen and Emmett Johnson, for example, really showed out, proving they should have real roles on the roster when it counts.
Not everyone played well in the 20-12 defeat, though. These three players in particular could lose their spot on the 2026 Chiefs due to rough showings in Saturday's contest.
QB Chris Oladokun
Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs' quarterback, obviously, and Justin Fields is almost certainly going to be his backup after being traded to Kansas City in the offseason, but there's a battle over who will be the team's third-stringer between Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun. After Saturday's game, Nussmeier figures to have a massive lead over Oladokun.
Not only did Nussmeier appear earlier in the game than Oladokun, but he also outperformed him. Nussmeier went 13-for-19 for 98 passing yards, while Oladokun went 5-for-11 for 63 yards. Oladokun offers more value on the ground, and that shouldn't be ignored, but the passing certainly appeared to skew in favor of Nussmeier. I don't know whether the Chiefs will even carry three quarterbacks, but if they do, Nussmeier is in better shape as of now.
RB Emari Demercado
The Chiefs splurged in free agency, signing Kenneth Walker III to lead their backfield. Walker did not appear in the preseason opener, giving others a chance to impress and force their way to the top of the depth chart behind the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Emmet Johnson did his best to make an impression, rushing for 59 yards on 12 attempts, but Emari Demercado didn't do much at all.
Demercado had just three yards on three carries, and what was most interesting is that he didn't even appear in the game until the fourth quarter. Demercado was figured to be the leading candidate to be the RB2, and perhaps he will be, but given when he appeared in the game and how he performed, are we sure that's how it'll play out, especially with how well Johnson played? This might've just been the Chiefs trying to give Johnson and Brashard Smith more run, but if Demercado is the RB4 as he was on Saturday, making the roster could be a challenge.
OL Ethan Driskell
Ethan Driskell played in two games for the Chiefs in 2024, but didn't play at all in the 2025 regular season and is in the middle of a competition to try and earn a backup spot on Kansas City's offensive line. Unfortunately, Driskell struggled as much as anyone in this game.
The 26-year-old was charged with four penalties on the night, two false starts and a pair of holding infractions. They might not seem so substantial in the moment, but penalties are drive crushers. The Chiefs struggled to get the ball into the end zone all game, and while Driskell isn't solely to blame, his penalties certainly didn't help their cause.
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