3 Chiefs who earned a roster spot in final preseason game, 1 who should be cut

Chiefs who earned a roster spot in final preseason game, No. 2: Blaine Gabbert, QB

With Chad Henne retiring, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for a reliable backup option behind Patrick Mahomes. After all, Henne filled in for Mahomes briefly in the Divisional Round last year and led the team to a touchdown drive against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs brought in Blaine Gabbert, who spent the previous two years backing up Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Gabbert had a guaranteed contract, which seemed like a sure thing he would be the primary backup. The thing is, Shane Buechele put up strong showings throughout the preseason, setting doubt into whether Gabbert would be QB2 on the roster. Head coach Andy Reid said that the two were "real close" in the quarterback competition. On Saturday, Gabbert may have locked up the QB2 spot on the depth chart.

Facing the Cleveland Browns, Gabbert completed 10-of-18 pass attempts for 169 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. One of those touchdowns was a 43-yard pass to Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

As for Buechele, he wasn't facing the Arizona Cardinals, who may be the worst team entering the 2023 season. Against Cleveland, Buechele completed just eight passes for 89 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts. The big issue was that Buechele threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown (which may have been tipped).

With all of the games completed, Gabbert should be the primary backup to Mahomes.

Chiefs who earned a roster spot in final preseason game, No. 1: La'Mical Perine, RB

The Chiefs have the top of their running back depth chart squared away. Second-year back Isiah Pacheco will be the starter, with Jerick McKinnon being a dual-threat option in the running and passing games. From there, there was a chance for some running backs to earn a spot on the roster. La'Mical Perine.

Perine joined the Chiefs back last season after starting his career with the New York Jets as a 2020 fourth-round draft pick. This offseason, Perine made the most of his opportunities, and the fans took notice. After picking up just 24 rushing yards on six carries in Kansas City's first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, Perine's production increased. Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Perine ran for 41 yards on six carries, while catching his lone target for six yards.

On Saturday, Perine ran for 32 yards on four carries, while catching all three of his targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. It was an exciting catch-and-run for a touchdown by Perine, who broke tackles from numerous Cleveland defenders to reach the end zone.

There are only so many running back spots available on the 53-man roster. As mentioned, Pacheco and McKinnon are essentially locked in. Perine should be considered by Reid to be one of the backups on the positional depth chart.