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We’ve made it! Kansas City Chiefs football will be played today! The Los Angeles Rams will be the exhibition opponent for the 3:00 p.m. kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium. Read here for how to watch or listen to the game.
Veteran quarterback Justin Fields will start for the Chiefs as starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes waits to take the field until he’s closer to 100%. It remains to be seen how much of the Chiefs’ starting lineup we will see on Saturday.
Chiefs preseason opener to showcase Fields and Nussmeier at quarterback | KCTV5
Reid announced that Fields will start the game, with Nussmeier coming in to replace him. Fourth-stringer Chris Oladokun will finish the game at QB.
Starters unlikely to see the field
Reid said it is unlikely that starters including running back Kenneth Walker, Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice will play. The rebuilt offensive line, which is expected to feature at least one new starter, may or may not see action.
“Listen, there’s a chance they get in and play — how much, I can’t tell you that — if at all,” Reid said.
Chiefs vs Rams Preseason: Five Kansas City Players Likely Out With Injuries | Sports Illustrated
2. Drue Tranquill
Entering his fourth year in Kansas City, Tranquill has dealt with back spasms for the past week that have limited him at camp. He is expected to have a big role in the Kansas City defense once again this season, so there is no rush to get him back on the field.
Expect Jack Cochrane and Jeffrey Bassa to get the majority of the linebacker looks up the middle tomorrow.1. Mansoor Delane
Delane suffered a shoulder blade injury back in OTAs and has been rehabbing it back to full health ever since. His recovery has been a slow progression this offseason, as he didn’t put on pads until this past Saturday and finally took off his yellow non-contact jersey during yesterday’s session.
Chiefs have 4 overlooked offensive players fans need to watch vs. Rams | Arrowhead Addict
Jacob De Jesus, WR
Jacob De Jesus faces a mountain of a climb to earn a 53-man roster spot with the Chiefs, but there’s a very real chance he’s playing for a premium spot on the practice squad in these three preseason games, beginning on Saturday. He’s already turned heads with some impressive work in camp, and Dave Toub mentioned him in his post-practice remarks mid-week as player he’s excited to see. He caught 108 passes a year and has extensive work on kickoff and punt returns with UNLV. Keep an eye out for how he looks in offensive reps and when he’s given a chance to tackle specialist duties.
Offensive Line: 9
Wild card: Pete Nygra**
If Hunter Nourzad and C.J. Hansen aren’t going to take a step forward, I’d like to see the Chiefs load up at the tackle spot. Benson and Pole can both kick inside in a pinch. I still think it’ll be a big failure if Kansas City can’t find someone to unseat Caliendo. That’s where Nygra comes in. He’s seen a steady rise from third-string guard to second-string guard at training camp. A good preseason could be exactly what he needs to establish himself as interior depth.
Andrew Armstrong shares excitement for the Chiefs’ preseason opener | Chiefs Wire
“My family is here, and this has been my favorite team since I was a little kid, so I’m not worried about the city life and things like that.” said Armstrong, “I’m here to play football, and being around the team and the seriousness of it all, I really want to be around this environment. This is an extremely serious environment. I love that.”
Armstrong was named 1st-team All-SEC by the AP, 2nd-team All-SEC by the Coaches, and Phil Steele All-American Honorable Mention. He briefly spent time on the practice squads of the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions after going undrafted in 2025.
Around the NFL
Falcons’ James Pearce Jr. suspended eight games for violating NFL personal-conduct policy | NFL.com
Pearce will be eligible to return to play in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid.
Pearce was arrested in February near Miami after a domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Pearce was charged with three felony counts — aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence — and faced a misdemeanor count of stalking.
Pearce, 22, agreed to a six-month pretrial intervention program in April, with the potential for the charges to be dropped should Pearce meet the conditions of the program.
Steelers, DT Keeanu Benton agree to contract extension: Source | The Athletic
The Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive lineman Keeanu Benton reached agreement on a four-year, $72 million extension, a league source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a contract that has not been officially announced, confirmed to The Athletic.
Benton, 25, is coming off his most productive season as a pro. In 2025 he started all 17 games for the first time in his career, registering career highs in tackles (51) and sacks (5 1/2).
Tua Tagovailoa says Falcons’ play ‘not up to standard’ in loss | ESPN
Preseason or not, Tagovailoa said the Falcons’ 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Friday night was “definitely not up to standard, not even up to par” for Atlanta.
“Frustrated and disappointed at the way things happened tonight as we went out there,” Tagovailoa said.
Tagovailoa didn’t play all that much — just two series. He was 3-of-5 passing for 22 yards with all four of his targets going to tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chris Jones: ‘I don’t want to play in the preseason’
“Why play the starters?” Jones asked local media during his post-practice press conference on Thursday. “There’s so much risk to playing the starters in the preseason. I hope Coach Reid is like, ‘You know what, starters don’t play.‘”
By Jones’ tone, it sounds like Mahomes could be the only starter excused from taking the field to begin Saturday’s game, excluding the players dealing with injuries from training camp.
“It’s good to get repetition, but I don’t want to play in the preseason,” Jones continued. “I’d rather not play, but if I do have to play, I’m going to buckle up.”
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