The Kansas City Chiefs were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams 20-12 in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL preseason. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes did not take the field for Kansas City in the exhibition contest, but supported signal-callers Justin Fields, Garrett Nussbaum, and Chris Oladokun from the sideline. The Chiefs' quarterbacks combined to complete 22 of their 34 pass attempts for 202 yards. On the ground, Kansas City was led by rookie Emmett Johnson, who rushed for 59 yards in 12 attempts. The Chiefs did not score a touchdown in the game and relied on four Harrison Butker field goals for their entire scoring output.
On to the next one ⏩ pic.twitter.com/oI8OxRSaRJ — Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 15, 2026 Rookie running back Jaydn Ott was Kansas City's leading receiver in the game with two receptions for 40 yards. Tight end Jake Briningstool caught three passes for 29 yards and was among the most impressive of the 12 Chiefs players who recorded receptions against Los Angeles. Kansas City's defense failed to produce a turnover or even muster a sack against the Rams' impressive defense. Veteran safety Jaden Hicks was the Chiefs' most active defender on the stat sheet, tallying seven combined tackles. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Final score: Rams defeat Chiefs 20-12 in Week 1 of NFL preseason