Andrew Buller-Russ
This is Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach’s 10th season with final say over the roster. He’s built three Super Bowl champions in the process. Except, Veach has had a bigger task on hand this offseason after the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
With free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the bulk of that work is already done. Yet, now that the Chiefs have 90 players on the roster, Kansas City will have some tough decisions to make when it comes time to trim the roster down to 53 players.
Some, like The Athletic‘s Chiefs insider Jesse Newell, think Kansas City could end up cutting a player from its 2025 NFL Draft class. Specifically, Newell believes the additions of Kenneth Walker III, Emari Demercado, and fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson could make 2025 seventh-round running back Brashard Smith expendable.
“The Chiefs traded up in the seventh round to select running back Brashard Smith a year ago, but from the start, he appeared an awkward fit with their offense. Even as Kansas City failed to find any explosiveness with its 2025 run game, it didn’t turn to Smith for carries until a meaningless final-week game against Las Vegas. It all means Smith faces an important training camp. He’s a seventh-round pick, so the team doesn’t have a great amount invested in him if it does choose to move on.”
The Athletic on Brashard Smith
The Chiefs made Smith the 228th pick last year. He ended up rushing the ball 44 times for 151 times, catching 25 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. He’s still just 23 years old, but clearly, Walker is the immediate and future bellcow in Kansas City, and Johnson could be part of this solution, offering help on third downs too.
Walker and Johnson’s roster spots are absolutely secure. That means Smith, Demercado, and undrafted rookies Jaydn Ott and EJ Smith, the son of Hall of Fame RB Emmitt Smith, could all find themselves fighting for one roster spot and an additional slot on the practice squad.
Related: Kansas City Chiefs Predicted to Sign First-Team All-Pro
