3 Chiefs on roster bubble who must shine in 2026 NFL preseason

For the Kansas City Chiefs, preseason football is rarely about the stars. Patrick Mahomes does not need August to prove what he can do. Established pillars such as Chris Jones have nothing to gain from dominating exhibition snaps. The intrigue instead lives much further down the depth chart. Kansas City enters the 2026 preseason with competition intensifying at several positions. Three names stand out as particularly fascinating. Kristian Fulton, Garrett Nussmeier and Felix Anudike-Uzomah each have legitimate arguments for making the team. Some are stronger than others, but none should feel completely comfortable. For all three, August represents an opportunity to turn uncertainty into security.

Competition everywhere

Kansas City spent the offseason retooling key portions of the roster. They carried an aggressive approach from OTAs into training camp. Most importantly, Mahomes has made encouraging progress in his recovery. The Chiefs also reshaped the quarterback room by acquiring Justin Fields as a dynamic backup. Meanwhile, Kenneth Walker III joined a backfield that also features Emmett Johnson and Emari Demercado. Defensively, Steve Spagnuolo has continued reconstructing his secondary around physicality and versatility. L’Jarius Sneed, Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams should command prominent snaps. Alohi Gilman will patrol the back end. Minor injuries at wide receiver and along the defensive line have created additional opportunities for depth players. However, they have also intensified evaluation. With the preseason arriving, practice flashes must now translate against opponents.

CB Kristian Fulton

Kristian Fulton enters the preseason caught in one of Kansas City’s most competitive position groups. Fulton has accumulated meaningful NFL experience. He possesses the physical ability to survive on the perimeter. That said, consistency will ultimately determine whether he earns a place in Spagnuolo’s rotation.

Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams have been pushing for prominent responsibilities. Kader Kohou offers additional versatility. With Sneed occupying an important place in the secondary, Kansas City has enough alternatives to make decisions based on performance rather than reputation.

That puts Fulton under enormous pressure in August. Spagnuolo’s cornerbacks must be comfortable challenging receivers, tackling in space and surviving isolated coverage. Just as importantly, they must process complicated assignments without creating communication breakdowns.

Fulton needs to show he can provide all of it. Keeping a veteran corner makes sense if he provides dependable defensive snaps. It becomes much harder to justify if younger, more versatile alternatives are performing at a comparable level.

QB Garrett Nussmeier

Garrett Nussmeier faces a completely different battle. His roster fate could ultimately come down to arithmetic. Mahomes is Mahomes. Fields gives Andy Reid an intriguing QB2. His athleticism creates possibilities both as insurance and within specialized packages. The question is whether the Chiefs need another quarterback on the active roster.

Nussmeier’s competition for that developmental role includes Chris Oladokun. Now, carrying three quarterbacks would require Kansas City to sacrifice depth elsewhere. That makes every preseason possession Nussmeier receives disproportionately important.

Training camp has offered encouraging signs, though. His arm talent and quick release are intriguing. Exhibition football, though, presents a much more revealing examination.

Can he diagnose pressure when the pocket isn’t clean? Can he avoid turning a bad play into a catastrophic one? Can he move an offense when protection breaks down and the receivers on the field aren’t Mahomes’ usual weapons? Those are the questions Reid needs answered.

There’s another layer to the decision. If Kansas City attempts to move Nussmeier through waivers with the intention of bringing him back to the practice squad, a strong preseason could make another team interested. Paradoxically, playing well enough to create that risk could be exactly what convinces the Chiefs they cannot afford to expose him.

DL Felix Anudike-Uzomah

Some pundits have Felix Anudike-Uzomah as a starter. That’s honestly very plausible. After all, his physical tools have never been difficult to identify. Anudike-Uzomah has the first-step quickness to threaten offensive tackles. He has enough athleticism to become disruptive when he gains leverage. What Kansas City still needs is consistent production.

That matters in this defensive line. Jones remains the centerpiece inside, while George Karlaftis provides established production off the edge. Ashton Gillotte and R Mason Thomas are also competing for opportunities. That increases the urgency for Anudike-Uzomah to separate himself.

Simply flashing as a pass rusher won’t do it. Spagnuolo values defensive linemen who can remain functional regardless of situation. An edge defender who creates pressure on third down but gets displaced against the run on first down becomes easier for opponents to manipulate. Anudike-Uzomah needs to demonstrate development in the less glamorous areas of his game.

Then, of course, he needs to reach quarterbacks. If Anudike-Uzomah can emerge as another legitimate edge threat, Jones receives fewer opportunities for opponents to dedicate overwhelming protection toward him. That would make Anudike-Uzomah valuable beyond his individual statistics.

August provides final answers

The Chiefs don’t need Fulton, Nussmeier or Anudike-Uzomah to dominate every preseason snap. Fulton must prove experience still outweighs the upside surrounding him. Nussmeier must make carrying a third quarterback worth the roster sacrifice. Anudike-Uzomah must finally turn athletic promise into dependable disruption.

Kansas City’s stars will determine how far the team goes once the real games begin. First, its bubble players have to prove they deserve to come along for the ride.

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