Chiefs’ biggest mistake on 53-man roster cutdown day ahead of 2026 NFL season

The Kansas City Chiefs trimmed their roster to 53 players this weekend, and the most puzzling decision from Brett Veach’s front office was releasing veteran running back Emari Demercado, leaving the backfield in the hands of newcomer Kenneth Walker III and two players with almost no NFL experience in Brashard Smith and Emmett Johnson.

A Running Back Room Built on Uncertainty

Kenneth Walker III arrives in Kansas City as the presumptive lead back, but he’s a new addition to this offense who has dealt with injury issues throughout his career, and the Chiefs are now betting heavily that he stays on the field for all 17 games. Behind him, Brashard Smith and Emmett Johnson round out the room, two players who combined have thrown very little regular-season NFL tape on the wall. Demercado, meanwhile, had carved out a trusted role in Kansas City over the past two seasons as a change-of-pace back who understood Andy Reid’s scheme and could be leaned on in a pinch, making his release a curious way to build depth behind a new starter.

Running back is a position where continuity and scheme familiarity matter enormously in Reid’s offense, and cutting the one back who already knew the playbook in favor of keeping the room entirely inexperienced feels like an unnecessary risk. If Walker suffers even a minor injury early in the season, Reid would be forced to lean on two backs who have never carried a featured role in the NFL, a shaky proposition for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

Thinning Out Proven Veterans Across the Roster

The Demercado decision wasn’t an isolated case, the Chiefs also released longtime pass rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, a Super Bowl LIV champion, and cut ties with former first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam, further reducing proven depth on a defense that will need every available piece against a loaded AFC field. Ogbah’s release in particular stands out given his championship pedigree and ability to provide rotational pass-rush snaps alongside Chris Jones and George Karlaftis. While younger players like Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas offer upside, trading away that veteran experience all at once, right as the team also thinned its running back room, suggests a front office prioritizing long-term flexibility over short-term insurance.

That approach carries real risk for a team that has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and is expected to contend again. Kansas City’s margin for error in the AFC has narrowed as the Bills, Bengals and Ravens have all retooled aggressively, and a Chiefs team that leans too heavily on untested talent behind its top players could find itself exposed the moment the injury report gets long.

A Roster With Star Power but Thin Insurance

To be fair, the Chiefs kept their star-studded core almost entirely intact, retaining Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and a retooled receiver room featuring Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. The offensive line also stayed deep, with Josh Simmons, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith anchoring a unit that added Diego Pounds via trade for extra depth. Those moves show a front office still committed to protecting its foundational pieces heading into another championship push.

That’s precisely what makes the running back and veteran-defender cuts stand out as the roster’s biggest miscalculation. Kansas City has built its dynasty on situational depth and Reid’s ability to plug in trusted role players when injuries strike, and stripping away Demercado and Ogbah in the same weekend removes two players who fit that exact mold. If Walker III goes down or the pass rush needs an experienced boost midseason, expect these cutdown decisions to resurface as the moments Chiefs fans wish Veach had handled differently.

The post Chiefs’ biggest mistake on 53-man roster cutdown day ahead of 2026 NFL season appeared first on ClutchPoints.