For the first time in three years, the Kansas City Chiefs can walk into a season as the hunters, not the hunted. A brutal loss in Super Bowl 59 paved the way for a ton of doubt to creep in about the future of the greatest dynasty of the 2020s. If you ask Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, or anyone associated with the organization, their run of dominance is far from over.
But after the demolition job by the Philadelphia Eagles in February, actions are the only thing that will support Kansas City’s argument. Their first chance to regain some of their mystique is going to come in the form of a preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Will Reid stick to form and give his starters some reps, or has last season’s injuries changed his mindset?
Will Patrick Mahomes and Key Chiefs Starters Play in Preseason Week 1?
For Reid, the mantra has been simple since Day 1. The starters suit up considerably more than other teams in the preseason. As a result, there are no slow starts to the season for the Chiefs, who are ready to rock as soon as the season officially gets underway.
However, after a disappointing offensive campaign in 2023, Kansas City invested a lot of resources into its wide receiver group to bring back the brilliance of Mahomes. A key component was wide receiver Hollywood Brown.
But a sternoclavicular injury suffered in the preseason kept him out till December last year. Has that given the three-time Super Bowl champion some pause in his decision-making for this year’s preseason slate?
The simple answer is no. The starters will be taking the field when their year kicks off against the Arizona Cardinals. Mahomes even had a hilarious quip about the idea. “I don’t necessarily look forward to getting hit.” However, he did clarify that one hit might do him good.
“There’s always a little shock,” he revealed, stating that the first hit helped him get into the right mindset for the rest of the preseason and the incoming regular season. The plan, as it currently stands, is for each of the four quarterbacks to get one quarter.
Starting with Mahomes, the team will move to Gardner Minshew in the second quarter and Bailey Zappe in the third, before rounding off with Chris Oladokun. Presumably, the rest of the offensive crew will follow a similar pattern.
The #Chiefs 1st UNOFFICIAL Depth Chart of the preseason. #ChiefsKingdom @KSHB41 @41IsTheMic pic.twitter.com/s7MdXQtuYM
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) August 4, 2025
However, on the subject of Mahomes getting hit, the offensive line is going to be the most significant focus for Chiefs Kingdom. So far, everyone has heard praise for rookie Josh Simmons, who will shore up the left tackle position for the two-time MVP.
But against Arizona, fans will get a first glimpse of Simmons in action. After the Super Bowl rout, it is an area that has to be on the entire team’s mind as a key number for improvement. Preseason might give the coaching staff and the fans an idea of how much of a difference the first-round pick is going to make.
