Chiefs Preseason Snap Counts: Who Played the Most?

Sample size isn't everything in the NFL, but it certainly isn't nothing. Preseason football opens the door for teams to get firsthand looks at their 90-man rosters, which will pay off big-time with roster cuts looming at the end of the weekend.

Over the course of August, head coach Andy Reid and his staff divided labor as well as they could in an effort to learn more about their players. The dust has now settled on the three preseason outings, which can be lumped in with training camp as the team's evaluation window. Some talents saw the field more often than others, although no two snaps meant the exact same for a given player.

With snap counts out for each game, it's time to dive in and decipher what mattered and what didn't.

Chiefs' preseason snap count leaders on both sides of the ball

The Chiefs had plenty of snaps to go around in games versus the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. Here are the top-five players in snaps played on each side of the ball.

First up, the offense, led by undrafted free agent pickup Pete Nygra.

• OL Pete Nygra: 182
• C Hunter Nourzad: 151
• OT Esa Pole: 151
• QB Garrett Nussmeier: 143
• OL Mike Caliendo: 125

On defense, former Houston Texans 2024 NFL Draft pickup Marcus Harris topped the list and certainly made the most of it in preseason game No. 3 with multiple tackles for loss.

• DT Marcus Harris: 90
• CB Tanner McCalister: 83
• DE Ethan Hurkett: 82
• S Xavier Nwankpa: 80
• S Jaden Hicks: 79

What else stood out this preseason? Three storylines may be worth taking into consideration.

Andy Reid wanted a long look at rookie QB Garrett Nussmeier

The Chiefs feel secure about the top of their quarterback hierarchy, and for good reason. Patrick Mahomes continues to make progress as planned in his attempted return from a torn ACL and LCL, and Justin Fields has been around the league long enough to bring ample experience as a backup. What Kansas City didn't know, though, was what it had in seventh-round rookie Garrett Nussmeier. it's safe to say Reid wanted to — and did — find that answer out in the preseason.

Nussmeier led all Chiefs passers this month in attempts (70), completions (44) and yards (370). On top of that, he faced a multitude of challenging third-down situations, which Reid praised the LSU product for handling well. Whether it was a sneaky-good debut or an up-and-down finale to his first preseason, the former Tiger's first dose of NFL action likely did him plenty of good.

Now, it's on KC to continue fine-tuning Nussmeier's toolbox to see if he can take over for Fields as Mahomes' primary backup in 2027 and beyond.

The Chiefs told you how they feel about OT Kahlil Benson

In one of the more puzzling developments of the summer, the Chiefs gave undrafted rookie free agent Kahlil Benson seemingly every opportunity to make an impact. Regardless of how outsiders may feel about his training camp or preseason performance, it's become glaringly obvious that Reid and company are fond of the former national champion out of Indiana.

Heck, Reid acknowledged such on Friday night.

"He's made improvement every week," Reid said. "I like the way he goes about his business. I think he stands a chance to be a good player as long as he keeps progressing. There's still work to be done, but he's a willing worker, and I love that part. He doesn't normally make the same mistake twice; I love that part. He's a big human being that is a good athlete, and I like that."

Benson logged two preseason games with just six offensive snaps apiece, a signal that he was a member of the first-team unit. Although right guard Trey Smith is now healthy and left tackle Josh Simmons appears to be on the mend, the UDFA isn't being forgotten about. His 35-snap sample against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers exposed his shortcomings, but his team doesn't seem to care too much.

At this point, it'd be surprising if Benson didn't make the roster and stick around for a while.

Peter Woods definitely isn't starting as a rookie, at least out of the gate

The Chiefs' first-round selection of Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods naturally came with many folks projecting him as the heir apparent to All-Pro Chris Jones. That can certainly become a reality in due time, but it likely won't lead to the athletic pass rusher being a first-string tackle in campaign No. 1.

While working back from an ankle ailment, Woods combined for 64 defensive snaps in his initial preseason. Offseason pickup Khyiris Tonga had just 13 this year, an easy tell that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plans to start him alongside Jones up front. That's the right move, in this writer's opinion, as Tonga is a much more proven run defender right now and is a more suitable fit for a pairing with Jones in 2026.

None of that should keep the uber-talented Woods from finding his way into the lineup and making splash plays. He's as intriguing of a prospect as there is on this roster. It probably will, however, make him a rotational piece out of the gate in the regular season.