Kansas City Chiefs Week 2 Preseason Players Takeaways

Look, I get it. Preseason games are supposed to be glorified practice sessions where coaches experiment with lineups and nobody really cares about the scoreboard. But watching the Kansas City Chiefs stumble through their 23-7 loss to Seattle on a soggy Friday night in the Pacific Northwest? That was harder to stomach than Andy Reid’s halftime snack selection.

Yes, the Chiefs sat most of their marquee players like they were precious collectibles. However, some of what we witnessed at Lumen Field should have Chiefs Kingdom reaching for the antacids.

Robert Tonyan: The Unlikely Preseason MVP

Let’s start with the good news, because honestly, there wasn’t much of it. Robert Tonyan looked like he’d been mainlining whatever made him effective in Green Bay before his injury-plagued 2024 campaign. The tight end hauled in two catches for 11 yards and a touchdown in the first half, continuing his impressive preseason run.

After leading the Chiefs with three receptions and 49 yards against Arizona in Week 1, “Big Bob” Tonyan has basically written his own ticket to the 53-man roster. Brett Veach deserves credit for this diamond-in-the-rough signing. Tonyan missed virtually the entire 2024 season, but he’s playing like a guy who remembers what it feels like to be Aaron Rodgers’ favorite red zone target.

The touchdown wasn’t pretty; nothing about this game was, but Tonyan’s reliability in traffic has been a pleasant surprise. In a preseason where most Chiefs fans are squinting to identify backup defensive backs, at least we know who’s catching passes behind Travis Kelce.

Gardner Minshew: The Redemption Tour Continues

I’ll admit it: I was dead wrong about Gardner Minshew. During training camp, watching him make decisions was like watching someone try to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. But something clicked between St. Joseph and Seattle.

Minshew’s decision-making has been night-and-day better in actual games compared to practice. He’s got that gunslinger mentality that Chiefs fans have grown accustomed to, minus the arm talent that makes you forget about the risky throws. Still, he brings some of that Mahomes-esque improvisation that could keep drives alive when the regular season hits.

The guy even has a bit of swagger, which is more than you can say for most backup quarterbacks who look like they’re perpetually apologizing for existing.

The Injury Bug Strikes the Secondary

Just when you thought the Chiefs’ cornerback depth couldn’t get any thinner, preseason Week 2 happened. Nazeeh Johnson went down with a shoulder injury after making a solid pass breakup—because of course he did. The guy was actually showing promise, which apparently violated some unwritten preseason law.

Then, rookie Nohl Williams got his bell rung and entered concussion protocol, adding insult to injury. Jack Cochrane also left with a knee issue, though linebacker depth is slightly less terrifying than the cornerback situation.

Safety Mike Edwards exited with a hamstring injury, because why should the secondary catch any breaks? At this rate, the Chiefs might need to start holding tryouts in the parking lot.

Joshua Williams vs. Reality

Speaking of cornerbacks, Joshua Williams continued his quest to make Chiefs fans nervous. While Johnson was making plays before his injury, Williams was in a perfect position to defend a touchdown pass but somehow allowed the reception anyway.

The guy’s got the physical tools, but watching him play defense sometimes feels like watching someone try to catch butterflies with oven mitts. With the depth chart looking thinner than Reid’s patience with penalties, Williams needs to figure things out quickly or risk getting passed by hungrier players.

Short-Yardage Struggles: A $166 Million Problem

Here’s the part that should genuinely concern Chiefs fans: the short-yardage offense still looks like it’s powered by hopes and dreams rather than actual blocking schemes. On fourth-and-short, the Chiefs decided to run behind Robert Tonyan instead of using their center and right guard combination that cost a combined $166 million.

Yes, it’s preseason. Yes, teams don’t show their best plays. But Carson Steele needed to convert that play if he wants to make the roster as a fullback, and the playcall didn’t exactly set him up for success. When you’re paying premium money for offensive line talent, you should be able to push forward one yard without needing a detailed strategy session.

Run Defense: Missing Bolton More Than Expected

The Chiefs allowed over 170 rushing yards in the first half, which would be concerning even in a meaningless August game. Nick Bolton’s absence was felt immediately. Veteran linebackers Cole Christiansen and Jack Cochrane looked like they were running through quicksand.

Christiansen and Cochrane combined to make “virtually unplayable” look generous. The interior defensive line wasn’t much better, getting pushed around like traffic cones in a construction zone. Sure, missing Chris Jones doesn’t help, but most of these defenders will need to contribute during the regular season.

Kingsley Suamataia: The Consistency Question

For the second straight week, rookie tackle Kingsley Suamataia got steamrolled on at least one play with the starting unit. Consistency is everything for offensive linemen, and right now, Suamataia looks like he’s still figuring out that NFL pass rushers don’t take plays off.

One blown protection can kill a drive or worse, your quarterback. Suamataia has the talent to be a solid starter, but these mental lapses need to disappear before September.

The Bigger Picture

Look, losing a preseason game means about as much as winning the coin toss; it’s what happens next that matters. But the Chiefs showed some concerning trends that go beyond typical August rust.

The run defense looked soft. The offensive line still struggles in short-yardage situations despite massive investment. The secondary depth remains paper-thin, and now it’s dealing with actual injuries.

None of this means the Chiefs won’t win another Super Bowl. They’ve got Mahomes, they’ve got Reid, and they’ve got a championship culture that doesn’t panic over preseason hiccups. But these issues won’t magically fix themselves just because the games start counting in a few weeks.

At least Tonyan looks ready to contribute, and Minshew has transformed from training camp liability to competent backup. Sometimes in preseason, you take the small victories and hope the bigger problems work themselves out.

Because if they don’t? Well, let’s just say $166 million doesn’t buy you much if you can’t gain a yard when it matters.