Which Chiefs players have something to prove in training camp?

Training camp is only the beginning for any NFL player with plans to make an impact, but it is meaningful, particularly for players who are fighting for a roster spot or a starting role. For the Kansas City Chiefs, with just a week until the first wave of camp reporting, a few young players will have chances to show that they deserve a longer look after leaving too many questions unanswered in previous years.

On today’s edition of Everything Else, we discussed a handful of players who need to make the most of their time at Missouri Western State University, but these four stand above the rest.

I didn’t think the Chiefs would be in this position at any point during the offseason, but they appear to be expecting Felix Anudike-Uzomah to play a legitimate role in 2026. The opportunity will be there; can the former first-round pick seize it?

Anudike-Uzomah has played the second-most defensive snaps of any Chiefs defensive end, only (far) behind George Karlaftis, narrowly edging out Ashton Gillotte’s 485 defensive snaps in 2025 with his total of 550 in 2023 and 2024 combined. That doesn’t guarantee Anudike-Uzomah anything, but the Chiefs need edge defenders who can eat some snaps in '26, and FAU has a path to be a rotational player, even after a disappointing first three years in the league.

Late last year, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo admitted that safety Jaden Hicks had his share of struggles in his second season, which was tough to hear after Hicks’ promising rookie campaign.

KC Sports Network@KCSportsNetwork

Steve Spagnuolo on safety Jaden Hicks: “I think if you asked Jaden, he’d tell ya he’s kind of had an up-and-down season… he’s made some mistakes that I wouldn’t have thought he would’ve made in his second season.”

7:33 PM · Dec 11, 2025 · 272K Views

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Assuming that at least some of those mistakes were mental, Hicks could secure his role as (at least) KC’s third safety with a clean camp.

We also discussed linebacker Cooper McDonald during today’s show, but Jeffrey Bassa’s camp seems more vital as things stand currently. McDonald appears to already have a bit of trust from Spagnuolo and Co., while Bassa — a 2025 fifth-round pick — is almost a complete unknown.

Similarly to Bassa, we just have almost nothing to go on regarding wide receiver Jalen Royals. He never caught a pass from Patrick Mahomes in his rookie season, and he could be in danger of being passed up by Cyrus Allen if Allen’s early hype has any truth to it.

Everyone on this list has a legitimate path to playing time in front of them. The Chiefs have needs at defensive end, safety, linebacker and wide receiver. If these young players want to earn that time, they’ll have to begin making their case in St. Joe.

I finally figured out how to get NFL Street Reborn up and running on my Steam Deck, and it was worth the effort. Reborn is a mod to the 2004 masterpiece NFL Street 2, but with updated rosters and a few small aesthetic tweaks.

As I’ve discussed many times over the years, I really do think that Street fundamentally informed what kinds of football players I have the most fondness for, and it feels great to have Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the gang represented in an official-feeling capacity.

Everything Else with Joshua Brisco is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.