Kansas City is in a weird spot. Honestly, the 2025 season didn't go the way anyone in Mid-America expected, ending with a thud against the Raiders in Week 18. Now, as we sit in January 2026, the front office is already churning. Brett Veach isn't waiting for the Super Bowl confetti to be swept up in other cities; he’s already signing "futures" contracts and scouting the guys who will likely replace the veterans we’ve loved for years.
If you’re looking for the big, flashy names that cost $100 million, you’re a few months too early. Right now, the Kansas City Chiefs new players are a mix of intriguing "low-risk, high-reward" flyers and a massive 2025 rookie class that is finally starting to see the field.
The January Flurry: Who Just Joined?
While most fans are looking at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Chiefs just quietly added a handful of guys to Reserve/Future contracts. Basically, these are "dibs" on players. They don't count against the cap yet, but they’re invited to camp.
Andrew Armstrong is the one to watch. The guy was a beast at Arkansas, leading the SEC in receiving yards back in 2024. He’s a big possession receiver who somehow fell through the cracks in Miami and Detroit. If he can figure out the special teams' nuances that Dave Toub demands, he’s got a real shot.
Then there’s ShunDerrick Powell. If you like speed, you'll love this kid. He put up a 40.5-inch vertical and a 1.50 ten-yard split. That’s elite. He’s essentially a "discount" version of the more established backs, but with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt both hitting free agency right now, the backfield is wide open.
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The New Names on the D-Line and Beyond
- Marcus Harris (DT): A former Texans draft pick. He’s got that "disruptive" label coaches love.
- Kam Arnold (LB): A converted safety from Boston College. He’s light—only about 227 pounds—but he flies.
- Matt Waletzko (T): A 6-foot-8 mountain who didn't quite pan out in Dallas.
- Jimmy Holiday (WR): He’s been on and off the practice squad but got a late-season elevation. The team clearly likes his developmental curve.
Why the 2025 Rookie Class is Finally Mattering
We have to talk about Josh Simmons. He was the 32nd overall pick last year out of Ohio State, and man, he had a trial by fire. With the news that the Chiefs might cut Jawaan Taylor to save roughly $20 million in cap space, Simmons is no longer "the future"—he’s the right now.
He won the left tackle job as a rookie, which is insane in Andy Reid’s complex system. Most people get that wrong; they think you can just plug a rookie in. You can't. Not usually. But Simmons held his own while the veterans around him dealt with injuries.
And don't sleep on Omarr Norman-Lott. The defensive tackle out of Tennessee was a second-round pick who spent a lot of the early season learning behind Chris Jones. With the interior of the line getting older, Norman-Lott’s ability to "get after the quarterback," as scout Lance Zierlein put it, is going to be vital in 2026.
The Veterans Coming (and Going)
The roster isn't just about the new kids. It's about who they're replacing. The Chiefs are currently facing a $58 million cap deficit. That means big names are going to walk.
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We already saw Shane Buechele waived recently—a classy move by the team to let him find a playoff roster elsewhere. But the real "new" flavor of the 2025 season came from guys like Gardner Minshew and Elijah Mitchell. Minshew provided that veteran backup stability we haven't seen since Chad Henne retired, and Mitchell gave the run game a different look when Pacheco was sidelined.
The "Futures" List (The Deep Bench)
The Chiefs also have a massive list of players on futures deals from the end of the 2025 cycle, including:
- Tre Watson (TE): An undersized move-TE from Texas A&M.
- Justyn Ross (WR): Still the fan favorite everyone hopes will finally explode.
- Tyquan Thornton (WR): The former Patriots speedster who is looking for a career rebirth in KC.
What Really Happened with the Roster Transition?
There’s a misconception that the Chiefs are just "reloading." Honestly? It’s more of a renovation. The team traded Joe Thuney to the Bears for a 2026 4th-rounder. They sent Skyy Moore to the Niners for a 2027 6th. These aren't moves a team makes if they think they're one player away.
They are getting younger and cheaper.
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The addition of Jaylon Moore (the tackle from the Niners, not the WR) on a two-year deal was a sneaky good move by Veach. It gives them a "swing" option if Simmons or the emerging Esa Pole struggle.
Actionable Insights for Chiefs Fans
If you're trying to track how this team will look in August, stop looking at the mock drafts for a second and watch these three things:
- The Cap Casualties: Keep an eye on Jawaan Taylor and Mike Danna. If they are released before March, it confirms the Chiefs are fully committed to the "Simmons and Norman-Lott" era.
- The Special Teams Battle: Guys like Jimmy Holiday and Kam Arnold aren't here to catch 50 passes or get 10 sacks. They are here to replace the expensive veterans on the "dirty work" units. If they survive the first round of cuts in May, they’re likely making the 53.
- The Backfield Void: With Pacheco and Hunt potentially gone, look for the Chiefs to either draft a back in the mid-rounds or elevate ShunDerrick Powell early in OTAs.
The Chiefs are effectively bridge-building. They've got the GOAT in Patrick Mahomes, but the 22-man supporting cast is being completely swapped out for younger, faster, and—most importantly—cheaper talent. It's a risky game, but it’s the only way to keep the window open when you're paying a quarterback half a billion dollars.
The next few months will be a whirlwind of "who is that guy?" moments. But if history tells us anything, Brett Veach usually finds a diamond in that rough.