5 takeaways from Kansas City Chiefs' preseason loss at Tampa Bay

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The Chiefs’ preseason losing streak will reach three full years after a 16-15 loss Saturday in Tampa Bay.

Kansas City has won an exhibition game since Aug. 26, 2023, though nobody will care if Andy Reid ever wins another preseason game if the Lombardi Trophies keep piling up.

Admittedly, we’re along way from that.

“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Andy Reid said. “You go in and you want to win the game. These guys are competitive.”

Patrick Mahomes didn’t play against the Buccaneers, who played most of their starters, in a sloppy game dominated by the defenses.

Three Harrison Butker field goals, including an otherworldly 69-yard shot at the halftime horn, were the only points in the first half, but former Kansas star quarterback Jalon Daniels led a second-half comeback at Raymond James Stadium.

Daniel finished 9 of 14 for 71 yards with a touchdown, adding 19 yards on seven carries rushing, while the Chiefs’ rookie QB, Garrett Nussmeier, struggled compared to last week, finishing 9 of 17 for 74 yards.

Such is the NFL preseason. Here are five takeaways that truly matter for the Chiefs:

1. Do Chiefs have OT problem?

The Chiefs seem to have a strong offensive line but with precious little depth.

Starting left tackle Josh Simmons (back) and right guard Trey Smith (hip) didn’t play in Tampa, which means the offensive line was patchwork — and looked like it.

A week after Kansas City’s offensive line was flagged for 10 penalties in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, things were much better against the Buccaneers.

Jaylon Moore moved from right tackle to left tackle in Simmons’ absence, while Khalil Benson started in Moore’s spot at right tackle. The two have been battling for the starting job in camp and Benson started the first preseason game at right guard.

With Benson bumped outside, Mike Caliendo stepped in as the starting right guard in Tampa. Center Creed Humphrey and left guard Kingslet Suamataia were the only players who lined up in their expected starting role up front against the Buccaneers.

A lot of the focus in training camp has been on the right-tackle battle after Kansas City cut Jawaan Taylor early in the offseason.

A rookie minicamp invitee, Benson was a pleasant surprise, but the reality of NFL life may be setting in. He was flagged for a false start later allowed a strip sack when Anthony Nelson beat him around the edge to get to Fields.

Moore also looked shaky in pass protection, albeit out of position, but that’s not a great place to be with a franchise QB returning from a major knee surgery.

“We don’t have all the guys out there, but I like the chances of looking at the young guys and seeing what we’ve got there,” Reid said. “I’m OK with the O-line. We’ve got to keep working, but we’ll be all right there.”

Back injuries and offensive linemen (or defensive linemen, for that matter) aren’t a good combination, so the Simmons situation must be monitored, especially given his injury history in college and his rookie year.

Esa Pole has shown promise as well, but the lack of first-team reps suggests the coaching staff isn’t convinced he’s ready to contribute.

2. Defensive rookies keep shining

The Chiefs invested heavily in the defense during the 2026 NFL Draft and the early returns continue to be encouraging.

Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane made an immediate impact in his first game action with the Chiefs.

Delane, who had been limited with a shoulder until last week at training camp. drew a personal foul, which short-circuited the Buccaneers’ opening drive after rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst III slapped him in the helmet well after the whistle.

On the next drive, Delane, the No. 6 overall pick from LSU, recognized a screen pass and knifed under the block. He wasn’t able to make the tackle, but Delane’s penetration forced the play inside, where safety Chris Roland-Wallace cleaned up by tackling David Sills for a 1-yard loss.

The very next play, rookie defensive end R Mason Thomas, a second-round picks from Oklahoma, recognized a screen to the other side, stopping his rush to knock Baker Mayfield’s throw to the ground and forcing a punt.

It didn’t count, but Thomas also showed his athleticism by corralling the rolling ball as it bounced toward the Bucs’ end zone before dashing to the end zone.

First-round defensive tackle Peter Woods flashed his athleticism, shrugging off an uncalled holding penalty and chasing Jake Browning to the sideline.

“Those guys have done a great job of handling the volume of training camp,” veteran linebacker Nick Bolton said.

Meanwhile, safety Xavier Nwankpa, an undrafted rookie from Iowa, got the start with Chamarri Conner still sidelined and had two tackles on Tampa Bay’s opening drive. He finished with three tackles.

Nwankpa has had a strong camp, but so has fellow undrafted rookie safety DeShon Singleton, who led the Chiefs with eight tackles.

3. Johnson pulls ahead in RB race

After only seeing action in the fourth quarter of the preseason opener, Emari Demarcado was the next running back up after Kenneth Walker III had a couple carries for 4 yards on the offense’s first two snaps.

I’d be fine if Walker is done for the preseason. No need to accumulate wear and tear given the heavy workload he’s expected to carry.

As for Demarcado, he gashed Tampa Bay’s defense for a 7-yard gain on his first carry and had an 8-yard catch and run two plays later to convert on third down. He finished with five carries for 18 yards before Emmett Johnson and Brashard Smith took over.

Johnson was up first after Demarcaco and immediately broke a tackle while dancing his way to a 7-yard gain.

A week ago, Johnson said his favorite moment from the first preseason game was reaching the end zone, even though the touchdown was called back for a holding penalty.

Surely then, he’ll relish capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown.

After leading the Chiefs in rushing in the first preseason game, Johnson continues to impress, finishing with seven carries for 25 yards and a 10-yard reception.

Brashard Smith also had some bright moments, but the image of him fumbling the ball late — it went out of bounds to avoid a turnover — won’t help his case.

He showed some quickness and wiggle on an 18-yard run down the sideline, finishing with six carries for 37 yards and adding two catches, but Johnson remains ahead in the race for third running back spot.

4. Anudike-Uzomah’s moment

Without Ashton Gillotte, who suffered a foot injury in training camp last week, former first-round pick and Lee’s Summit native Felix Anudike-Uzomah started at left defensive end. He made a pursuit tackle on the opening drive.

Two drives later, he knocked Jake Browning from the game mid-drive with a bone-crunching sack, racing around right tackle Marshall Foerner and squaring up Browning in the chest, after having nearly sacked Browning one play earlier.

“Felix — nice, big sack there early,” Reid said.

Former Kansas star Jalon Daniels finished the drive for Browning, who returned later in the second quarter.

Anudike-Uzomah finished with two QB hits and two tackles.

Safety Jaden Hicks and Amari McNeill, an undrafted rookie from Colorado, also registered sacks in the game.

“Hicks had another good game, so that’s a positive on the defensive side,” Reid said.

5. ‘Bombs Away’ Butker

Harrison Butker earned one of the richest contracts in NFL history for a kicker with a sensational first five seasons.

Then came the ankle injury in the 2022 season opener, a bounce back in 2023 and a setback in 2024.

When Butker again struggled last season, it was fair to wonder if he’d ever be “The Butt Kicker” again, but he got off to a scintillating start to the preseason, including the second-longest recorded successful field goal in an NFL game.

Iron-legged Jacksonville kicker Cam Little owns the official NFL record with a 68-yard field goal last season. He also drilled a field goal from 70 yards out in last year’s preseason.

Still, Butker’s 69-yard bomb as the first half expired was incredible.

It would have been good from much further, too. The kick reached the field-goal net several yards behind the goal post.

Earlier in the first half, Butker also connected from 45 and 58 yards, making him perfect on seven tries through the first six preseason quarters.

Of course, no sooner had Butker drilled his epic kick, he went on miss a long-distance extra point after a penalty on the attempt and pushed a 43-yard go-ahead attempt late in the fourth quarter wide right — a kick that could have snapped the lengthy preseason skid!

“He’ll be the first to tell you that’s the one he’ll remember,” Reid said. “Got to straighten that out.”

Injury report

Safety Alohi Gilman (back spasms) got hurt during warmups and sat out, while defensive end Tyreke Smith (hamstring) left the game and may miss some time.

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