The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Kansas City Chiefs' camp is taking place at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and, of course, the quarterbacks room.
What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Chiefs camp. We will update this file often. Can coach Andy Reid get the Chiefs back into the playoffs? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?
Dive into all the updates and be sure to check back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins Aug. 13.
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Saturday, Aug. 1
In the four days of the Chiefs' camp, one factor for the defense has already materialized: Rookies Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas are showing they can be capable contributors.
Throughout Saturday's practice, Woods, the first-round defensive tackle, and Thomas, the second-round defensive end, have been featured on several 11-on-11 repetitions with the first-team defense. Woods had a strong performance, winning multiple repetitions against undrafted rookie right tackle Kahlil Benson. On the edge, Thomas has displayed his speed to get close at times to quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
"I'm excited about the young talent we have on the D-line, man," star pass rusher Chris Jones said. "A lot of explosiveness. Peter is coming along and [R] Mason is doing his thing. We haven't put the pads on yet, so I'm excited to put the pads on Monday and see where we stand."
Defensive end Ashton Gillotte, a second-year player and projected starter, missed Saturday's on-field work with a strained right hamstring, an injury he sustained Friday. The player who had the most first-team repetitions in Gillotte's place was Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the 2023 first-round pick. Anudike-Uzomah missed all of last season with a right hamstring injury that he sustained in the preseason.
"Felix is finally healthy," Jones said. "I think that was the main part. [With] a healthy Felix, now we're able to see the first-round talent that we drafted and him being able to broadcast his skill set."
Friday, July 31
For the second consecutive practice, Kahlil Benson, the undrafted rookie right tackle from Indiana, was with the first-team offense. The difference from Thursday is that coach Andy Reid allowed Benson to take all of the first-team reps, which is a bit of a surprise since five-year veteran Jaylon Moore entered camp as the projected starter.
"He's done a nice job," Reid said of Benson. "He's learning. Very strong and powerful, good feet, good athletic ability. He's working at the consistency part, scheme-wise. Physically, he's got all the tools. He'll just keep working at it and we'll see where it goes, but he's got a lot of talent."
Reid suggested that he wants to keep Benson atop the depth chart so that he can see how the rookie performs against the Chiefs' top defensive ends -- George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas and Felix Anudike-Uzomah -- next week during the team's first padded practices.
"Can you pound through those 2½-hour practices in the heat with the pads on?" Reid said. "And then, you've got the preseason game. How do you handle that? It's a long road, but we'll see how he does. But up to this point, my hat goes off to him."
More observations:
Reid said cornerback Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs' top draft pick, could shed the non-contact yellow jersey in the next few days. Delane has worn the yellow jersey in each practice as a precaution for him since he missed the mandatory minicamp in June with a shoulder injury. "He wants to do everything, but we're not allowing him to use that [right] arm," Reid said of Delane. "He's out there playing kind of one-handed. We're keeping an eye on him. It's great for him because he's got to work his feet and techniques. It actually works to his benefit in the long run."
Gillotte, the second-year player, left Friday's practice early with a strained hamstring. "We got him out of there and started his rehab and MRI and all of that stuff," Reid said. "I don't think it's too bad."
Thursday, July 30
A trend to watch throughout camp is how often the Chiefs have quarterback Patrick Mahomes operate the offense from under center Creed Humphrey.
Last season, most of the Chiefs' snaps with Mahomes were with him in the shotgun, using that element in 80.6% of their formations (excluding quarterback kneel-downs) which was the third most in the NFL, according to TruMedia. But during Thursday's practice, Mahomes was under center more than half of the time during the first team period -- 11-on-11 reps -- against the first-team defense. The looks allowed coach Andy Reid to see how running back Kenneth Walker III carried the ball between the tackles -- his preferred running style -- and how Mahomes did executing play-action passes.
"Under center stuff is fun," Humphrey said. "When we get the chance to do it, I have a lot of fun with it. We're excited about what we're doing right now and where this offense is headed."
In the second team period, Mahomes was pleased with the result of a screen pass to Walker from out of shotgun, a rep that led to the running back having plenty of open field to gain additional yards.
"He's a dynamic player, a freak athlete and great with his reads," Humphrey said of Walker. Humphrey later added this on the Chiefs' screen game: "It's just focusing on the details in practice, locking down exactly what we need to do and what we're trying to accomplish with each screen. We're getting the reps [we need] with the new backs just to get that cohesion."
More observations:
One significant change in the lineup Thursday was that undrafted rookie tackle Kahlil Benson had several reps at right tackle with the first-team offense. The switch allowed five-year veteran Jaylon Moore to work as the left tackle with the second-team offense. "He's a really hard worker," Humphrey said of Benson. "You can tell [football] is important to him, so he shows up every meeting, walkthrough, lift with the right mindset. He's a really strong player, his punching power. He's really technical, too, so we're excited about him."
A small new detail Thursday was that Ashton Gillotte, who's projected to start at defensive end, had a few reps at the linebacker position and other reps as an interior pass rusher next to rookie defensive end R Mason Thomas. "We're experimenting with a bunch of things," longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said of Gillotte. "We'll do that with him. I'd like to be able to see if there's anybody in the DL group that can do other things. We would take [former linebacker] Leo Chenal and put him with the D-line once in a while. This is part of finding the versatility in guys."
Second-year cornerback Nohl Williams has been the team's best cornerback so far. In the 7-on-7 period in the red zone, Williams made a nifty interception against Mahomes in which he jumped in front of receiver Tyquan Thornton inside the end zone.
In the nickel competition, four-year veteran Kader Kohou was given an opportunity to play with the first-team defense. Mahomes' best pass Thursday was when he completed a deep pass against a Cover 0 blitz to receiver Xavier Worthy, who sprinted away from Kohou and into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown.
QB1 said 👉 @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/Cg1oTgjP3z
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 30, 2026
Wednesday, July 29
The Chiefs had their first full-team practice of training camp Wednesday and new receivers coach Chad O'Shea is likely not going to be thrilled when he rewatches film.
O'Shea's position group was the team's most disappointing during the 90-minute session. The first team period -- 11-on-11 reps -- began when quarterback Patrick Mahomes found receiver Tyquan Thornton open in the middle of the field. But he dropped the pass.
The wideout who struggled the most was second-year player Jalen Royals. Royals fumbled a few steps after he caught the ball on the perimeter, as safety Chamarri Conner used his right hand to punch the ball out. The rep ended with Conner recovering the ball and sprinting down the field along the sideline. A few minutes later, Royals was late turning his head to locate Mahomes' pass on an intermediate route, leading to an incompletion.
"He's got a good feel for the game," Reid said of Royals. "He's just got to keep on with the reps and make sure he's got a good relationship there with Pat and keeps developing that."
The only receiver standout was rookie Cyrus Allen, the Chiefs' fifth-round pick. On two reps, Allen was able to get open quickly for Mahomes against zone coverage, including one inside the red zone in the 7-on-7 period.
"Cyrus had a good day," Reid said. "I think Pat's got some trust there. We've got a long way to go, but we've just got to keep going, keep growing. He's got talent and he's been able to retain [information]."
Rook's already making plays.@PatrickMahomes x @cyrusallen_ pic.twitter.com/1hWVv0tcdh
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 29, 2026
More observations:
Reid said receiver Rashee Rice and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed left the practice fields after their individual periods to have more of a rehab day with the training staff inside the indoor facility. "It was all positive and it was planned," Reid said. "We'll gradually ramp them up as we go."
Reid said Ethan Downs, a second-year defensive end, had surgery Tuesday to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, an injury that ended his season. The Chiefs also put undrafted rookie tight end John Michael Gyllenborg (knee) on the injured reserve list, ending his season.
Monday, July 27
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was given his usual rest day Monday, the final practice for quarterbacks and rookies to get acclimated to training camp ahead of the first full-team session Wednesday.
Mahomes performed well in the two practices to begin camp. As he continues to rehab and recover from his left knee injury, Mahomes demonstrated that he can run at a faster pace than what he displayed earlier this summer during the Chiefs' offseason program. In the individual periods, Mahomes was able to roll to his left and right before throwing the ball downfield.
When the Chiefs open Wednesday's on-field work, Mahomes is expected to be in the huddle with the rest of the offense's projected starters, most notably tight end Travis Kelce, running back Kenneth Walker III and receivers Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton.
Sunday, July 26
One of the highlights at practice Sunday was during the 7-on-7 period inside the red zone. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes surveyed the field and then completed a pass to rookie receiver Cyrus Allen, who made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone between two defenders.
"It's still a surreal moment for me because I used to play the [Madden NFL] game with Pat a lot," Allen, the Chiefs' fifth-round draft pick this year, said of Mahomes. "I'm pretty familiar with what he [does]. That was my favorite team."
Allen will compete throughout camp against Nikko Remigio and Jalen Royals for the No. 4 receiver role. Sunday's highlight was a positive sign for Allen, who used his route-running ability -- one of his best traits -- to make himself available against the defense's zone coverage.
"Everything is pretty much timing," Allen said. "This [isn't] college anymore. This is big-boy ball. I'm on his time, and everything is very precise."
Coach Andy Reid spent a few minutes giving Allen one-on-one coaching between repetitions, too. Allen said Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy have tasked him to work on his pre-snap awareness so that he can better anticipate the secondary's coverage to make quicker decisions on how to best run his route.
"They don't play," Allen said of Reid and Bieniemy. "Everything is intentional and process-oriented. Coach EB is definitely pounding us every day with our [jersey] tucked in. Everything is pretty structured."
More observations from the day:
On defense, rookie cornerback Jadon Canady, who has played mostly from the nickel position, has started camp well, including breaking up a pass Sunday. Canady also had a diving interception Saturday when backup quarterback Justin Fields targeted undrafted rookie Xavier Loyd near the goal line. "I grabbed my man, stayed attached to his hip and the ball came out," Canady said. "From there, you know, it's pretty much, 'See ball, get ball.'"
Ethan Downs, a second-year defensive end, missed Sunday's practice with an apparent left knee injury. During Saturday's 7-on-7 period inside the red zone, Downs immediately reached for his left knee after he made contact with rookie running back Emmett Johnson near the goal line.
Saturday, July 25
Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs' top draft pick this year, participated in Saturday's practice while wearing a noncontact yellow jersey usually worn only by quarterbacks, a precaution for him since he missed the mandatory minicamp with a shoulder injury.
During the 7-on-7 periods, Delane had repetitions at both of the cornerback spots. One of his best coverage moments was when he effectively smothered undrafted rookie receiver Jeff Caldwell down the field's perimeter. Delane, though, also knew he had some first-day mistakes.
"The first day is always ups and downs," Delane said, smiling. "I'm a guy if I lose reps, it motivates me to get better. That just means I've got more room to grow. I almost get excited about those things, but at the same time you don't want the same mistake to keep happening."
We are so back. pic.twitter.com/ZwrgTuai5W
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 25, 2026
Delane is projected to be a starter for longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, a player tasked with helping replace Trent McDuffie, who was traded this offseason to the Los Angeles Rams. Spagnuolo made sure to let Delane know he'll be a main focus of his teaching over the next month.
"I'm the guy they picked first," Delane said of the Chiefs drafting him at No. 6. "I'm a guy who likes to be the underdog even though I feel the spotlight could be on me. I still have an underdog mindset, but I'm competing to get a starting job."
One of the best passes Saturday from quarterback Patrick Mahomes was at Delane's expense. In the red zone 7-on-7 period, Mahomes threw a perfect intermediate pass to receiver Jimmy Holiday, who caught a 20-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone with Delane trailing in man-to-man coverage.
"[He's] as advertised," Delane said of Mahomes. "He's a great quarterback."
More observations from the day:
Before Saturday's practice, the Chiefs put defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (right knee) and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg (sprained knee) on the physically unable to perform list. "Big guys with ACLs, it takes a little bit of time to get them back and fully strengthened up and ready to go," Reid said Friday of Norman-Lott, the 2025 second-round pick. "We've just got to keep the strength part of it coming with him."