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For the first time since 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs are taking their bye in Week 5, the earliest possible slot. As a result, this year's bye-week awards are based on five fewer games than last season's edition.
Despite some flaws, the Chiefs head into the break with an unblemished 4-0 mark. For comparison, at last year's bye—after nine games instead of four—Kansas City had just one additional win. They remain the AFC's lone undefeated squad.
With the off week here, The Star's Chiefs coverage team is once again distributing bye-week awards. The voting panel consists of Blair Kerkhoff, Pete Grathoff, columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell, and this reporter. Today's installment names the top rookie and most improved players.
Top Rookie: Mansoor Delane
Votes: Delane (4), Kahlil Benson (1)
Last offseason, the Chiefs traded two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and moved up to No. 6 overall to draft Mansoor Delane as his replacement. A shoulder injury during OTAs led to an inconsistent training camp, but Delane made an immediate impact in his NFL debut, intercepting a pass against the Denver Broncos on just the third play of his career. However, he aggravated the shoulder on that play.
Delane was active but did not play in Week 2, then returned in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins. He recorded a crucial fourth-down pass breakup versus Miami and added another against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus grades early in 2026, Delane ranks as the No. 6 coverage defensive back in the league, four spots behind McDuffie at No. 2.
Despite essentially two fewer appearances, Delane is fifth on the team with 20 tackles, including four run stops. It's too early to declare him an adequate replacement for McDuffie, but so far, so good.
Undrafted rookie left tackle Kahlil Benson, a surprise starter early in the season, also received a vote. Benson won the NFL's rookie of the month award for September.
Most Improved: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kristian Fulton, Jaden Hicks, George Karlaftis, Travis Kelce (tie)
Votes: Anudike-Uzomah (1), Fulton (1), Hicks (1), Karlaftis (1), Kelce (1)
Four games in, The Star's most improved player voting is unprecedented, with five different Chiefs earning a vote. In a way, that's both a good and bad thing. The good: so many players have noticeably improved that Kansas City is back to its winning ways. The bad: after finishing 6-11 last season, there was ample room for improvement.
Following a season lost to a hamstring injury, defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah has carved out a role in the Chiefs' defensive line rotation, notching a Week 1 sack and eight quarterback pressures, fourth on the team. Cornerback Kristian Fulton was largely out of the mix last year due to injury and even was a healthy scratch once healthy. The Chiefs relied on Fulton for the first two weeks when Delane was unavailable, and he earned praise from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. His interception of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was a critical play in a game that eventually went to overtime.
Similar to Fulton, safety Jaden Hicks saw increased playing time due to injury, playing 100% of defensive snaps with Chamarri Conner out for the first three games. Defensive end George Karlaftis is still seeking his first sack, but he leads the team with 19 pressures, and his hit on Kirk Cousins on Sunday led to the game-sealing interception. Travis Kelce, at 37, ranks second among NFL tight ends with 246 receiving yards. If he maintains that pace, he'll finish with 68 catches for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns. Any player earning a most improved vote at his age deserves recognition.
This story was originally published October 7, 2026, at 5:30 AM with the headline "Chiefs bye-week awards: Top rookie, most improved players through 4-0 start."
Originally reported by kansascity.