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The Kansas City Chiefs' championship core if it manifests will contain some of the same pieces from the club's pre-2025 run.
With that said, a disappointing season led to the front office making quite a few changes to breathe new life into a questionable roster.
Did general manager Brett Veach accomplish that goal? The ultimate answer won't be revealed for months, but the early returns have many backing Kansas City as a playoff contender again following a down year.
How quickly these first-time Chiefs get familiar with their surroundings at training camp could serve as a jumpstart for what's to come.
Joshua Brisco, Seth Keysor and Nate Taylor discussed that and more on a July episode of the Only Weird Games podcast on KC Sports Network.
How Will Kenneth Walker & Emari Demercado Adjust to Kansas City? The Chiefs' rushing attack has been one of football's worst for a couple of years now, and it took a brutal 2025-26 effort for the team to respond.
The Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt era is over, with both players being replaced by the duo of Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado.
The former is widely expected to be a top halfback leaguewide, while the latter is an intriguing signing at the worst.
Starting with the easier fit, Demercado is known for breaking off chunk runs.
That skill set could allow him to spell Walker as needed and provide valuable snaps as a backup, regardless of whether rookie draft pick Emmett Johnson challenges him on the depth chart.
It's Walker whose fit and profile are much more interesting in Kansas City.
Head coach Andy Reid has opted to deploy his running backs in more shotgun-based runs in the recent past, yet that's a direct clash with what Walker does best (operate from under-center rushes).
Will either side be able to change its stripes? How the team opts to utilize Walker, as well as how he looks executing those tasks, is a sneaky-big thing to monitor at camp and over the next couple of months.
Which Cornerbacks Will Win the Game of Musical Chairs? Gone are Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
In are Mansoor Delane and a supporting cast that does figure to contain familiar names like Nohl Williams, Kristian Fulton and the re-signed L'Jarius Sneed.
In addition to the first-round rookie needing to hit the ground running, there are some new faces who could factor into the picture, too.
For starters, perhaps both literally and figuratively, does Kader Kohou have enough left in the tank following an ACL tear? If he isn't the same player he once was, is it Sneed assuming the first-string nickel cornerback job? Could Day 3 rookie Jadon Canady find work in that role? What about someone like Kaiir Elam becoming a force multiplier at the end of the roster should he shine during camp and the preseason? For better or worse, K.C.
has a multitude of ways it can go with the cornerback spot.
If you're a fan, that's likely both promising and frightening at the same time.
Is Coaching Enough to Harness and Develop Chiefs' Talent? Aside from changing his right-hand men in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and special teams coach Dave Toub, it's hard to say Reid didn't shake things up on his coaching staff.
Not only is Eric Bieniemy replacing Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator, but there's a new wide receivers (Chad O'Shea) and running backs (DeMarco Murray) coach in the fold to boot.
O'Shea might have his work cut out for him.
Rashee Rice, the team's top wideout, is a nice volume target when on the field, yet availability is a concern and he's failed to expand his game.
Former first-round pick Xavier Worthy took a step back in his sophomore campaign and now enters a critical year alongside Tyquan Thornton, who was re-signed this offseason.
Saving the offense goes beyond simply bringing Walker in; Reid and the coaches must agree on the best ways to unleash him.
As mentioned before, schematic liberties regarding play-calling could have a direct impact on whether the new kid on the block is elite or just good.
Altering personnel is one thing, but the Chiefs are also facing the reality of needing to improve on the coaching front.
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Jordan Foote covers the Kansas City Chiefs for Chiefs On SI.
Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media.
He has covered Kansas City sports including the Chiefs and Royals for over half a decade via digital, radio, video, and podcasting mediums.
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