The Kansas City Chiefs had several standouts in their loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but others were not so impressive. Luckily, they’ll have their chance to redeem themselves against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday as they look to earn their spot on Kansas City’s 53-man roster for the 2023 regular season.
While the Chiefs’ first-team units are relatively safe, their pool of talent deeper down on their depth chart is competing for jobs heading into Kansas City’s second preseason tilt.
These five players in particular should play with a chip on their shoulders against Arizona on Saturday:
QB Chris Oladokun
Oladokun threw an interception that sealed Kansas City’s fate against the Saints on Sunday and will need to show more discretion in his second opportunity against Arizona. Though he isn’t likely to make the Chiefs’ roster regardless of his performance on Saturday, he could redeem himself in the eyes of Kansas City’s fans if he manages to come through in the clutch.
DB Trent McDuffie
McDuffie will enter the 2023 regular season as one of Kansas City’s top cornerbacks but struggled in his limited playing time against New Orleans. His unspectacular play on Sunday isn’t cause for concern yet, but he’ll need to show more urgency and effort in Saturday’s tilt to bring momentum into the Chiefs’ final preseason matchup next week.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Edwards-Helaire was heavily featured on the Chiefs’ opening drive against the Saints but is anything but a lock to be Kansas City’s lead running back in 2023. Without a standout preseason performance, Edwards-Helaire may even fall to the third or fourth-string spot on the Chiefs’ depth chart, so he needs to wow the Chiefs’ coaches and fans against Arizona.
DB Justin Reid
Reid had a rough outing on Sunday and needs a bounce-back performance against the Cardinals to regain confidence ahead of the regular season. He isn’t likely to see the field much on Saturday, so Reid will look to make the most of his limited playing time to get back in rhythm.
WR Skyy Moore
Moore was a non-factor against the Saints, failing to register a single catch in the preseason Week 1 matchup. Though this isn’t likely to affect his trajectory for the regular season, a more impressive showing against the Cardinals could boost the Chiefs’ first-team offense early in the game and help Kansas City earn its first win of the 2023 preseason.
