Three Offensive Players With Something to Prove in Chiefs' Preseason Finale vs. Bears

With the starters set to sit for the Chiefs' final preseason game ahead of the 2024 NFL season, a few Chiefs will have an opportunity to show KC (or another team) what they're worth.

Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Deneric Prince (34) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The cat's out of the bag: the Kansas City Chiefs plan to sit the majority of their starters and impact rotational players against the Chicago Bears on Thursday, leaving a group of down-the-depth-chart Chiefs to make their final case for a roster spot — or perhaps to show another team that they deserve a chance elsewhere in the league. When the NFL's mandatory cutdown day arrives on August 27, the team will pare down from a 90-man roster to a 53-man crew. Can any of these three offensive players make one more push?

Running back Deneric Prince

Second-year undrafted free agent running back Deneric Prince is as much of a coin flip as any player on this roster. Prince made our second Chiefs On SI roster projection, but that was before fellow running back Carson Steele appeared to punch his ticket to the team against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. With Clyde Edwards-Helaire battling an ongoing illness, his roster spot seems less secure than it was earlier in the offseason, but it also wouldn't shock me to see Edwards-Helaire remain as high as KC's second-string running back when the regular season arrives. Alternatively, if the Chiefs keep four total running backs, Prince would join Edwards-Helaire and Steele as the trio behind starter Isiah Pacheco.

Pacheco won't play against the Bears, and I would guess we probably won't see much of Edwards-Helaire. Steele seems to have shown the coaching staff enough to prove his value and could see limited reps on Thursday, and the rest of the depth chart has fallen behind those top four runners. All of that points to a chance for Prince to get a major workload against Chicago. Can he make the most of it behind a backup offensive line?

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney

I have always been excited by the potential of Kadarius Toney and I have almost always been disappointed in the reality. The enigmatic wide receiver started training camp with a bang, making waves with some work at running back before spending the end of camp on the sidelines. Toney was once again marred by nagging injuries that led to concerning summaries from head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. Toney remains one of the most unique movers in the NFL, and I still can't blame Reid, Nagy or general manager Brett Veach for being enamored with his talent. Unfortunately, that talent hasn't turned into production. Still just entering his fourth season, the Chiefs appear ready to move on. I still — blame me, this is my own fault — want to see Toney get the ball in his hands against the Bears, and I still believe that he has a truly unique skill set. Unfortunately for Toney, he definitely won't be catching passes from Patrick Mahomes and most likely won't be running routes for Carson Wentz. Chris Oladokun and Ian Book project to get the call at quarterback, which could make it even harder for Toney to impress. A single punt return or one highlight on offense might be enough for another team to give Toney his third chance, but I'm not sure if he'll have a real chance to jump Justyn Ross or Nikko Remigio in the Chiefs' battle for wide receiver No. 7.

Guard C.J. Hanson

C.J. Hanson is in a completely different place from Prince and Toney. He's nowhere near the end of his NFL dreams, but the rookie seventh-round draft pick out of Holy Cross has a chance to put the team in a difficult position with a strong performance on Thursday. In our most recent roster projection, Hanson missed the cut while KC kept nine offensive linemen. While the team could keep 10 linemen, Hanson is the player with the best chance to force the team's hand. KC's starting five and the next four depth pieces are all but set in stone, so Hanson's spot would likely need to come at the expense of an extra running back, tight end or linebacker. Without special teams potential, Hanson may not be particularly useful on the active roster in 2024 but would project to be a slam dunk to return to KC's practice squad, unless another team chooses to poach him to their own 53-man roster. As a player who has seen some struggles in his first on-field action, the Chiefs should assume they could sneak him through. If he shows growth on Thursday, he could force the team to make a tough decision.

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