Kansas City

Chiefs

Worthy will open camp with the Chiefs, but according to Palmer, the rookie receiver will “be eased back in.” Palmer said Worthy is healthy, but he isn’t expected to get “a ton of reps early.” Worthy was plagued by a hamstring injury for much of the spring, but it sounds like he’ll be coming along in the next few days/weeks. Worthy has a chance to contribute early and often to the Chiefs offense once he’s fully up to speed, and he would see his fantasy value rise significantly if Rashee Rice were suspended for his offseason legal troubles.

In addition to Thuney, the Chiefs also placed EDGE Charles Omenihu, DT Derrick Nnadi, and DB Jaylen Watson on the PUP list. Thuney suffered what was called a “significant pectoral injury” by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport during last year’s AFC Championship Game against the Ravens and was unable to suit up for the Super Bowl as a result. In addition to Thuney, Omenihu suffered a torn ACL in the Super Bowl and is a likely candidate to open the year on the reserve/PUP list. All players are eligible to return to the roster upon passing a physical.

“He’s going to have to be ready to go,” Mahomes added, suggesting the team will thrust their No. 28 overall pick into the offense as soon as training camp starts. The team did a similar thing with Rashee Rice last season and saw that pay off to the tune of 79 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie year. Worthy could see a significant role out of the gate, with Rice facing a potential suspension after this offseason’s legal issues. Worthy and veteran receiver Marquise Brown will both add an elite element of speed to an offense that has last explosive receivers since Tyreek Hill left for the Dolphins in 2022, which could lead to some high-scoring fantasy weeks for two guys who are going as low-end WR3s in fantasy drafts right now.

Omenihu suffered a torn ACL against the Ravens in last year’s AFC Championship game. The former fifth-round pick posted a career-high seven sacks in just 11 regular season games last season while also tying a career-high with five TFLs. Given the timing of his injury, Omenihu isn’t expected to be ready by the start of Week 1, but the sixth-year vet appears to be on track to return at some point in the season and will look to reprise his breakout season with the Chiefs again in 2024.

This one felt inevitable. Over the last month, Buggs has been charged with misdemeanor cruelty to dogs in the second degree and was arrested last week on domestic violence and burglary charges. The sixth-year pro never played a regular-season game with the Chiefs and is unlikely to see action anytime soon as he sorts out these legal issues. Buggs played in 10 games for the Lions last season before being released, totaling 12 tackles, two TFLs, and one sack. Buggs remains in jail after last week’s arrest.

Buggs has been arrested twice in less than a month after misdemeanor charges were filed against him on May 29 for cruelty to dogs in the second degree. According to an article by ESPN, Buggs was booked into the Tuscaloosa County jail and later released on a $5,000 bond. Buggs appeared in 10 games last season for the Lions and was signed to the Chiefs practice squad in January 2024, shortly after the Lions released him. We don’t know much about this incident outside of Buggs’ arrest and release, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Chiefs cut ties with him in the coming days given the recent string of events.

Jones’ teammate, Travis Kelce, previously said he can’t put a timeframe on when he would retire, but plans to play through his contract. Jones said, “We can’t let TK go. It’s like we retire, we’ve got to retire together.” He turns 30 next month and plans to play through the new five-year deal he signed with the Chiefs this offseason. Jones continued, “Give me at least six, four years, then we’ll talk about it.” Jones is still playing at a high level, tallying 10.5 sacks last season. He will aim to contribute to a Chiefs three-peat, while the team keeps the core veterans together for the short-term.

The veteran tight who will turn 35 this season, understands the questions about when he’ll hang up the cleats, but says he “really can’t put a timeframe” on it. Kelce also acknowledged the opportunities that he has outside of football, but still enjoys coming to work. While he’s shown slight signs of decline, his chemistry with Patrick Mahomes is unmatched and as long he’s playing, Kelce is a threat. He still has the competitive fire that’ll keep him amongst the top tight ends in football.

At just 31 years old, Nelson has opted to call it quits. The former third-round pick tied a career-high with four interceptions last season while playing on over 1,000 defensive snaps, and, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, fielded multiple offers from teams this offseason. Nelson appeared in 130 regular season contests during his career, racking up 13 interceptions while also recovering four fumbles His 12 pass breakups tied for 23rd most in the league amongst defensive backs last season, as he helped solidify a Texans secondary that allowed the fewest touchdown passes (17) in the league.

Thompson was rushed to the hospital after having a seizure during a team meeting and was reportedly in stable condition. Thompson, 25, a 2023 fifth round pick by Kansas City, appeared in one game last season.