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The\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0will wrap up the 2025 NFL preseason on Friday with\u00a0a showdown with the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.<\/p>\n
This game represents the final chance for players on the roster bubble to impress ahead of Tuesday\u2019s 53-man roster cutdown deadline. Many decisions have been made, but we\u2019ve seen plenty of times in the past that a strong preseason Week 3 performance can tip the scales.\u00a0While the starters are expected to get some playing time, all eyes will be on those attempting to make their case and leave it all out on the field.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at six players, ranging from rookie draft picks to veterans, poised to make a strong case for the 53-man roster on Friday night.<\/p>\n
I was admittedly a bit surprised by the reaction to my take that rookie RB Brashard Smith, a seventh-round draft pick out of SMU,\u00a0could be in danger of not making the 53-man roster. It wouldn\u2019t be the first or last time that a seventh-round pick doesn\u2019t make an initial 53-man roster. Yes, the Chiefs knew they were getting a project here. Smith is only in his second year of playing the running back position after transitioning from wide receiver upon transferring to play for the Mustangs. While he had a solid performance catching and running the ball in preseason Week 2, he has mostly played with the third- and fourth-team offense. He also hasn\u2019t made strides on special teams, which is something he needs to do given his late-round draft status and the positioning he\u2019s fighting for on the roster. Preseason Week 3 represents a final chance for Smith to make his case and prove he belongs on the 53-man roster. If not, he could be destined for waivers and possibly the practice squad.<\/p>\n
Breaking up the \u201cFab Five\u201d seems like a risky choice, but Williams appears to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.\u00a0He\u2019ll have the opportunity to get back in their good graces\u00a0in preseason Week 3 against the\u00a0Chicago Bears\u00a0because of the injury situation at cornerback. With Nazeeh Johnson sidelined by a shoulder injury, Williams could get a nod to play with the starting defense opposite Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie in sub packages. If that\u2019s the case, a solid game could make him an indispensable asset or, perhaps, vault his trade value to a point where you can get a hefty return. If Kristian Fulton, who is returning from the Active\/PUP list, jumps him for a starting spot, it could signal even more of an uphill climb for Williams.<\/p>\n
When speaking about Felix Anudike-Uzomah\u2019s hamstring injury,\u00a0Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo mentioned Herring\u00a0as someone who should see more opportunities in preseason Week 3. He\u2019s a former undrafted free agent out of the University of Georgia who has inside-outside versatility. He\u2019s also been in the system since 2021, which counts for something. During that span, he has appeared in 26 games with one start, recording 28 total tackles, three tackles for loss, a pass batted, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and 1.5 sacks. In a preseason game in front of a home crowd, that experience could be what helps him excel and stand out above the rest.<\/p>\n
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The\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0will wrap up the 2025 NFL preseason on Friday with\u00a0a showdown with the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. This game represents the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kansas-city-chiefs"],"yoast_head":"\n