Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart 2026 — Starters & Backups

Patrick Mahomes is the Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback for 2026, with Justin Fields as the backup — he played 100% of the offensive snaps in 2026.

The starting receivers are Rashee Rice (WR1), Xavier Worthy (WR2) and Jalen Royals (WR3), with Travis Kelce at tight end.

The 2026 depth chart lists 12 starting jobs on offense (primary personnel: 11) and 12 on defense. The defense lines up in a 4-3 base with a nickel sub-package.

Kansas City Chiefs 2026 depth chart: offense
Position	Starter	Second	Third
QB	Patrick Mahomes	Justin Fields	Garrett Nussmeier
RB	Kenneth Walker III	Emmett Johnson	Brashard Smith
FB	Ben VanSumeren
WR1	Rashee Rice (O)	Cyrus Allen	Omari Evans
WR2	Xavier Worthy	Nikko Remigio
WR3	Jalen Royals	Andrew Armstrong
TE	Travis Kelce	Noah Gray	Jake Briningstool
LT	Josh Simmons (O)	Kahlil Benson	Jaylon Moore
LG	Kingsley Suamataia	Mike Caliendo	Hunter Nourzad
C	Creed Humphrey	Hunter Nourzad	Mike Caliendo
RG	Trey Smith	Mike Caliendo	Pete Nygra
RT	Kahlil Benson	Jaylon Moore	Diego Pounds

Kansas City Chiefs 2026 depth chart: defense
Position	Starter	Second	Third
LDE	George Karlaftis	Ashton Gillotte	Jack Pyburn
LDT	Chris Jones	Peter Woods	Bryson Eason
RDT	Khyiris Tonga	Bryson Eason
RDE	Felix Anudike-Uzomah	R Mason Thomas	Emmanuel Ogbah
WLB	Drue Tranquill	Jeffrey Bassa	Cam Jones
MLB	Nick Bolton	Jack Cochrane
SLB	Jeffrey Bassa	Jadon Canady	Cole Christiansen
LCB	Nohl Williams	L'Jarius Sneed (Q)	Chris Roland-Wallace
RCB	Mansoor Delane	Kristian Fulton
Nickel	L'Jarius Sneed (Q)	Kader Kohou	Chris Roland-Wallace
FS	Alohi Gilman	Xavier Nwankpa
SS	Chamarri Conner	Jaden Hicks	DeShon Singleton

Kansas City Chiefs 2026 depth chart: special teams
Position	Starter	Second	Third
K	Harrison Butker
P	Matt Araiza
LS	James Winchester
H	Matt Araiza
KR	Nikko Remigio	Brashard Smith	Xavier Worthy
PR	Nikko Remigio	Brashard Smith

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Chiefs' RB1?

Kenneth Walker III starts at RB for Kansas City — 74.5% of snaps in 2026 so far. Emmett Johnson is second and Brashard Smith third.

Who starts at QB for the Chiefs?

Patrick Mahomes (year 10) starts at QB for Kansas City in 2026. Justin Fields is QB2.

Who are the Chiefs' starting WRs?

The Chiefs' starting wide receivers in 2026 are Rashee Rice (WR1), Xavier Worthy (WR2) and Jalen Royals (WR3).

Who starts on the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line?

The Kansas City Chiefs starting offensive line: Josh Simmons (LT), Kingsley Suamataia (LG), Creed Humphrey (C), Trey Smith (RG) and Kahlil Benson (RT).

Who are the Kansas City Chiefs kicker, punter and long snapper?

Kansas City Chiefs specialists: Harrison Butker (kicker), Matt Araiza (punter) and James Winchester (long snapper).

Which Kansas City Chiefs starters are injured or unavailable?

Injured or unavailable on the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart: Rashee Rice (O), Josh Simmons (O), L'Jarius Sneed (Q), Chris Oladokun (IR), C.J. Hanson (IR), Matt Waletzko (IR), Jimmy Holiday (IR), Tyquan Thornton (IR), EJ Smith (IR), John Michael Gyllenborg (IR), Jeff Caldwell (IR), Ethan Downs (IR), Cooper McDonald (IR) and Omarr Norman-Lott (PUP).