The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2026 preseason without a win, going 0-2-1 after Friday night's tie with the Seattle Seahawks. With the regular season approaching, head coach Andy Reid now faces one of the toughest parts of the NFL calendar.

Speaking to reporters after the preseason finale, Reid discussed the work his young players got during the exhibition schedule. He also touched upon the difficult roster decisions ahead, as the Chiefs must now trim their roster to 53 players.

“This is, like, the hardest time of the year for coaches, personnel guys and players, for that matter, because you've got to make these cuts coming up,” Reid said. “These guys have busted their tails through the hot, humid weather at training camp and sleeping in a dorm for you, then coming out and playing in these preseason games.”

While speaking to the reporters on August 29 through the Kansas City Chiefs' YouTube channel, Reid's comment showed the final preseason game was about more than evaluating talent.

Players spent weeks competing for roster spots. The coaching staff then had to decide which performances were enough to earn a place on the team.

The franchise has already made several roster moves after the preseason ended. Kansas City traded for offensive lineman Diego Pounds and placed defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott on the reserve/PUP list.

The team also waived or released a large group of players, including veteran defenders Emmanuel Ogbah, Kader Kohou and Kaiir Elam.

Several other players were waived with injury designations as the Chiefs moved closer to their initial 53-man roster.

Reid and general manager Brett Veach will have several difficult decisions to make. The head coach acknowledged that some players made those choices tougher.

The Chiefs’ roster decisions also showed how quickly things can change once the cuts begin. For one young receiver, the door back into Kansas City opened almost immediately.

Chiefs bring back Andrew Armstrong after releasing him

One of those players was wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, who quickly found his way back to Kansas City.

According to Chiefs Senior Team Reporter Matt McMullen, the Chiefs signed Armstrong to their practice squad on August 31, just a day after releasing him.

The former Arkansas Razorback entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Kansas City signed him to a reserve/futures deal in January.

Armstrong made a strong impression during training camp. He was one of the Chiefs' more productive young receivers during the preseason. His return gives Kansas City another young option at receiver.

Armstrong likely won't be active on game day right away. His practice-squad spot gives the Chiefs extra depth if injuries hit the position.

Kansas City opens the 2026 regular season against the Denver Broncos on Monday, September 14.

Written by

Evince Das