3 Chiefs Fighting for Their Jobs in Saturday's Preseason Game

Live football action returns with Week 1 of the NFL preseason slated to kick off on Thursday. The Kansas City Chiefs begin their exhibition schedule with a matchup at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, Aug. 13.

The Chiefs have their sights set on winning another Super Bowl, but there's a long road to get there. Head coach Andy Reid must make sure that he has the best possible 53-man roster, meaning players must use Saturday's preseason game as a way to make a case for their respective jobs.

Here's a look at three Chiefs who are fighting for their jobs in Saturday's matchup against the Bears.

Chiefs Roster Rumors

1. Josh Gordon, WR

Outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Chiefs' wide receiver depth chart could go several ways. One player hoping to compete for a more significant role is Josh Gordon. Unfortunately, it looks like the veteran WR's best days are long behind him, recording only 32 catches for 458 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his last 23 games. Playing with Patrick Mahomes hasn't rejuvenated Gordon's career as hoped and unless he shows that he has something left in the tank this preseason, his time in Kansas City could come to an end.

2. Ronald Jones, RB

The Chiefs brought in veteran running back Ronald Jones this offseason to serve as Clyde Edwards-Helaire's backup. Having said that, the veteran rusher still has a lot to prove. Third-string RB Jerick McKinnon looked promising in a limited role last year, averaging 5.2 yards on 12 rushing attempts. McKinnon is also the better pass-catcher of the two and the Chiefs haven't shied away from more skilled players in the past. Yes, Jones is the better downfield rusher, but it's possible that his style doesn't mesh with Kansas City over the course of the preseason. If he doesn't have a strong performance against the Bears, he could slip down the depth chart.

3. Shane Buechele/Dustin Crum

Chad Henne's four previous seasons with the Chiefs likely solidify his role as Mahomes' backup, leaving Shane Buechele and Dustin Crum to fight for the third-string job. On one hand, Buechele spent 2021 on Kansas City's practice squad, so he's familiar with the organization. On the other, Crum is the reigning MAC MVP and clearly impressed the Chiefs enough to warrant a look following his going undrafted back in April. Saturday's game should offer both young men a chance to grab the No. 3 QB role, making the margin for error is quite slim.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.