Patrick Mahomes searches for the next Tyreek Hill and Matt Araiza debuts after sexual assault accuser dropped lawsuit: FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED as Jags top Chiefs in preseason opener
The Chiefs opened their preseason on Saturday night with a 26-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It wasn’t quite the start that Andy Reid will be hoping for in the team’s third-straight title defense, though he won’t be fretting too much as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce played sparingly.
Still, there were some interesting storylines to come out of the game, including the return of punter Matt Araiza.
Kansas City’s wide receiver room also figures to be a situation to watch, as Mahomes continues to look for a reliable option opposite Kelce.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
Patrick Mahomes played sparingly for the Chiefs as they began their preseason on Saturday
Matt Araiza could cure Chiefs’ punting woes after making NFL debut
Araiza made his NFL debut on Saturday – two years in the making after being accused of rape (which he was never charged for) and subsequently being cut by the Bills, who took him in the sixth round of the 2022 Draft.
It was later determined by prosecutors that Araiza wasn’t even at the party where the alleged assault occurred, and he was also dropped from a lawsuit that an alleged victim had named him in. He also agreed not to file a defamation lawsuit against her.
Now, as he told reporters this week, he’s ‘grateful’ to be back in the NFL and did himself no harm vs. the Jaguars.
Matt Araiza, seen at practice last week, made his NFL debut on Saturday for the Chiefs
In his first NFL appearance, Araiza hit three punts and dropped two of them inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line.
For context, the Chiefs previous punter Tommy Townsend achieved just 20 such punts all of last season – which ranked 24th at his position.
Araiza will be understandably happy that he’s even back on the field, but he could make a real impact for the Chiefs too.
The search for Tyreek Hill continues
While Travis Kelce is still on the Chiefs and remains Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target, the Chiefs are still searching for a reliable foil to the tight end after the speedy Hill was traded to the Dolphins two years ago.
Rashee Rice had a strong rookie season, but could miss time this season after offseason legal troubles (he is under investigation over a 119mph car crash in Dallas), while free agent signing Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown injured his shoulder after a first quarter catch vs. Jacksonville.
Perhaps Hill’s heir apparent then is 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy, but the former Texas standout had a quiet night as he didn’t register a single catch.
Xavier Worthy had a quiet night for the Chiefs as he failed to catch a single pass
The Chiefs are hoping Worthy, Rashee Rice or Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown can be a worthy replacement for Tyreek Hill, who was traded in 2022
It will be interesting to see who develops into a trusted second option for Mahomes, or if he can find that sort of consistent weapon opposite Kelce at all.
Chiefs in decent hands if Patrick Mahomes goes down
Of course, if Mahomes were to suffer a significant injury, it would likely be disastrous to the Kansas City’s title hopes.
But if the quarterback, who has battled ankle problems in recent seasons, is forced to miss the odd game or two, there are worse backup options than Carson Wentz, who joined the team this offseason.
He showed a bit of his talent on Saturday as he went 4-of-4 on passing attempts for 26 yards, though he also fumbled before recovering it.
Carson Wentz could be an effective option for the Chiefs if Mahomes is forced to miss time
As a starter, Wentz had some great – and not so great – moments over five years with the Eagles before impressing in Indianapolis and flaming out of Washington.
But you have to think that under the leadership of Andy Reid, he could muster up some decent play and keep the ball moving if needed.
Louis Rees-Zammitt faces a real fight to make the roster
Rees-Zammit was a star in the rugby world but is fighting just to stick in the NFL after switching over to football.
The Welshman, who has been listed as a running back, received just two touches on offense: a carry that went for one yard, and a three-yard reception.
Louis Rees-Zammit had two touches on offense and was accused by some fans of looking slow
He also fielded one kickoff for a touchback, and made a special teams tackle as well.
But for a player who received $250,000 in guarantees, he definitely still has some learning to do – some fans on social media said he looked ‘slow’ on the field – and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him moved to the practice squad or cut altogether.
New kickoff rules on full display
The NFL changed its kickoff rules ahead of this season to ‘promote more returns,‘ as the league website says, and that was on display on Saturday.
While the ball is still kicked from a team’s own 35-yard-line, the 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground, or a player, or the end zone.
And that added space and time was exploited by the Jags as Parker Washington broke off a 73-yard kickoff return.
His teammate Tank Bigsby also ran for 43 yards on a kickoff, while the Chiefs had returns of 32 and 31 yards as well.
