Arrowhead got a little chill this week, and it wasn’t the Missouri breeze. Andy Reid stepped to the podium, read off a list of names, and just like that, Kansas City’s preseason worry shifted. Forget the offense finding its rhythm. The primary concern is now about the defense holding the line.

And when the defense starts to wear thin, everyone knows who shoulders the extra load: No. 15. The Chiefs won’t come out and say it, but you could see it written all over Andy Reid’s face the moment that injury list hit.

If the loss against the Seahawks wasn’t enough, Andy Reid’s update in the post-game presser was the breaking point. Five defenders landed on the wrong side of the health report: linebacker Jack Cochrane (knee), safety Nazeeh Johnson (shoulder), corner Nohl Williams (concussion), safety Mike Edwards (hamstring), and edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah (hamstring). Yeah, Chiefs are screwed. Patrick Mahomes more than anyone.

So why does all of this land on Patrick Mahomes’ plate? Because the Chiefs’ offense, by their own lofty standards, still has something to prove. Last year, they slipped to 17th in yards and 15th in points. A drop-off that became the headline of every camp preview heading into this season.

Yeah, Mahomes still racked up 3,928 passing yards, 26 TDs and 11 INTs in 2024. It’s a stat line most franchises would put up in their lobby. But for him, it wasn’t the turbocharged version fans are used to. That’s why every defensive setback in August only adds pressure for No. 15 to take on even more while the secondary gets back on its feet.

On defense, the injuries struck right at three of Spagnuolo’s favorite pressure points: safety depth (Edwards and Johnson), rookie corner development (Williams), and the extra edge presence in sub-packages (Anudike-Uzomah). All the right places, huh?

It’s not panic-button stuff in August, but it is exactly where Spags has to start tinkering. If Edwards and Johnson stay sidelined, that probably means a bigger workload this month for Bryan Cook, who had four tackles against Seattle while the staff shuffled through combinations. Not bad, but not something the Chiefs can rely on when the season starts.

And if Anudike-Uzomah can’t go full tilt, August puts more on the Omenihu-Karlaftis duo while the staff hunts for someone who can win a third-and-6 without extra blitz heat. Which is exactly where Mahomes understands the math: an early two-score cushion can be the best pass rush this team has.

And if this string of injuries wasn’t bad enough, the humiliating loss just added fuel to the fire.

Andy Reid’s humiliating loss to the Seahawks

The Chiefs dropped to 0–2 in the preseason after a 33–16 loss in Seattle, and they did it with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the other stars watching from the sideline, as Reid wanted. Sam Darnold marched the opening drive for a touchdown, and the Seahawks never really let off the gas after that.

The stat that jumped off the tape? Seattle gashed Kansas City for 268 rushing yards on 48 carries: 5.6 a pop. They were blowing up run fits and stretching drives against a thin Chiefs defense. And once the ground game set the table, Drew Lock had it easy through the air, going 10-of-12 for 129 yards and two scores while living in second-and-short.

Let’s look at the silver lining for a second. Chiefs’ backups had their moments, sure. Gardner Minshew’s early strike, Robert Tonyan’s red-zone grab, the problem? The production never held up. Just 110 receiving yards as a team and 68 on the ground isn’t going to win many nights, preseason or not. The bright spot came on special teams, where Skyy Moore ripped off an 88-yard punt-return touchdown.

So what went wrong for Reid beyond sitting the stars? With the run defense springing leaks and five defenders banged up, Seattle controlled the tempo, dominated possession, and forced Kansas City to play on its heels.

Now stack all that together, and even a solid outing from the quarterbacks behind Mahomes doesn’t move the needle. That’s exactly why those defensive injuries only crank up the urgency on No. 15 until Spags gets his two-deep back to full strength.