‘In this league, it’s all about what you can do tomorrow.’ A line famously muttered in ‘Ballers’ as NFL execs navigate the ruthless calculus of roster cuts. For the Kansas City Chiefs, tomorrow just got clearer—and tougher. Yet, as the schedule’s Brazil opener proves, Patrick Mahomes isn’t just chasing stats. He’s globalizing football’s heartbeat.

On May 15, 2025, the franchise waived Keaontay Ingram (injured) and Justin Lockhart (injury settlement). Hence, trimming the herd ahead of a grueling 18-game slate. But in a league where every cut is a chess move, this isn’t just paperwork—it’s poetry in motion.

Ingram’s exit stings like a missed two-point conversion. The former USC standout, once a sixth-round gem for Arizona, clawed his way onto Kansas City’s practice squad in 2023. Hence, earning a Super Bowl LVIII ring as a depth piece. But with 62 career carries for 134 yards and a 2.2 YPC average, his $1.03 M non-guaranteed deal became expendable. That too in a backfield crowded with Isiah Pacheco’s thunder, Kareem Hunt’s nostalgia, and rookie Brashard Smith’s hype.

‘You either evolve or evaporate,’ Andy Reid might say, channeling his inner ‘Sun Tzu.’ For Ingram, whose 2024 season lasted one game, the IR looms unless another team gambles on his potential—a low-risk bet with high-reward daydreams. Meanwhile, Lockhart’s story reads like a preseason tearjerker.

The undrafted San José State alum signed a three-year, $2.97 M deal in May, flashing glimpses of his college magic (53 catches, 983 yards, 5 TDs in 2024) before an undisclosed injury sidelined him. Now, with an injury settlement,

Lockhart’s 2025 is a redshirt year—a pause button on a career that once saw him torch Boise State for 172 yards. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Connor Embree might remind him, but in the NFL, sometimes the marathon ends at the training table.

From waivers to Mahomes’s wonders

If roster cuts are the NFL’s unsentimental haiku, schedule releases are its blockbuster trailers. And Kansas City directed theirs like Scorsese. Dropping their 2025 slate via a ‘Cash Cab’–inspired video, complete with trivia, confetti, and cornerback Trent McDuffie playing navigator, the club blended cheeky charm with strategic flexes. The schedule itself? A gauntlet wrapped in sequins.

Kicking off in São Paulo against the Chargers—the NFL’s first YouTube-exclusive game—the Chiefs then host the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl LIX rematch. Thanksgiving in Dallas? Check. Christmas vs. Denver? Double-check. Seven primetime games? ‘You play to win the game!’ Herm Edwards’ infamous rally cry echoes, and Patrick Mahomes—with his 89–23 career record—isn’t here for participation trophies.

At 29, he’s already lapped legends. That’s by holding records for fastest to 30 K yards (103 games) and most TDs before 30 (254). But let’s ‘keep it 100’: This season hinges on more than QB sorcery. With $11.7 M in cap space and a rebuilt WR room (Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice), cutting Ingram and Lockhart frees up chump change ($1.03 M). But every penny counts when extending Chris Jones’ contract feels likelier than a ‘Taylor Swift halftime show.’

As the ‘Chiefs Cab’ rolls into Arrowhead’s horizon, fans know the drill. The Tomahawk Chop’s primal pulse, the War Chant’s crescendo, and that collective roar rewriting ‘home of the brave’ to ‘home of the CHIEFS!’ It’s a culture where cuts sting but never sag. Where every waived player is a footnote in a dynasty’s diary. Because in Kansas City, the road to Lombardi No. 4 isn’t paved with sentiment. It’s built by cold calls and colder cuts. And Mahomes? He’s got the GPS.

‘Victory loves preparation,’ they say. For the Chiefs, preparation just met its match: ambition.