The good news: your Kansas City Chiefs are back on the field to start the 2024 preseason. More good news: the outcome of preseason games doesn’t matter. On Saturday night, the Jacksonville Jaguars dealt the Chiefs a 26-13 road loss in their preseason opener.

The game’s most consequential outcome may be the injury sustained by wide receiver Hollywood Brown while he was making his first reception as a Chief. We’ll be anxiously awaiting updates from what head coach Andy Reid described as sternoclavicular joint dislocation.

In the meantime, we can take some hints from what we saw on the field. Kansas City’s first- team offense was able to move the ball pretty well. Multiple running backs found success on the ground — and several receivers made plays. But the defense and special teams were less impressive overall. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit struggled to tackle and cover, while special teams coach Dave Toub’s guys looked unprepared for the new kickoff rules.

We shouldn’t overreact to any positives (or negatives) in a preseason game. But let’s consider a few Chiefs who stood out.

Winners

Fullback Carson Steele: The best storyline of this preseason game is the emergence of the undrafted free agent from UCLA. Steele led the Chiefs in rushing, running through (and over) Jacksonville defenders for a touchdown. That capped off a very good day that included a game-long 20-yard run. Already a fan favorite, he’s caught the eye of the coaching staff. If the season started today, we could confirm that a fullback is once again part of Kansas City’s offense — and Carson Steele was built for the job.

Wide receiver Justyn Ross: On a second-and-13, quarterback Chris Oladokun lofted a pass from his own end zone. Moss — excuse me, I mean Ross — turned in a 23-yard toe-tapping catch on the sideline. Yes… maybe we’re falling for it again. But Ross is still an intriguing go-up-and-get-it receiver — and he’s the only one on the roster. Sure… it was only one catch. But it reminds us of Ross’ talent — and why the Chiefs are still trying to get him on the field.

Receiver/returner Nikko Remigio: It might be that Ross won’t be the hardest project receiver to cut. Remigio led the team in receiving — and had a nice 31-yard kick return, too. Many felt he made a compelling case for himself during last season’s training camp — and he’s consistently been strong during this one. Receivers at the bottom of the depth chart have to contribute on special teams — and durability doesn’t hurt, either. If it comes down to Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney or Remigio, who would you rather see on September’s 53-man roster?

Safety Jaden Hicks: The steal of the draft was also Saturday night’s defensive standout. The secondary had plenty of struggles, but Hicks sure looked like he belonged. He made his presence felt with some big hits — including a tackle for loss. It’s early, but all signs point to Kansas City’s front office hitting on another defensive back in the draft’s fourth round.

Left tackle Kingsley Suamataia: At this point: the indicators couldn’t be clearer: the Chiefs have found their left tackle. For a man his size, Suamataia moves incredibly well; he had some strong reps in pass protection. But the clearest signal of the night was that he played only six offensive snaps. He left the field with the rest of the locked-in offensive starters.

Losers

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire: While the former first-round pick has recently missed some practice time, his role as the team’s No. 2 running back seemed secure. But lately, Deneric Prince has been coming on, giving the team another option. Prince was one of three Chiefs running backs to break off a carry of 10 yards or more in this game — while Edwards-Helaire had two carries for no yards. With Steele’s breakout performance, other players might be crowding Edwards-Healire out of the running back room.

Receiver/returner Mecole Hardman: The wide receiver room is also crowded, so special-teams ability will matter. On a kickoff, Hardman made a big mental error by taking a ball into the end zone and downing it. A completely unforced safety is worse than most dropped passes and wrong routes. It’s the type of play that stands out in an otherwise meaningless preseason game. The 2023 season was plagued by wide receiver mistakes. It’s one thing the Chiefs don’t want to repeat.

Linebacker Leo Chenal: In his second season, the former Wisconsin Badger has been coming on strong — and Kansas City has cleared his path to a bigger role by allowing Willie Gay, Jr. to leave free agency. But Saturday night wasn’t Chenal’s best exhibition. On more than one occasion, he looked a little lost in space as Jacksonville picked on him in coverage. He was also one of the main reasons the Jaguars broke their first kick return for 74 yards; Chenal seemed to be out of control and was unable to make the tackle. He’ll have better games in 2024, but his performance on Saturday was enough to raise some concerns about his limitations.