News - The Chiefs were criticized for their limited youth development following their Week 17 loss.

Following their 20-13 defeat to the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs have concluded their NFL season with a 6-11 record. Despite having numerous starters on injured reserve and no playoff berth on the line, the team stuck to playing seasoned players, providing minimal chances for their younger roster to gain crucial on-field experience. In his postgame conference, Coach Andy Reid highlighted that young players were included, citing it as a positive developmental step. However, many of these athletes were given few opportunities to truly demonstrate their skills or learn through experience. Offensively, Brashard Smith, Jalen Royals, and Hunter Nourzad received extremely limited playtime, with Smith being highly effective in his six offensive snaps. Likewise, young defenders like Jaden Hicks, Kristian Fulton, and Nohl Williams found themselves on the field more so out of necessity rather than a strategic choice aimed at growth. Cooper McDonald stepped in at SAM linebacker, while Kevin Knowles and Jeffrey Bassa saw minimal action, despite showing potential. This approach begs the question of future development, as the Chiefs seemingly miss a vital opportunity to invest in and build the confidence of their upcoming talents ahead of the critical 2026 season.