The Chiefs' latest snap counts reveal some telling changes in playing time after their ugly loss to Seattle.
Oct 25, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) looks on during warmups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) looks on during warmups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As the Kansas City Chiefs ease into the middle portion of the schedule, the team's snap counts make it fairly easy to track the trends of players earning the trust of coaches and those who are struggling to hold onto their roles. Taking anything out of context in a given week leads to some wrong assertions, but the bigger picture allows for real understanding, which makes it interesting to look at the season-long snap counts and how they relate to the team's most recent loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle kept the Chiefs in their base defense as much as possible, which led to a serious increase in reps for linebacker Jack Cochrane and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga. It also kept Chiefs' safeties Alohi Gilman and Jaden Hicks on the bench for half the game. But when looking at this week's snap counts alongside previous weeks, we feel good drawing a few conclusions.
Chris Roland-Wallace has to play more
Given the Chiefs' struggles to stop the Seahawks on third downs, it made sense for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to lean on Chris Roland-Wallace a bit more in the slot after watching L'Jarius Sneed wilt in coverage in the first half. Roland-Wallace played 31 snaps (45 percent) on Sunday, a season high, and Sneed countered with 14 snaps (20 percent), a season low. Sneed still has value but the Chiefs have to figure out how to mask his limitations. Until then, Roland-Wallace should find himself with a lot more playing time given how he looks compared to the competition.
Travis Kelce's ankle was okay
Travis Kelce was nursing a sore ankle in Week 6 that had him returning to the sidelines for extra tape support from trainers. Heading into Week 7, Kelce was limited in practice from Wednesday to Friday, although he avoided an injury designation versus Seattle. As it turns out, his ankle held up just fine as he was back to a robust 83 percent of snaps played. Load management wasn't a luxury for the Chiefs on Sunday when trying to claw their way back from an early deficit in Seattle, but the good news is that Kelce's ankle injury was a short-term concern.
Diego Pounds is a prospect stash
One of the overlooked moves of the Chiefs' preseason shuffle was a minor trade with the Baltimore Ravens that brought undrafted offensive tackle Diego Pounds onto the active roster. For the first six weeks of the season, Pounds was a healthy inactive stashed on the roster to keep other teams from signing him away. Yet even in the face of major injuries on both sides of the offensive front, Pounds remained on the sidelines as he watched Kahlil Benson and Josh Ezeudu eat up 100 percent of snaps on Sunday. Pounds would likely help in a crisis moment, but if he's not playing in the face of such struggles versus Seattle, then Chiefs Kingdom is unlikely to see him until Week 18.
Justin Watson on the uptick?
Small sample sizes make it impossible to draw any meaningful conclusions, so it's hard to tell if wide receiver Justin Watson is gaining more playing time or not. The veteran receiver returned to the Chiefs as a free agent during the bye and played a single snap in Week 6. Versus Seattle, Watson caught his first pass from Patrick Mahomes and played 5 snaps (9 percent). If rookie Cyrus Allen can't be trusted to know where to be, and if Rashee Rice (hamstring) isn't ready for Week 8, it's reasonable to expect Watson to ramp things up even more. The Chiefs have to get vertical versus Denver, and Watson can at least help them do that.
Ashton Gillotte is getting healthier
Ashton Gillotte was one of the few bright spots in Week 7 for the Chiefs, with a few impact plays from a night where everyone looked slow and ill-prepared for what Seattle brought them. That followed his career-best game against the L.A. Chargers in Week 6. Gillotte has been pushing the pocket and showing up strong against the run. After starting the year with a foot injury, his snap counts have increased from 43 percent in Week 4 to 53 percent in Week 6 and 58 percent on Sunday. That's a good sign for the second-year defensive end.