T-minus-6: what to expect from the Chiefs before the season opener

This Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will open the 2021 regular season at home against the Cleveland Browns — the team they defeated in the Divisional round of the playoffs in 2020. Kickoff is set for Sunday at 3:25 Arrowhead Time. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS (locally on KCTV/5) with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson.

After a few days off during the league’s newly instituted end-of-preseason bye week, Chiefs coaches and players will be back to work on Monday. We expect head coach Andy Reid to meet with reporters.

Across the league, teams continue to adjust their active rosters and sign (or release) players from their 16-man practice squads. So far, the Chiefs have signed 17 players to their practice squad, while releasing one. We expect there will be one or two other practice-squad transactions before the team formally announces all the signings — and since the team currently has just 52 players on the active roster, there could be some changes there, too.

Just as in 2020, teams will be allowed to protect up to four practice-squad players each week, which prevents them from being signed to another team’s active roster. The Chiefs didn’t protect very many of its practice squad layers in 2020 — but if they choose to do so before they play the Browns this weekend, the protected players must be designated before 3 p.m. Arrowhead Time on Tuesday.

In addition, this week will bring the first weekly injury reports of the season. While they are not required during the offseason and preseason, teams are required to provide them in advance of all regular and postseason games.

And of course... the regular season’s first Red Friday will take place this week. Click here for more information about how to get this season’s Chiefs flag, along with other ways you can celebrate the start of the 2021 season.