The Kansas City Chiefs will wrap up the season on Sunday afternoon with a divisional matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Here are five things to keep in mind heading into game day.
1. Here's a look at the final injury report for both teams.
The Chiefs will be without offensive guard Trey Smith (ankle) on Sunday while wide receiver Xavier Worthy (Doubtful, Illness), defensive end George Karlaftis (Questionable), tailback Isiah Pacheco (Questionable), offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (Questionable, Knee) and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (Questionable, Personal) each carry a designation into the game.
Those designations are in addition to the Chiefs' 20 players currently on Injured Reserve.
2. Cornerback Nohl Williams is a player to keep an eye on during Sunday's game.
Sunday's game represents another opportunity for valuable player development as the Chiefs look ahead to the 2026 campaign, and in the case of rookie cornerback Nohl Williams, it's a chance to put another impressive performance together.
Williams played all 72 defensive snaps in last week's game against Denver, and according to Pro Football Focus' metrics, he was the Chiefs' best defender on the field. Williams yielded just four catches for 21 yards across 43 coverage snaps during the game while also logging a team-best five defensive stops.
The former third-round pick looks like a starting-caliber cornerback, and with one more opportunity to put together a strong performance on Sunday, Williams has a chance to make a strong impression as Kansas City heads into the offseason.
3. Sunday is also another chance for several offensive players to finish the season strong.
Numerous offensive players will have a chance to close out the 2025-26 season with a strong showing on Sunday, notably the Chiefs' young duo of offensive tackles in Esa Pole and Chu Godrick.
Neither player began the 2025 season on the Chiefs' active roster, but to their credit, both have impressed when thrust into action over the last several weeks. Specifically, against the Broncos' league-best pass-rush last week, Godrick (1) and Pole (3) combined to allow just four total pressures (and zero sacks) over the course of the game.
So, while Sunday's game doesn't mean a whole lot in the standings, it will certainly mean quite a bit to both Pole and Godrick as they aim to stack another strong game.
Another player who will look to continue his upward trajectory is running back Brashard Smith, who found the end zone for the first time in his career last week. Smith also logged a 44-yard punt return in last week's game, and while he didn't tally a ton of overall snaps, he certainly made the most of his opportunities. He'll now have one more chance to show what he can do on Sunday before attacking the offseason training program.
4. Linebacker Cooper McDonald continues to be a great story.
In a season marred by struggles, McDonald is certainly a bright spot.
McDonald, who initially earned a contract following a successful tryout at rookie minicamp in May, not only made the Chiefs' roster out of training camp, but as of Sunday, he'll have appeared in all 17 of Kansas City's games.
For some context of how improbable McDonald's journey to an every-week contributor has been, he was one of just three tryout players (of the 60 in attendance) to earn a contract back in May. He then fought an uphill battle to win a roster spot during training camp, and from there, McDonald impressed enough on special teams to become a regular contributor.
In fact, according to Assistant Head Coach / Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub, McDonald will likely end the year as the Chiefs' top-graded special-teamer based on their internal metrics.
So, while this season hasn't been the year that the Chiefs expected, McDonald's improbable journey is worth celebrating, and it may just be getting started. He had a chance to log 21 defensive snaps against Denver last week, and according to Pro Football Focus, he was the Chiefs' third-best defender on the field.
McDonald will have a chance to stack another strong game in both areas – special teams and defense – as the Chiefs close out the season on Sunday.
5. Tight end Travis Kelce can make some more NFL history on Sunday.
Kelce passed Anquan Boldin for sole possession of the ninth-most catches in NFL history last week (1,077), and with just two more catches, he can pass Terrell Owens for eighth place on that list.
Other than Owens, only Jerry Rice (1,549), Larry Fitzgerald (1,432), Tony Gonzalez (1,325), Jason Witten (1,228), Marvin Harrison (1,102), Cris Carter (1,101) and Tim Brown (1,094) have more career receptions than Kelce.
Sunday may or may not be Kelce's last game as a professional, but that's for him to decide on his own time. Regardless of that decision, Sunday represents another opportunity to celebrate Kelce's extraordinary career, and once again, maybe some more NFL history.
