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The Kansas City Chiefs opened their 2025 preseason with a fast strike against the Arizona Cardinals, capitalizing on a turnover to score within moments of kickoff. After Harrison Butker’s opening kick, Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch fumbled the return when rookie Brashard Smith recovered the ball following a hit from Christian Roland-Wallace. A penalty on Arizona advanced Kansas City to the Cardinals’ 13-yard line.
On the first snap, running back Isiah Pacheco gained eight yards. Patrick Mahomes then targeted Tyquan Thornton, drawing a defensive pass interference call on rookie cornerback Will Johnson. The next play saw Mahomes connect with 6’3” wideout Jason Brownlee for a 1-yard touchdown. Patrick Mahomes’ numbers on the night came to one attempt, one completion, one yard, one touchdown, and two plays. Gardner Minshew took over at quarterback on the next series.
Brownlee’s catch shows his potential in a competitive wide receiver room. Signed to Kansas City’s practice squad last January after two seasons with the New York Jets, Brownlee brought in 55 catches for 891 yards and eight touchdowns in his final year at Southern Miss before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
He earned five starts as a rookie with the Jets but spent much of last season on the sidelines. His contested grab in the end zone underscored his value as the Chiefs navigate Rashee Rice’s looming suspension and monitor Hollywood Brown’s recovery from an ankle injury.
Mahomes’ preseason outing came after a 2024 campaign in which he threw for a career-low 3,928 yards and 26 touchdowns despite leading Kansas City to a 15-2 record, the AFC West title, and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The season ended with a 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Mahomes has embraced being coached hard in training camp, determined to push the team higher after coming up short last February.
