Chiefs News 6/26: Patrick Mahomes Left Off 2026 Espys Nominees List

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Patrick Mahomes Left Off 2026 ESPYS Nominees List After Injury-Plagued Season | Yahoo! Sports

Mahomes’ season was interrupted late by the most significant setback of his NFL career. He suffered torn ACL and LCL injuries in December against the Los Angeles Chargers and missed the final stretch of the season as Kansas City closed out a disappointing year.

As a result of that down year, Mahomes is set to miss out on one of the NFL calendar’s more visible honors again. ESPN announced nominees for the 2026 ESPYS this week, and Mahomes was not among the candidates.

It marks the second straight year he has been left off the ballot after also missing out in 2025.

Mahomes had been a regular ESPYS presence before the last two years. The two-time league MVP was nominated for Best NFL Player in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024, and he also received broader Best Male Athlete or Best Athlete, Men’s Sports recognition during that run. His biggest recent ESPYS night came in 2024, when he won Best NFL Player and Best Athlete, Men’s Sports after leading the Chiefs to another Super Bowl title.

Kansas City Chiefs might have a new NFC trade partner to consider at a position group where they have a surplus of talent | A to Z Sports

Arnold’s arrest changes the landscape of the Lions’ secondary. It could open the door for the Chiefs to offload a player from their cornerback surplus. With the 53-man roster cutdown date approaching later this summer, Detroit now figures to be one of several teams looking to add talent at the position.

Breaking down Kansas City Chiefs’ cornerback situation entering training camp

The Chiefs’ cornerback room looks dramatically different from what it did a year ago. Kansas City moved on from its two primary starters this offseason. CB Trent McDuffie was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, and CB Jaylen Watson joined McDuffie in Los Angeles through free agency.

The Chiefs had at least one potential starter waiting in the wings when these moves came to pass. Third-round pick Nohl Williams delivered one of the best rookie seasons by a cornerback in the NFL last year. But Kansas City also addressed the position aggressively through the draft and free agency.

With the 6th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected LSU CB Mansoor Delane. He was one of the most statistically dominant cornerbacks in college football last season with the Tigers. In the fourth round, they added Oregon CB Jaden Canady, who posted a similar level of statistical dominance.

Despite Renegotiated Contract, Drue Tranquill Still Faces Pressure to Perform | Sports Illustrated

Tranquill’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Where Tranquill thrives entering his age-31 season is an interesting puzzle to solve. On one hand, his coverage stats from 2023 and 2024 were sparkling. He allowed 7.7 and 7.9 yards per completion, respectively, along with passer ratings of 92.2 and 83.6. Those marks were vastly different last season.

Tranquill surrendered an ugly 91.7% completion rate and a career-worst 10.3 yards per target. On top of that, a 127.9 passer rating ceded was the worst of his professional career. Tranquill was picked on closer to the line of scrimmage and out in space, and he looked slower at times earlier in the year before finishing strong.

The jury is out on his value as a stopper in the passing game, largely due to a tug of war between reputation and recent performance. The same is true in run support, albeit for different reasons.

Tranquill was hugely impactful when crashing downhill a season ago, posting a minuscule 3.7% missed tackle rate with 39 stops. His Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 89.4 was leaps and bounds better than any previous effort, ranking sixth out of 88 qualified linebackers.

What is a World Cup game in Kansas City like? Our thoughts after Game 3 | The Kansas City Star

Walking around Arrowhead prior to a World Cup match, you’re bound to meet someone from another country who has a different perspective than yours. One fan that caught my eye was Wouter Tel, a Dutch fan who came from the Netherlands to KC, to support his team.

Donning a loud orange and curly wig, Tel commended KC for its hospitality as a host city. He was in the Orange Walk downtown prior to the match, and was surprised at how many Americans participated in the tradition.

“It was amazing to see how many people visited that. Back home, it’s not that much,” Tel said, who was also impressed with Arrowhead, saying it’s bigger than the stadiums back home.

When I asked him what’s something about Americans that he found interesting, he was impressed with how they easily adapt to the Dutch fans and suit up in the orange gear.

It was impressive seeing that many fans supporting the Netherlands in the stadium. One guy was even wearing a Baltimore Orioles shirt just to make sure he was fitting in. These Kansas City World Cup games have shown just how invested folks are when it comes to soccer, regardless of where they’re from or who they’re watching play.

Around the NFL

NFL releases dates, details for 2027 NFL draft in Washington | ESPN

The three-day draft will begin on Thursday, April 29, and continue through May 1.

On May 5, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the 2027 draft would be staged at the nation’s capital on the National Mall. Trump was joined in the Oval Office by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Washington Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser when he announced initial plans for the draft.

On Thursday, the NFL revealed the draft will take place across iconic locations throughout Washington, D.C. The National Mall will anchor the draft theater in front of the Capitol. The NFL Draft Experience will span Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets. Additional event elements will be situated throughout the footprint surrounding the National Mall.

Lions CB Terrion Arnold charged with directing attack, held in jail at least until Monday hearing | NFL.com

Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold was charged Thursday in Florida with leading a plot to detain and pistol-whip three people whom he believed had stolen from him, crimes that could carry a sentence of up to life in prison.

Two people also charged in the case have pleaded guilty and agreed to help Tampa-area authorities prosecute Arnold, court records show.

“Fame doesn’t get you out of criminal charges or our pursuit of justice and holding criminals accountable,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.

Three men in their late teens were held at gunpoint, battered, pistol-whipped and robbed in a Tampa apartment on Feb. 4, police said, three days after personal property worth more than $250,000 was reported stolen from Arnold and others at an Airbnb rental in Largo, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) west of the city.

It turned out, however, that the victims had nothing to do with the theft, investigators said.

Arnold, 23, was the “primary conspirator” in the attack, police said.

Dianna Russini told New York Times she is a ‘former journalist’ | Awful Announcing

After issuing a defiant resignation letter to The Athletic in the immediate aftermath of intimate photos of the pair being published by the New York Post, Russini deleted or locked her social accounts when more evidence of the apparent affair came to light.

It’s been all quiet on the Russini-Vrabel front ever since the Patriots coach took a day off from the NFL Draft to focus on his family. But even after Vrabel’s half-hearted attempt at accountability saw him enter the spotlight, Russini has still been silent.

However, the New York Times, the parent company of Russin’s outlet at The Athletic, published a lengthy report on the saga this week. There wasn’t a lot of new information in the piece, save for details on Russini’s salary and some behind-the-scenes machinations at The Athletic and the Times.

There were several surreal elements of the deep dive from the Times into a star personality that was involved in a massive controversy while under their umbrella. For starters, executives from both The Athletic and the Times did not comment in the piece. Instead, Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha is quoted repeatedly while Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg, publisher David Perpich, and NYT chief executive Meredith Kopit Levien were not available for interviews.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey lands on NFL’s ‘Top 100’ list

On Thursday, center Creed Humphrey became the first Kansas City Chiefs player to be revealed on this year’s “NFL Top 100 list.” The league revealed Humphrey as the No. 94 player on its official X account.

Over the years, the NFL has unveiled the “NFL Top 100” in various ways. In 2026, the league partnered with X, planning to announce two players each weekday leading up to the top 10, which will be unveiled on NFL Network from Monday, August 24, through Friday, September 4.

“Creed, is arguably the best center in the league,” Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said in the video. “He’s just so dang big, he’s a big, violent dude. If you’re coming across on games and stuff like that, he’s not passive in any type of way, he’s coming to try to take your head off. It’s respect when you have guys that don’t back down… he defintiely fights fire with fire. I respect the way he plays.”

Humphrey turns 27 years old in a few days, coming off a second consecutive season in which he earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2025. As he noted in the video, Humphrey stepped up his leadership last season after veteran left guard Joe Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears.

In 2024, the Chiefs signed Humphrey to a four-year, $72 million contract extension, tying him to the club through 2028.

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