The Kansas City Chiefs opened their preseason with a tough loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Patrick Mahomes looked sharp…for one play, tossing a touchdown pass in the first quarter to give Kansas City the lead. But once the starters stepped aside, turnovers from the backups let Arizona claw back and ultimately steal the win. On defense, the Chiefs did have some bright spots. Second-year defenders Chris Roland-Wallace and Jaden Hicks each came away with interceptions, while veteran Janarius Robinson notched the team’s only sack. But the worst part of any game such as this remains the injuries.

As Blair Kerkhoff reported, “Andy Reid said safety Deon Bush suffered a torn Achilles.” With 1:19 remaining on the clock, Chiefs backup safety sustained an Achilles injury and was taken out of the field.  Mahomes was seen approaching the player who was in pain with a towel, which he later placed over Bush’s head.

As TV analyst Trent Green explained, Bush went down and injured his left leg on a non-contact play while trying to change direction and speed up during Arizona running back Emari Demercado’s 4-yard run.

Bush might’ve had a real shot at making one of the final spots on the team’s initial 53-man roster. He’s been around since 2022, playing a role in the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl runs. This is definitely a tough break for a guy who was hoping to lock down a permanent spot with the Chiefs.

The nine-year vet suited up for all 16 games in 2022, but that number dropped to six in 2023 and just two last season. His biggest moment for the Chiefs came in the 2023 AFC Championship Game, with his interception against the Ravens in the second half. “Deon was having a good [training] camp, too. He’s got to have surgery on it. It’s too bad because he’s been playing really well. He’s a good kid,” Reid said. Getting back to the team’s defeat, how did the Chiefs’ impressive start fail?

What went wrong in the Chiefs vs. Cardinals clash?

Kansas City started strong, getting an advantage on a Cardinals fumble on the opening kickoff. The beginning was quite impressive and in the Chiefs’ favor. However, QB Gardner Minshew took over in the second drive. But after eight plays, and a penalty on Trey Smith, Kansas City was forced to punt. Minshew finished his first series as a Chiefs quarterback with 19 yards. However, the Cardinals were able to cut the deficit soon enough.

The team quickly gained the upper hand in the second quarter, cutting the Chiefs’ lead. Kansas City’s defense reportedly struggled to contain Arizona’s ground attack late in the half, giving up its first preseason touchdown to running back Emari Demercado. Harrison Butker tied the game early in the third quarter with a 58-yard field goal. While the Chiefs started out great, penalties caused trouble for the squad to maintain its momentum.

The Chiefs’ preseason opener showed early flashes from both veterans and rookies, but also exposed issues with penalties. The fourth quarter began with the Cardinals in possession and took the score up to 20-17. With two preseason games left, Reid’s staff will need to clean up mistakes and improve offensive rhythm across the depth chart.