Pair of Nebraska alumni may turn Chiefs preseason flashes into huge regular-season roles

For former Nebraska football players Emmett Johnson and DeShon Singleton, this preseason with the Kansas City Chiefs is less about making the roster and more about earning regular-season playing time. Judging by both players’ performances this week, it’s possible they’ll see plenty of the field once the games count.

Johnson has drawn all sorts of praise since first reporting to the Chiefs’ rookie camps earlier this spring. However, he still has a few things to work on, including pass blocking, before KC will guarantee him significant playing time. Even so, the running back is clearly making a case that will make it nearly impossible to keep him on the bench with his second straight impressive game carrying the ball. Singleton came into fall camp as less of a sure thing, but his outing on Saturday showed versatility on defense and special teams.

Nebraska football alumni Emmett Johnson and DeShon Singleton impress Chiefs in preseason

The former Nebraska running back’s game on Saturday wasn’t as good as his first preseason game, but he still carried the ball 7 times for 25 yards and scored his first touchdown as an NFL player. Johnson also caught a pass for 10 yards. His performance continued his pro debut, when he tallied 12 carries for 59 yards, added 3 catches for 10 yards, and could have had even better stats if not for several plays being called back due to penalties.

So far this preseason, Johnson has totaled 84 rushing yards on 19 carries, along with 1 touchdown and 4 catches for 20 yards. The Chiefs will no doubt start Kenneth Walker at running back in Week 1, considering he was one of the big trades ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Still, Johnson looks more and more like he’ll be the primary backup and get a chance to show he deserves even more playing time during the regular season.

Former Nebraska football defensive back DeShon Singleton shows seasoning paid dividends

Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, Singleton played as a reserve safety in the Chiefs' 16-15 loss to Tampa Bay. The safety led Kansas City with seven tackles on defense and added one more on special teams. Singleton played 33 snaps on defense and five on special teams.

Saturday’s performance followed his first preseason action last week, where he recorded 3 tackles and played 20 snaps, all on defense. If Singleton is fighting for a Chiefs roster spot, he’s doing everything he can to make a statement.

According to Pro Football Focus, he’s near the top of the list of defensive snaps with 53 so far this preseason. He’s also received a 76.3 overall defensive score, ranking him 6th among all defenders.

Singleton famously returned to play one more season with Nebraska in 2025 thanks to the Diego Pavia lawsuit against the NCAA that granted several former JUCO players an additional year of eligibility. He used the extra year wisely, starting all 12 regular-season games and earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors. He led Nebraska with two interceptions and ranked second on the team with 70 tackles and third with four pass breakups while adding 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.

The extra year gave the former Nebraska star another season of development and experience that could be key to earning not just a roster spot with the Kansas City Chiefs, but significant playing time. His return to college in 2025 now looks like the biggest reason he may contribute beyond simply making the team.

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