Get ready, Chiefs fans! Training camp is officially underway, with quarterbacks, rookies, and a small number of returning players set to kick off the first three days, and then the whole of the entire team will be ripping and roaring come Wednesday, the 29th.
Coming off a 6-11 season, Kansas City had the 'benefit' of a long offseason and time enough for the coaches to tweak their schemes, fit in new player personnel, and most of all, rest. Year after year, the Chiefs offseaon's have been a quick turnaround due to them playing into January. But the hope is that this season we'll see a reinvigorated Chiefs squad with a different look on offense and defense.
Both head coach Andy Reid and starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke to the media yesterday. Here's what we learned:
Both Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes spoke to the media on Friday, previewing crucial training camp
It was confirmed via the Chiefs' X/Twitter account that both DT Omarr Norman-Lott (ACL) and TE John Michael Gyllenborg (knee) will start on the Active/PUP list but are making progress. "Big guys with ACL's, it takes a little bit of time to get them back and fully strengthened up," Reid said on Norman-Lott, who tore his ACL in October of last year.
When healthy, Norman-Lott should complement a retooled defensive tackle room consisting of superstar Chris Jones, free agent acquisition nose tackle Khyiris Tonga and rookie first-round pick Peter Woods. The undrafted rookie Michael-Gyllenborg will most likely be fighting for a practice squad spot after Reid's comments, making it sound like he's not very close to practicing much in camp.
Reid said fourth-year wide receiver Rashee Rice is "doing great" following a cleanup procedure he had on his knee this offseason. The same knee he spent a month rehabbing while in jail. But according to Reid, Rice is "cleared to go" for training camp, which is a welcome sign, given the sparse bodies in that room and the 140-plus targets Rice is likely to gobble up this year.
Rookie sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane is "doing well" but will start camp wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, following a shoulder tweak. In other cornerback news, familiar face L'Jarius Sneed sounds like he's in good shape, but the Chiefs will take it slow with him. "We always, like we did before, kept an eye on him with his knee, and we'll just take him slowly and gradually get him back in the mix," Reid said.
In Patrick Mahomes news, both he and Reid sounded cautiously optimistic about his participation in training camp, and it was a shock to hear the three-time Super Bowl MVP has been cleared by doctors and trainers to participate fully in camp a mere seven months out from reconstructive ACL and LCL surgery.
"Pat's doing great," Reid said. "And right now he's got clearance to practice and do all the different periods that we have in this camp, and then we'll just take it day-by-day and see how he does. He'll have plenty of eyes on him. But right now he's been cleared to participate fully."
Mahomes himself spoke on his progress and the long road it's been to get to this point. "It's a lot of hard work just day to day, continuing to do it over and over again," he said. "It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp. Now it's just gonna be about building and getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes around I can try to be available and ready to play."
Mahomes also said that while he's been cleared to practice without a left knee brace, he feels more comfortable with it on for now. He pointed to his college days at Texas Tech when he had to wear a brace, and so in terms of movement, he feels no difference between the two.
So far, it's all good stuff coming out of Chiefs camp, as the first practice got underway this morning. The biggest thing for every NFL team during this period is simply staying healthy. Andy Reid's training camps are known to be some of the hardest in the league, and with the hot and muggy summer weather in St. Joe, Missouri, players will be tested both mentally and physically over the coming weeks.
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