Chiefs’ vets like Mathieu, Kelce will step up as leaders during unusual training camp
Coming off a Super Bowl championship, it’s no secret the Chiefs boast a wealth of experience on both sides of the football.
But with two players on Kansas City’s offense opting out amid the COVID-19 pandemic, no preseason games and assorted other obstacles ahead, the Chiefs are headed into a very unique season filled with uncertainty.
The Chiefs’ veterans said this week that they’re ready and willing to step up as leaders now more than ever before as the team looks to defend its NFL title..
Safety Tyrann Mathieu said he he believes the Chiefs have the ability to set a standard that everyone across the league should respect.
“It starts with guys like Patrick, myself (and) Frank Clark just setting the tempo,” Mathieu said. “I’m extremely motivated. I feel like there’s so much more that we could really achieve on an individual level, on a team level. Defensively, we aren’t talked about in a breath that I would like.”
As the Chiefs’ younger players transition to the NFL, Mathieu said he wants to lead by example and set the tone in the team’s meeting rooms. He knows how hard this rookie season is going to be for KC’s younger players. He stressed the importance of leaning on each other as teammates and staying focused on the goals at hand.
Mathieu thinks that, with a mix of young players and veterans, the Chiefs can bring some swagger into their locker room. But even with confidence everpresent during training camp, the younger players won’t have the opportunity to play in game action until the season opener vs. Houston on Sept. 10.
Like Mathieu, linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who is beginning his seventh season in the NFL, is already taking younger players under his wing. He thinks having experienced veterans up and down the roster is an advantage that the Chiefs should leverage as they prepare for the season.
Hitchens said rookies can prepare in a variety of ways without throwing on the pads, and it all starts in the meeting room. In conversations with younger players, including second-round pick Willie Gay Jr., Hitchens has preached repetition of good habits, such as studying film and paying attention during walk-throughs.
“That’s how we got better last year,” Hitchens said. “We got to practice early, did my walk-throughs. You can see a lot in slow-motion. You don’t have to be going 100 miles per hour to get better.”
The veterans’ experience might be even more important on the opposite side of the ball.
Hitchens the hard work in practice by the defense will benefit the team’s rookies on offense, including first-round pick and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Hitchens believes it’s the defense’s job to get the team ready for Week 1 by throwing different looks at Edwards-Helaire during practice, trying to strip the ball and working with him in pass protection.
Tight end Travis Kelce said the speed of the NFL game will be an adjustment for the rookies at first. But entering his eight year with the Chiefs, Kelce thinks the team is as prepared leadership-wise as it’s ever been.
The Chiefs’ Pro Bowler also emphasized the importance of not being complacent, something that is stressed by tight ends coach Tom Melvin.
“He’s always harping on me to sharpen the tools,” Kelce said. “Get better at your strengths, but also the weaknesses. We have to rise to the occasion.”
Even with teammates Damien Williams and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif both opting out this season amid the pandemic, Kelce is adamant the Chiefs have a talented roster, and coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach will find ways to fill any voids.
Kelce and his fellow veterans, meanwhile, will continue to be leaders around the team’s facility with an eye on the Texans and defending their championship.
“Coach Reid does an unbelievable job of getting us ready for our first game,” Kelce said. “It’ll have to be modified just a little bit, but I’ve got all the trust in the world in Coach Reid and the coaches to get all these guys ready for the for that Week 1 opportunity against Houston.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 5:00 AM.