With COVID protocols in place, Super Bowl-champion Chiefs put the pads back on Friday
The Chiefs’ march to the 2020 regular season commences at full-throttle Friday.
For the first time since winning the Super Bowl and a lengthy period of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chiefs will officially take the field in full pads for practice.
But there are challenges for training camp this year. The absence of rookie minicamp, organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp put teams around the league behind the curve in terms of their offseason conditioning, on-field install periods and learning processes for newcomers.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid, however, believes the unique virtual offseason brought about numerous teaching moments and set up the team for continued success.
“The one nice thing about having it slowed down a little bit is that you’re able to teach, you can walk through it— now we’re able to run through it — and then eventually we’ll get into pads and there’s no lull in the action,” Reid said. “There hasn’t been that month off where guys have put it aside and then they come back and they’re right into the mix. So, I look at that for right now as a positive thing. Everybody would love to have the offseason, but that’s not what it is.”
In a normal year, which 2020 has most certainly not been, the Chiefs’ coaching staff would have overseen the players absorbing the playbook, applying concepts and working on techniques during team-related drills ahead of Friday’s introduction of contact.
Instead, the Chiefs have less than a month to get ready for their season opener against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 10. And they’ll have to make do without four preseason games, which were canceled in a recent NFL/NFLPA move to amend the collective-bargaining agreement with safety in mind.
The training camp environment is also far from what the Chiefs are accustomed to when compared to past years. The team isn’t in St. Joseph, Missouri, per usual and will instead conduct practices at its KC training facility located at One Arrowhead Drive.
After the Chiefs’ rookies and veterans reported in late July, there was a ramp-up period that included consecutive days of COVID testing and an eight-day strength and conditioning phase leading to full practices.
The Chiefs, who at one point during the offseason returned 20 of 22 starters from their Super Bowl-winning team, were also dealt a blow before camp began. Right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, running back Damien Williams and rookie offensive lineman Lucas Niang, the team’s third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, elected to opt out of the regular season because of COVID concerns.
So there’s little doubt there will be challenges in the coming weeks, a period that includes 14 padded practices. But if there’s a team that’s well-equipped to deal with adjustments on the fly, it’s Reid’s Chiefs.
The coach is confident his team can make up for lost time by placing its total focus on the field.
“We should be able to cover all the situations that we normally cover, which is important in this day and age of football,” Reid said. “Situational football because of margins between wins and losses is very important.
“So, we’re focusing in on that, making sure we’re getting that taken care of, but at the same time getting the guys in football condition where they can sustain four quarters. You’re probably behind by reps that you’ve had in the offseason, but other than that, we should be able to catch up on some of that.”
MEDICAL WATCH
Starting free safety Juan Thornhill (knee) and offensive lineman Martinas Rankin (knee) are currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Both players continue to recover from season-ending injuries sustained in 2019.
“They’re all making good progress,” Reid said. “It’s just a matter of when they can come back. As the trainers ramp them up we’ll see, but neither one of them are ready to go right now.”
While on the PUP list, Thornhill and Rankin are prohibited from practicing until they are cleared by the Chiefs’ medical staff. In the event Thornhill and Rankin are not activated from the PUP list before the season opener, they won’t be allowed to practice during the first six weeks of the regular season.
THREE BURNING ISSUES
1. CHANGING OF THE GUARD
With Duvernay-Tardif opting out and Stefen Wisniewski signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers during free agency, the Chiefs are transitioning guys at the important interior spots of the offensive line.
The Chiefs signed veteran Mike Remmers, who can play multiple position on the front five, during free agency and brought in guard Kelechi Osemele, a former All-Pro selection and two-time Pro Bowler, in the wake of Duvernay-Tardif’s decision.
Both veterans project as front-runners to open the season in starting roles, and the Chiefs appear to have adequate depth for a spirited battle at the guard positions between Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti.
“We’ve got numbers there,” Reid said. “We’ve got some young guys and we’ve got these couple veteran guys that are added into the mix, so I think we’ll be OK numbers-wise as we go forward. Then, we have a number of padded practices and we’ll be able to evaluate.”
2. DEFENSIVE BACK DEPTH
All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, versatile safety Daniel Sorensen and cornerback Charvarius Ward are the known. The unknown surrounds cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who is potentially facing a four-game suspension to start the season, and Thornhill’s recovery from an ACL injury.
The Chiefs have options at safety to consider with Armani Watts and Tedric Thompson, who signed a one-year deal in late July. At cornerback, look for Rashad Fenton to take on a bigger role and the team will take a hard look at fourth-round pick L’Jarius Sneed, Antonio Hamilton, Alex Brown, Chris Lammons, Hakeem Bailey and Lavert Hill.
Rookie BoPete Keyes, the team’s seventh-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, landed on the non-football injury (NFI) list for undisclosed reasons.
3. NEW PUNTER
Rookie Tommy Townsend gets the first chance to replace long-time punter Dustin Colquitt, who was released during the offseason in a salary-cap move. Townsend has the leg, evidenced by a 44.8-yards-per-punt average at Florida, but it’s not easy following a player of Colquitt’s stature.
THREE PLAYERS TO MONITOR
1. RB CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE
Let’s get the obvious out of the way here, because Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs’ first-round pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, will be one of the most-watched players in the entire league.
The rookie running back’s potential playing time in 2020 received a favorable bump when Damien Williams opted out for the season. Reid, an offensive guru, will find creative ways to get the ball in the hands of the explosive and versatile Edwards-Helaire, who totaled 1,867 yards (1,414 rushing) and 17 touchdowns last year at LSU.
2. DE TACO CHARLTON
The Chiefs are hoping the third team is the charm for Charlton, a former first-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Charlton produced less than stellar seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins before signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs during the offseason.
Charlton has yet to live up to his lofty draft status, but the change of environment and a reunion with Frank Clark, a former college teammate at Michigan, could prove beneficial to Charlton’s career.
3. TE RICKY SEALS-JONES
The Chiefs utilize a lot of 12-personnel packages (one running back, two tight ends), so the tight end behind Travis Kelce is important to their offensive scheme.
With Blake Bell signing a free-agent deal with the Dallas Cowboys, the Chiefs signed Seals-Jones and will expect him to compete immediately with Deon Yelder and Nick Keizer.
THREE DEEP SLEEPERS
1. WR JODY FORTSON
Fortson spent the 2019 season on the practice squad, so he had plenty of opportunities to absorb the Andy Reid playbook and work on the scout team against the Chiefs’ starting defense. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Fortson provides exceptional size.
2. G NICK ALLEGRETTI
The Chiefs used a seventh-round draft pick on Allegretti in 2019, so they like him. His rookie season was spent developing, but the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Allegretti earned spot duty, appearing in seven games based on personnel packages.
3. S RODNEY CLEMONS
Need a dark-horse candidate to root for? Look no further than the 6-foot, 209-pound Clemons, a hard-hitting undrafted free agent out of Southern Methodist. While he lacks top-end speed, he’s a strong safety by trade and could carve out a niche as a hybrid linebacker in the Chiefs’ defensive scheme. All Clemons did in college was make plays.
Check out our two-week Chiefs training camp preview series:
Monday, Aug. 3: Quarterbacks: We know who No. 1 is, but what about the backups?
Tuesday, Aug. 4: The defensive line: It will be a strength again.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: Sizing up the running backs depth chart
Thursday, Aug. 6: At linebacker, Hitchens anchors the corps
Friday, Aug. 7: Plenty of targets for Patrick Mahomes at WR
Monday, Aug. 10: After Ward, Chiefs have corner questions
Tuesday, Aug. 11: Among the tight ends, it’s Kelce and ...
Wednesday, Aug. 12: Safeties’ success starts with Honey Badger
Thursday, Aug. 13: Chiefs’ offensive line has some holes to fill
Friday, Aug. 14: special teams
