‘I think we’re ahead of the game’: Kansas City Chiefs cap week with a light Friday
With a break on the horizon, the Kansas City Chiefs capped off 12 days of training camp, including nine full-team sessions, with a light session Friday.
Instead of pads, which were on the previous three days, the Chiefs returned to helmets and shorts, putting in less than two hours of work before taking an off day Saturday.
But through all the previous workouts, the Chiefs coaching staff likes what they’ve seen from the players in the team-related drills during the march to the regular season.
“They’re going back and forth, offense and defense, which is a positive,” head coach Andy Reid said. “It makes you better. I think the competition is good.
“We’ve had a lot of one-versus-one and two-versus-two, three-versus-three action, so you’re getting good-on-good and that I think is important to help get you better.”
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub agreed.
“Right now, I think we’re ahead of the game, mainly because we had a full offseason and we had a really good start in training camp,” Toub said. “The guys are flying around. There’s a lot of competition and competition breeds good players.”
With the players going full bore for almost two weeks, the Chiefs earned a light and fast workout, which consisted of a 10-10-10 session, meaning a rotation of starting units and backups with 10 scripted plays.
When it was Toub’s special teams unit turn on the field, the quarterbacks, running back and tight ends found a way to maintain the competitive edge with a challenge course on the far end zone.
The group split up and threw footballs from various points of the field at stationary targets, including a tackling dummy, a tackling donut mounted on a trash can, and a large garbage can positioned at the back of the end zone.
The objective during the exercise? Either hit the target with the football or put the football through the donut, depending on where the separate groups lined up.
Still, the fun seen on the field before an off day won’t last too long.
The Chiefs return to practice Sunday, and then enter game preparation for the first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 14.
And lives games with full contact are when the evaluation process kicks in full gear.
“I’m really looking forward to the preseason games,” Toub said. “It’s going to be the tell-tale for who makes the team, who doesn’t.”
PARTICIPATION REPORT
The Chiefs announced after that practice that guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who didn’t practice Friday, is dealing with a hand injury.
Wide receiver Antonio Callaway, who was carted off the field Thursday and wasn’t present Friday, has a bone bruise, the Chiefs announced.
Second-year linebacker Willie Gay Jr., who was placed on concussion protocol Wednesday, remained absent for a second straight day.
Defensive end Alex Okafor (hamstring), offensive lineman Kyle Long (knee), tackle Mike Remmers (back), wide receiver Chad Williams (groin) and tight end Evan Baylis (ankle) continue to work off to the side with trainers at the rehabilitation tent.
Cornerback Deandre Baker (knee) returned to practice after missing the past two days.
OBSERVATIONS
- With Durvernay-Tardif not practicing, offensive lineman Yasir Durant drew repetitions at right guard with the second-team offense.
- During the first 10-10-10 session, which pitted the starting offense against the second-team defense, the Chiefs offense worked on the deep ball. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected deep with wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman.
- The Chiefs’ second-team offense squared off against the first-team offense during goal-line work. Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed picked off one of backup quarterback Chad Henne’s passes into the end zone.
- Wide receiver Darrius Shepherd, who attended Blue Springs High School, worked at punt returner alongside Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson during the special teams period.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 1:23 PM.
