Three offensive storylines for Chiefs ahead of next week’s voluntary OTAs in KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Phase Three OTAs run May 26-28 and June 1-3, with minicamp June 9-11.
- Veach said Mahomes is 'way ahead of schedule,' but rules may limit OTAs.
- Rashee Rice is serving a 30-day Dallas County Jail sentence and will miss OTAs.
As described in Thursday’s defensive preview, the third phase of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason program begins next week — Tuesday, May 26 — providing a first on-field look at the 2026 version of the team.
The Chiefs are scheduled to hold six organized team activity (OTA) practices: May 26-28 and June 1-3. Phase three will conclude with mandatory minicamp from June 9-11.
The media’s first look at the Chiefs is scheduled for Thursday, May 28. With that, here are three storylines of interest.
How much will we realistically see from Patrick Mahomes?
The last time Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media, he urged caution regarding how much to expect from quarterback Patrick Mahomes during OTAs.
Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in mid-December, making a Week 1 return ambitious — yet every update the Chiefs have provided so far has been a positive one. Kansas City general manager Brett Veach delivered the latest one to SiriusXM NFL Radio in early May.
“Needless to say, he’s way ahead of schedule,” Veach said of Mahomes. “I think the biggest challenge that we’re going to have is protecting him from himself. I’m sure when we get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, he’s going to want to be full go, but we are going to have to hold him back a little.
“And again, I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but I think you guys know the type of person and competitor that Pat is. I would just say, we are in a really good place right now.”
During rookie minicamp weekend, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid noted that the club might need to be careful with Mahomes’ usage during OTAs due to NFL roster regulations. “We’ve got to see on that,” Reid said. “(Mahomes) is in a good position to be able to do some things. There’s some rules and regulations that go with that, so we got to just make sure that we’re on top of that part. But if he can do some things — Phase 2, remember, there’s no contact. There’s no offense versus defense. It’s Phase 3 that you get into that.” Once a player participates in practice, teams generally lose the option of placing him on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list at the start of camp. That could be part of the in-house discussion should Mahomes not meet Veach’s expectation and be fully ready for the start of training camp.
So, as Reid likes to say, we’ll see.
In the meantime, new Chiefs backup Justin Fields will take the field for the first time in a Chiefs uniform. OTAs aren’t made for tallying completion numbers, but what can be gleaned is how comfortable Fields is with the playbook in his initial on-field reps within the offense.
A first look at a fresh running back room.
Let’s be clear: until the pads come on at training camp, offseason workouts are mostly considered passing camps.
Still, Tuesday will mark the on-field debut of Kansas City’s splash free-agency signing, Kenneth Walker. The reigning Super Bowl MVP was brought aboard as the Chiefs look to reestablish a formidable, dangerous run game.
There won’t be anything legitimate to judge until camp, but it will be good to get eyes on Walker’s patient-yet-explosive style in a practice setting.
He isn’t the only running back to join the Chiefs this offseason. Kansas City also added veteran Emari Demercado and rookie Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Those new faces will make it interesting to see where now-second-year running back Brashard Smith fits in the pecking order. Will Smith see more looks at receiver with Veach having added three new backs this offseason?
What will the Chiefs say regarding the latest on Rashee Rice?
And yes, there is the unfortunate elephant in the room. Wide receiver Rashee Rice won’t be at offseason work in Kansas City as he serves a 30-day sentence in a Dallas County Jail. Court documents say Rice violated their terms of the probation stemming from his involvement in a six-vehicle crash that occurred on March 30, 2024 after testing positive for THC. Making matters worse is that Rice reportedly underwent a knee cleanup procedure that now becomes more difficult to manage without the team’s physical training staff.
As Star columnist Sam McDowell explained, the Chiefs have cornered themselves into a dilemma.
It’s a storyline they wish didn’t exist but will no doubt come up sometime over the next two weeks at the media sessions.
What will Reid say in regard to Rice’s absence? If Mahomes speaks to the media, how will he handle a question about his teammate?
