The tenth practice of Kansas City Chiefs training camp was the second straight in full pads and was the last of a six-day stretch featuring daily practice. It was a sunny, hot morning in St. Joe.
The team will welcome an off day on Sunday before returning to the fields at Missouri Western State University on Monday.
Arrowhead Pride analyst Caleb James and I watched practice together; I recommend scanning Caleb’s timelines on X for all the observations and clips he got out of Saturday’s practice.
Here’s
everything to know from the work done by the Chiefs on the field:
Attendance report
The injury status for the Chiefs stayed mostly the same since the update given by head coach Andy Reid after Friday’s practice.
The only player returning to practice on Saturday was linebacker Jeffrey Bassa (groin); rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen (shin bruise) worked closer to full participation in his second day back from injury.
Tempers flare after sixth consecutive day on the field
It was a long week of practice up in St. Joe, and it showed on the field throughout Saturday’s practice.
During one full-team period, a pass play ended with left guard Kingsley Suamataia full-on swinging at defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
In the aftermath, Anudike-Uzomah came back angrily towards Suamataia before defensive line coach Joe Cullen pulled him off the field and walked him to the sideline. The fourth-year player, looking to prove something this preseason, returned to the field shortly thereafter.
Anudike-Uzomah has been lining up inside as a three-technique rusher (outside shoulder of the guard) in certain looks for the Chiefs’ starting defense throughout camp. He bull-rushed Suamataia on this particular snap before the fight broke out.
During head coach Andy Reid’s famous long-drive drill that followed an already long practice, running back Kenneth Walker was ready to scrap when safety Alohi Gilman showed him some extra physicality after a run down the sideline.
It was the second time Walker has thrown a football at a defender after extra physicality to finish a play. On Saturday, exhaustion was especially a factor for Walker; he was the featured player on a handful of snaps before this play.
“How about that 16-play long drive?” Toub asked local media after practice.
“That’s how you know it’s hot,” Toub elaborated. “That happens. It’s football sometimes.”
The team is a week away from its first preseason action, clearly ready to hit and tackle another set of football players. Still, quarterback Patrick Mahomes sees the positive of that feisty energy.
“Six straight days of just going against the same guys,” Mahomes smiled. “I think that’s what’s been great about this camp is it has been super competitive on both sides. A little scuffles here and there but nothing crazy. As long as we keep it like that and keep competing, that’s when you get the best football team you can get.”
Dave Toub lists the team’s 4 returners
Throughout camp practices, there has been a clear foursome of return men for special teams coordinator Dave Toub:
Running back Brashard Smith
“Brashard has really taken a nice step as far as a punt returner,” Toub told reporters. “He’s catching the ball a lot cleaner.”
Wide receiver Nikko Remigio
“Nikko just keeps getting better,” Toub said.
Wide receiver Cyrus Allen
“[Allen] was doing a good job until he got hurt; now he’s back out there again,” Toub shared. “We have to continue to develop him.”
Wide receiver Jacob De Jesus
“De Jesus is solid, great catcher, just not a real big guy,” Toub acknowledged. “He’s going to be exciting in the preseason games, for sure.”
A fringe-roster player to watch: Kevin Knowles
Second-year defensive back Kevin Knowles was often a silver lining in the Chiefs’ disastrous end of the season last year. Out of Florida State, undrafted, Knowles earned a starting spot in Toub’s punt-coverage unit last season.
“He’s an established guy,” Toub said. “He was a starting gunner last year for us all year long. Great player for us.”
On defense, Knowles plays almost entirely as a slot defender. Of course, that position has been addressed this offseason, whether it was signing veteran Kader Kohou or drafting Jadon Canady in the fourth round.
Knowles will have to prove himself on defense to continue being a piece of Toub’s special-teams puzzle. The long-time coach knows that.
“On the defensive side of it, that’s where he has to pick it up,” Toub said. “He has to know his job over there, be somebody that Spags can depend on; if somebody got hurt, he could throw him in there.
“He has established himself with me, as far as last year goes,” Toub reiterated. “He’s a good player.”
The Chiefs will be back on the practice field in pads on Monday morning at 9:15 a.m. after a rest day Sunday.
