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Arrowheadlines: Ref shuts down claims of preferential treatment of Patrick Mahomes

2025-08-05T05:30:00-05:00

Set Number: X162978 TK1

Chiefs headlines for Tuesday, August 5

The latest

NFL official issues clear verdict on Patrick Mahomes controversy after fan backlash over Chiefs conspiracy theory | talkSPORT

“We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game,” Anderson said afterwards.

The comments fuelled already prominent conspiracy theories around the NFL’s latest dynasty, and led to commissioner Roger Goodell labeling the idea ‘ridiculous’ ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

The labor union that represents referees also basted the conspiracy theories at the time.

Now, seven months on, NFL official Shawn Hochuli has further clarified that no player in the league benefits from ‘preferential treatment’.

“We treat all players the same, in regards to safety fouls. We treat all quarterbacks the same, in regards to roughing the passer,” he told reporters ahead of the 2025 season, when asked about calls in the Chiefs-Texans game.

“Anybody with the ball, a sliding player — whether it’s a quarterback or not.

“It’s a difficult game, from a rules standpoint, on the defensive side of the ball.

“But I will say, players (I’ve seen) in my 12 years are exceptional at adapting to the rule changes.

“They are unbelievable athletes who do unbelievable things. They’ve adapted, so I credit them for that.

“There’s obviously no favoritism, or preferential treatment, toward not only one player, but one position.”

Our 5 favorite lessons from Antonio Gates, Jared Allen and the NFL Hall of Fame inductees | The Athletic

Jared Allen: Find your why

The north star in Allen’s life is his “why,” a list of three personal values with significant meaning to him: Fear, respect and pursuit of greatness.

Fear: “I’m not talking about that kind of fear that cripples you,” Allen said. “I’m talking about that healthy fear, that fear that motivates you.”

Respect: “When you respect something or someone so much that you want to honor that thing or that person by being the best you can possibly be,” he said.

Allen, a defensive end mostly for the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings, made it a point to always remember why he played football: For the respect of his peers and the respect of those who came before him. That constant reminder made him want to continue to get better.

2025 NFL QB mock draft: Lamar Jackson to the Jets, Josh Allen to the Browns and 30 other what-if scenarios | CBS Sports

1. Saints: Patrick Mahomes

He may be going on 30, fresh off an ugly Super Bowl blowout, but who cares? Mahomes is the standard-setter of his time. New Orleans is starting fresh up top with new coach Kellen Moore, and what better way for the former quarterback to ingratiate himself to Who Dat Nation than by securing the most trustworthy situational point guard in the game? As a bonus for Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl champion would get to play a half-day’s drive from where he grew up in Texas, and walk into an NFC South division that’s lacked a powerhouse contender.

Around the NFL

Mike Vrabel explains fumbling isn’t always a one-man problem | NBC Sports

Asked by reporters on Monday whether running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who fumbled seven times last year, will get a “fresh, clean slate”?

“Well, everybody has a fresh, clean slate,” Vrabel said. “We like to go through those things, and some of that is technique, some of that is the second guy in. A lot of times on fumbles, if you want to talk fumbles and ball security, I’m happy to do that, but one person’s got to have the ball in their hand every play offensively, and the rest of those 10 players are going to be responsible for protecting the guy with the ball. And so, yep, there were some instances where he put it on the ground, and there were some instances where the second guy came in, and we need to eliminate the second guy from coming in by the way that we play and our play demeanor and the way that we finish. So a clean slate, everybody has a clean slate, but also, there’s things that have to change and be better at every position as we move toward the season.”

Micah Parsons changes his wardrobe, but not his stance, as ‘Pay Micah’ looms over Cowboys camp | CBS Sports

It’s almost impossible to walk through the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp grounds in Oxnard when the fans are in the stands and not hear the “Pay Micah” chants directed at their superstar pass-rusher, who watched Monday’s action with minimal expression from the sidelines and then beelines off the field at practice’s conclusion.

Thanks to contentious contract negotiations between All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and the Jones family, Parsons is holding in, meaning he stands off to the side in sweatpants while the rest of the team practices.

What changed over the weekend was Parsons stopped wearing his No. 11 practice jersey over his sweats after hitting a breaking point in his contract talks. That led to an officially submitted trade request to Cowboys COO and EVP Stephen Jones. The wardrobe change didn’t bother first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, in his own words, but Parsons did return to wearing his practice jersey over his sweats on Monday, the 10th practice of Cowboys training camp.

Sources: Raiders trade CB Bennett to Eagles for DL Booker | ESPN

Booker, a fifth-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2022, will provide depth for the Raiders’ D-line following the release of Christian Wilkins, who has been recovering from a Jones fracture that he suffered in October. Last season, Booker played in 17 games (one start) for the Eagles, totaling 18 tackles and a sack.

The 25-year-old was a member of the Eagles’ practice squad in 2023, after playing 10 games in Houston as a rookie.

Browns add QB Tyler Huntley | NBC Sports

Via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the Browns have added Pro Bowl (seriously) quarterback Tyler Huntley.

The reason is far less dysfunctional than the Browns have been. Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel have hamstring injuries. Sheduer Sanders has a sore shoulder. They need healthy bodies to get through practice. Enter Huntley.

Huntley spent four seasons with the Browns, from 2020 through 2023. He spent the 2024 offseason with the Browns. He was released in late August, and he returned to Baltimore’s practice squad.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs News: Jawaan Taylor played through torn meniscus in 2024

Although Taylor was activated less than a week into camp, he has reportedly rotated right tackle snaps with free agent signing Jaylon Moore. Taylor also missed practice altogether on Wednesday of last week.

Taylor was able to explain his situation to reporters after practice on Sunday.

“I had a knee scope back in March,” he revealed. “Then, I went on to Panama and had stem cell injection in May. So, I’ve just been treating it and trying to get my knee back healthy for the season.”

Shrewd fans may remember that, starting in Week 13, Taylor was listed on every Chiefs’ injury report with a knee injury through the end of the postseason. It turns out, the tackle was managing an injury suffered much earlier in the season.

“It was pretty challenging,” he acknowledged. “I took a hit to the knee in Week 5, and then I played the whole season pretty much with that nagging knee injury. “I was getting my knee drained every week trying to prepare for the games and to just do what I can to be my best for the team every week. So, [I was] just fighting through every game.”

After the season, Taylor learned the injury was even worse than he realized. He knows it affected his play at times in 2024.

“Once I got my MRI at the end of the season,” he recalled, “I had a lot of wear and tear on my knee — just wear and tear behind the kneecap, I partially tore my meniscus, wear and tear on my patella — so, it definitely had an impact.”

Taylor never considered season-ending surgery to address the issue. He knew he could play through it from tearing his meniscus in the same knee while in college at Florida.

“Never,” he stressed, “because I did the same thing in college. I tore it in college, played the whole season on it, got the surgery out of the season, so I knew I could do it again. I’m a little older now, but I was like, ‘I can do it.’ So, I did it.”

Social media to make you think

Patrick Mahomes has started 5 Super Bowls… with 5 different Left Tackles.

No QB in NFL history has ever done that.

If Josh Simmons becomes the guy KC believes he can be, Mahomes may never need another LT again. Lock in the blindside pic.twitter.com/ieeSNmVtcF
— Daily Chiefs (@Daily_Chiefs_) August 4, 2025

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8 things that matter in the Chiefs’ initial depth chart

2025-08-04T13:30:00-05:00

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

Kansas City has released its first unofficial depth chart of the preseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs will begin the preseason on Saturday, August 9, facing the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

As part of its weekly release, the team published its first unofficial depth chart of the season. Remember: the depth chart is unofficial — and subject to change throughout the preseason.

Offense

Pos	First	Second	Third	Fourth
WR	Rashee Rice	Hollywood Brown	Skyy Moore	Nikko Remigio
-	-	Mac Dalena	Jimmy Holiday	Hal Presley
WR	Xavier Worthy	JuJu Smith-Schuster	Tyquan Thornton	Jalen Royals
-	-	Jason Brownlee	Elijhah Badger	Key'Shawn Smith
LT	Josh Simmons	Wanya Morris	Esa Pole	-
LG	Kingsley Suamataia	Mike Caliendo	Dalton Cooper	-
C	Creed Humphrey	Hunter Nourzad	Joey Lombard	-
RG	Trey Smith	C.J. Hanson	Ethan Driskell	-
RT	Jawaan Taylor	Jaylon Moore	Chukwuebuka Godrick	-
TE	Travis Kelce	Noah Gray	Robert Tonyan	Jared Wiley
-	-	Jake Briningstool	Geor'Quarius Spivey	Tre Watson
QB	Patrick Mahomes	Gardner Minshew	Bailey Zappe	Chris Oladokun
RB	Isiah Pacheco	Kareem Hunt	Elijah Mitchell	Brashard Smith
-	-	-	-	Elijah Young
FB	Carson Steele	-	-	-

Josh Simmons is the starting left tackle

This is not a surprise, but here’s what matters: At this time a year ago, one of the things we noticed was that Kingsley Suamataia was the starting left tackle. This seems like an improvement.

Kingsley Suamataia is the starting left guard

This is also not a surprise. Although Jaylon Moore has rotated in for some snaps at this position during training camp, he’s clearly considered the backup; he’s also been rotating in for Jawaan Taylor at right tackle. At this point — for better or for worse — the job is Suamataia’s to lose.

Skyy Moore could make the team

This chart suggests that the team is looking at Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore and Tyquan Thornton as the top six wide receivers. As a fourth-round draft selection, Jalen Royals will make the roster. If the Chiefs keep seven wideouts — which is certainly possible — Nikko Remgio would be fighting for the last spot, pushing Moore or Thornton off the list. Remember: take the initial unofficial depth chart with a grain of salt.

Robert Tonyan could make the team

The veteran tight end isn’t particularly flashy, but neither was Blake Bell. Kansas City has a role he can play. That could mean Jake Briningstool might spend the season on the Reserve/Injured list. In 2026, we’ll see what he can do.

Defense

Pos	First	Second	Third	Fourth
DE	Mike Danna	Ashton Gillotte	Felix Anudike-Uzomah	-
DT	Mike Pennel	Omarr Norman-Lott	Marlon Tuipulotu	-
DT	Chris Jones	Jerry Tillery	Fabien Lovett	Coziah Izzard
DE	George Karlaftis	Charles Omenihu	Malik Herring	Janarius Robinson
LB	Drue Tranquill	Cam Jones	Jeffrey Bassa	-
LB	Nick Bolton	Jack Cochrane	Brandon George	-
LB	Leo Chenal	Cole Christiansen	Cooper McDonald	-
CB	Trent McDuffie	Nohl Williams	Melvin Smith	Kevin Knowles
-	-	-	-	Ajani Carter
CB	Jaylen Watson	Nazeeh Johnson	Joshua Williams	Chris Roland-Wallace
-	-	-	-	Azizi Hearn
S	Bryan Cook	Jaden Hicks	Deon Bush	Major Williams
S	Chamarri Conner	Mike Edwards	Glendon Miller	Jacobe Covington

Omarr Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte will play key roles

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo isn’t known for playing rookies, but it appears he’s making an exception for these two defensive linemen. They’re not likely to be starters, but it looks like they’ll have significant playing time as rotational players. Meanwhile, it seems likely that only one of Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Marlon Tuipulotu, Fabien Lovett and Malik Herring will make the opening day roster.

Which players make room for Jeff Bassa?

If the team has five linebackers on the opening roster — like they did in 2024 — this chart suggests the team will have some hard choices to make. Cam Jones, Jack Cochrane and Cole Christensen have all displayed special-teams upside. It’s hard to see a 53-man roster without Bassa — who has also shown special teams ability — so which two of the existing reserve linebackers will have to go?

Kristian Fulton is not on this chart

We presume that this is because the newly signed free-agent cornerback remains on the team’s Active/PUP list — and is, therefore, not expected to play on Saturday. Head coach Andy Reid says that Fulton has started running. That’s good, but the team needs him to be running in practice.

Chamarri Conner is starting ahead of Jaden Hicks

This is a bit of a surprise — but it might be because Conner has been playing in the slot so much as the nickel corner. If that continues to be the case (and it probably will be as long as Fulton isn’t playing), Hicks will still see plenty of playing time across from Bryan Cook.

Specialists

Pos	First	Second
K	Harrison Butker	-
H	Matt Araiza	-
P	Matt Araiza	-
LS	James Winchester	-
PR	Nikko Remigio	Brashard Smith
KR	Nikko Remigio	Brashard Smith

Can you guess this Chiefs linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game?

2025-08-04T07:00:00-05:00

Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

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Sunday, August 3, 2025
Saturday, August 2, 2025

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Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Arrowheadlines: Jared Allen officially inducted into the Hall of Fame

2025-08-04T05:30:00-05:00

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Chiefs headlines for Monday, August 4

The latest

Former Chiefs, Vikings star Jared Allen inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame: All-Pro was true sack artist | CBS Sports

A third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004, Allen wasted no time establishing himself as a Pro Bowl talent, logging nine and 11 sacks in his first two seasons, respectively. Then came the true breakout: He led the NFL with 15.5 quarterback takedowns in 2007, his fourth season, earning the first of four career All-Pro nods.

Jared Allen's special moment in Canton ❤️ pic.twitter.com/CQsW1VJUhO
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 3, 2025

Most Important Contract Decision for Every NFL Team Ahead of 2025 Season | Bleacher Report

Kansas City Chiefs: CB Trent McDuffie

The Chiefs signed one of their two 2022 first-rounders, striking a deal with edge-rusher George Karlaftis before training camp. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they worked out an extension with McDuffie, who was their top pick from that year.

McDuffie has been effective on the boundary and in the slot, earning first- and second-team All-Pro honors over the last two terms. Despite his struggles with penalties (11) last season, he allowed an 82.9 passer rating in coverage. Kansas City exercised the fifth-year option in his contract and an extension could be next on its agenda.

Former Kansas City Chiefs TE to sign with the Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs Wire

The Kansas City Chiefs made a few moves after the 2025 NFL draft on May 1st to accommodate incoming rookies. Former Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Baylor Cupp was one of the releases and has reportedly found a new home during training camp.

According to a report from CBS Sports, Cupp is signing with the Baltimore Ravens as they deal with injuries at the tight end position. Starting tight end Isaiah Likely notably went down with a foot injury in camp, requiring surgery.

Has Rashee Rice truly learned from his terrible decision? | USA Today

The third-year Kansas City Chiefs receiver on Saturday made his first public comments since being sentenced last month to 30 days in jail and five years probation after pleading guilty to two third-degree felony charges stemming from the high-speed racing incident that caused a multi-car collision.

Discipline from the NFL is likely looming, probably in the form of a multi-game suspension that will keep the starting wideout out of the lineup at the start of the season.

“I’ve completely changed,” Rice said after the morning practice at Missouri Western State University. “Honestly, you’ve got to learn from things like that. So, I’ve learned and I’ve taken advantage of being able to learn from something like that.”

Rice sure sounded like a man who has grown from his ordeal, as unnecessary as the freeway race was. Whether that reflects contrition, maturity, getting coached up on talking points or any combination of such represents just part of the takeaway from his media session.

Biggest games on the 2025 NFL schedule | NBC Sports

AFC Championship Game rematch: Chiefs-Bills has become one of the NFL’s best rivalries, and this year is likely to be no exception. They’ll meet in Buffalo in Week Nine on Sunday, November 2 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday: Kansas City at Dallas on Thanksgiving afternoon may be the most-watched game of the season. Detroit will also host Thanksgiving as part of their annual tradition, with the Packers coming to town. And in prime time, the Bengals will visit the Ravens on NBC and Peacock. The Eagles will host the Bears on Black Friday.

Around the NFL

NFLPA elects David White as interim executive director | ESPN

White is the CEO of 3CG Ventures, an executive coaching and strategic firm, and he serves as the board chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He has extensive labor experience, having served as the leader of the SAG-AFTRA union, with 160,000 members who work in the entertainment industry, from 2009 to 2021.

“I am grateful to the NFLPA’s player leadership for entrusting me with the privilege and responsibility to guide their union as interim executive director,” White said in a statement. “It’s a duty I do not take lightly, and I’m committed to re-establishing trust and ensuring the union is serving its members best. I look forward to working with the entire NFLPA team to protect players’ health and safety, secure their financial well-being, and further strengthen their voice to shape their futures.”

A representative from each of the 32 NFL teams participated in a Board of Player Representatives vote Sunday night, via video conference, after conducting interviews with each candidate over the past two weeks, a union source told ESPN.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Roster: Rookie Jalen Royals gaining the trust of Patrick Mahomes

But Rice, Worthy and Brown are all back for 2025 — and Veach has added fourth-round pick Jalen Royals to the roster. Halfway through training camp, the former Utah State wide receiver is drawing terrific reviews from his coaches — and from his teammates.

“He’s catching the football well,” noted head coach Andy Reid after Sunday’s training camp practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. “[He’s] strong [and] looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you just kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”

“I think he is a visualizer,” observed offensive coordinator Matt Nagy after the first week of camp. “So when he sees it, it takes him one time. Then the next time, he comes back and does a good job.”

“He is learning real fast,” said Rice on Saturday. “I wouldn’t necessarily say he is like me — because he is his own person — but he is going to be a dog his rookie year, for sure.”

JuJu Smith-Schuster — who is now the wide receiver room’s most experienced veteran — characterized him as a strong, quiet player who works very hard.

“He’s a guy that’s going to show up every day and just work,” he declared. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s very coachable. He’s a sponge. He’s a great dude to be around in that room.”

Social media to make you think

Jared Allen spoke about his time with the #Chiefs during his Hall of Fame speech. pic.twitter.com/R2RiUN76Nt
— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) August 2, 2025

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Jalen Royals is gaining the trust of Patrick Mahomes — and his teammates

2025-08-03T17:00:00-05:00

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Kansas City’s rookie wide receiver is making big strides during the team’s training camp in St. Joseph.

Over the last two years, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has turned in less-than-spectacular passing numbers — even as he led his team to the Super Bowl in each of those seasons.

But general manager Brett Veach has continued to add wide receiver talent to the team. In 2023, SMU’s Rashee Rice fell just short of becoming the first Kansas City rookie to collect 1,000 receiving yards. Unfortunately, he was also the only wideout to total at least 500 on the season.

In 2024, first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy unexpectedly had to shoulder the load after Rice was injured in Week 4. By then, the team had already lost recently signed wideout Hollywood Brown to injury on the opening snap of the preseason. Mahomes ended up hitting career lows in both passing yards and touchdowns.

But Rice, Worthy and Brown are all back for 2025 — and Veach has added fourth-round pick Jalen Royals to the roster. Halfway through training camp, the former Utah State wide receiver is drawing terrific reviews from his coaches — and from his teammates.

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“He’s catching the football well,” noted head coach Andy Reid after Sunday’s training camp practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. “[He’s] strong [and] looks like the quarterbacks trust him. That’s a big part of it. As you watch, you just kind of see who the quarterbacks are going to, and there’s a certain trust that they’re developing in that kid. So, that kind of speaks for itself.”

“I think he is a visualizer,” observed offensive coordinator Matt Nagy after the first week of camp. “So when he sees it, it takes him one time. Then the next time, he comes back and does a good job.”

“He is learning real fast,” said Rice on Saturday. “I wouldn’t necessarily say he is like me — because he is his own person — but he is going to be a dog his rookie year, for sure.”

JuJu Smith-Schuster — who is now the wide receiver room’s most experienced veteran — characterized him as a strong, quiet player who works very hard.

“He’s a guy that’s going to show up every day and just work,” he declared. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s very coachable. He’s a sponge. He’s a great dude to be around in that room.”

Brown is the room’s other “old hand” — and sees the same thing.

“[He’s] a quick learner,” he told reporters last week. “He’s taken advantage of his opportunities, making plays. I think he’s going to make some plays for us.”

In contrast, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has thus far chosen to display his confidence in Royals where it counts the most: on the field.

In 7-on-7, Mahomes connected with WR Jalen Royals on a beautiful back-shoulder pass. Royals had an impressive week and continues to see time on the field with Mahomes and the first-team offense. Watson had another breakup in 7s on a Mahomes ball intended for TE Travis Kelce.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) July 25, 2025

#Chiefs have a tunnel screen called for Jalen Royals, Mahomes has good touch on it. It may have gone the distance in a game. #ChiefsCamp2025
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) August 2, 2025

Vs. air, but Mahomes connected with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Royals for TDs on back-to-back plays.
— Nick Roesch (@Nicolas_Roesch) July 23, 2025

This connection with Mahomes is happening because Royals is working hard to create it — by “learning from him and [doing] what he says.”

“In the meeting room,” the rookie told reporters on Sunday, “[Mahomes] tells me everything I need to do. Then, after the meetings — while I’m just out here — he’ll tell me corrections and stuff like that. Then obviously, after the play, he’ll let me know on the sidelines.”

But that’s not to say that Royals yet enjoys the kind of relationship with his quarterback that someone like tight end Travis Kelce enjoys.

“It’s complicated,” he explained. “I’m still a rookie at the end of the day, so I’m trying to learn everything — and he’s wanting me to be up to speed. So it’s just balancing that.”

Still, this is a far cry from what we typically hear from young wide receivers in Reid’s offense, who are often struggling to master the playbook — much less take direction from Mahomes.

Royals credits the veterans around him for their support.

“It’s great having those type of guys,” he said of teammates like Smith-Schuster, Brown, Rice and Worthy. “I feel like they provide a great mental aspect to me. They’re always pushing me to keep going — even when the long drive drill is tough. Then, even in the meetings, they’re correcting me when I [make] mistakes.”

And he’s building a brotherhood with his fellow rookies, too.

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“We’re all in the same dorm,” he reminded his listeners. “We’re all right there, so we’re all going through this process together — learning the playbook, learning how coach Reid likes his offense and [how] coach [Connor] Embree runs his receiver room. We’re all just learning — and trying to stick together.”

When the NFL season begins in September, Rice will almost certainly be the team’s top receiver — and there’s a good chance his looming NFL suspension may sideline him for an unknown number of games. With every practice, Royals comes closer to being someone who can play a significant role in filling that void — and helping Mahomes (along with the rest of his new teammates) get back to the top of the heap.

Jawaan Taylor played through torn meniscus in 2024

2025-08-03T15:00:00-05:00

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

On Sunday, Kansas City’s right tackle explained the knee injury that limited him this offseason.

At the start of Kansas City Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western State University, tackle Jawaan Taylor was placed on the active/physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) due to a reported knee injury.

Although Taylor was activated less than a week into camp, he has reportedly rotated right tackle snaps with free agent signing Jaylon Moore. Taylor also missed practice altogether on Wednesday of last week.

Taylor was able to explain his situation to reporters after practice on Sunday.

“I had a knee scope back in March,” he revealed. “Then, I went on to Panama and had stem cell injection in May. So, I’ve just been treating it and trying to get my knee back healthy for the season.”

Shrewd fans may remember that, starting in Week 13, Taylor was listed on every Chiefs’ injury report with a knee injury through the end of the postseason. It turns out, the tackle was managing an injury suffered much earlier in the season.

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

“It was pretty challenging,” he acknowledged. “I took a hit to the knee in Week 5, and then I played the whole season pretty much with that nagging knee injury. “I was getting my knee drained every week trying to prepare for the games and to just do what I can to be my best for the team every week. So, [I was] just fighting through every game.”

After the season, Taylor learned the injury was even worse than he realized. He knows it affected his play at times in 2024.

“Once I got my MRI at the end of the season,” he recalled, “I had a lot of wear and tear on my knee — just wear and tear behind the kneecap, I partially tore my meniscus, wear and tear on my patella — so, it definitely had an impact.”

Taylor never considered season-ending surgery to address the issue. He knew he could play through it from tearing his meniscus in the same knee while in college at Florida.

“Never,” he stressed, “because I did the same thing in college. I tore it in college, played the whole season on it, got the surgery out of the season, so I knew I could do it again. I’m a little older now, but I was like, ‘I can do it.’ So, I did it.”

Still, he knew that surgery would be required and that playing through the issue would take a toll.

“I’ll do anything to help my team win,” he declared. “So, if it’s just sacrificing my body, sacrificing my knee, whatever it is to go out there and help the team win — I’m willing to do that. I knew I had to get surgery at the end of the year, but I just kept fighting every week just to be my best.”

The six-year veteran offered advice for playing through and treating major injuries.

“You just keep the fight,” Taylor explained. “Just keep standing it, and just show up every day, Take the rehab seriously, and just take it one day at a time. It’s not going to get better overnight. You’ve definitely got to take it one day at a time. It’s a long process, but it’s worth it.”

Taylor did not seem concerned about competing with Moore for the right tackle position. Moore has also rotated with second-year pro Kingsley Suamataia at left guard.

“I feel like it just helps the team become better as a whole,” he remarked of offensive line competition. “At the end of the day, we definitely needed to help with the position. So, I’m glad that they brought guys in to help the team because, at the end of the day, we’re just trying to win and do what it takes to win.”

Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images

One player who does not seem to be competing is rookie Joshua Simmons, who has taken every first-team snap at left tackle so far in camp. Echoing other players and coaches, Taylor is encouraged by the work he has his new teammate do with offensive line coach Andy Heck.

“[Simmons is] very talented,” Taylor observed, “very good rookie so far. He’s been soaking up all the things we’ve been teaching him — coach [Andy] Heck, the players, the veterans. I feel like he’s going to have a great career here for sure.”

Chiefs’ training camp observations from Sunday’s Day 11

2025-08-03T14:15:00-05:00

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Everything that went down during Kansas City’s 11th training camp practice in St. Joseph.

On Sunday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to the practice field at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph for the 11th full practice of the team’s 2025 training camp.

This was one of 17 sessions scheduled for the team’s practice field next to MWSU’s Spratt Stadium. Five of the remaining practices will be open to the public — click here for details and a full schedule — while one more will be open only to the team’s Season Ticket Members.

Arrowhead Pride editor-in-chief Pete Sweeney was there. He posted some observations on social media — starting with yet another cooler day.

The cool weather in St. Joe continued on Sunday, with the temperature in the high 60s as practice began, with it never really getting much past 70. Given the weekend, the workout had a heavy fan presence.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

There were no new injuries — and one player was back on the field.

No real change with injuries on Sunday, except for WR Skyy Moore's return to the field. Coming off a hamstring, Moore stretched and took part in the individual work, but stopped there.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

We got some new information about some other injuries, though.

As of Sunday, CB Kristian Fulton (knee) remains on PUP. I asked Andy Reid whether he might be available soon.

"We're hoping. We're just kind of taking it day by day. He started to run here, so we'll see where it goes."

Reid added WR Hollywood Brown (ankle) is making progress.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Things remained the same on the offensive line.

Along the offensive line, Josh Simmons continued to take every rep at left tackle while Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore had an even split of reps at right tackle. Taylor was asked about the OL room's competition after practice.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Taylor: "I feel like it just helps the team become better as a whole. At the end of the day, we definitely needed help with the position, so I'm glad that they brought guys in (Moore, Simmons) to help the team because at the end of the day, we're just trying to win."
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

It looks like the running backs will be able to do more in the passing game.

During the one-on-one period, I noticed Isiah Pacheco looks much improved in his route running. Elijah Mitchell came to the Chiefs with that already in his bag, and it shows. On the other side, CB Chris Roland-Wallace broke up two passes. He's also having a good camp.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Spags had decided to try that cornerback at nickel.

When 11-on-11 started, DC Steve Spagnuolo ran Roland-Wallace in the nickel, and he stayed on the field with both the first and second teams. The top outside corners were Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and the second team was Nohl Williams and a Joshua Williams-Nazeeh Johnson…
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

In red-zone work, the quarterback spread the ball around.

In early RZ 11-on-11, Patrick Mahomes threw touchdowns to Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals, Jason Brownlee and Noah Gray.

Worthy's was perfect in stride, and Royals made a tough catch just inside the back left pylon going against Bryan Cook. Brownlee went up to get his, and Gray's…
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

The placekicker put in another solid day.

Harrison Butker went 8 of 10 in the field-goal period, making everything from 49 yards out or less. Butker's two misses were from 52 and 60, but he finished the period by converting a 60-yarder.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Neither took a swing at the other, but two rookies continued their rivalry.

One of the best parts of camp has been watching Ashton Gillotte and Josh Simmons get after it, especially in the OL-DL drills. Here's a good look at the back and forth (via @TaylorBurr10). https://t.co/dTY5V8qapu
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Reid on Gillotte-Simmons: “When they compete — those two are competitive guys — they get in there and bang it around a little bit. I think it’s all healthy. They’re friends, so it works out off the field, but they’re both trying to chase a starting spot and see what they can do…
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Pete noted the defensive linemen who caught his eye.

Other OL/DL standouts, in this look: Jawaan Taylor, Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey, Jaylon Moore, Malik Herring, Felix Anudike-Uzomah
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

The team’s top receiver and running back made some big plays.

In 7-on-7, Rashee Rice made a leaping catch between three defenders. Pacheco made a deep, back-shoulder catch from Mahomes over Jack Cochrane on what looked like a Go down the right sideline. Big cheers from the crowd.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

But the defense was making plays, too.

Later in 7-on-7, Johnson nearly intercepted Mahomes but dropped the ball. Rookie Jeff Bassa broke up a Mahomes pass intended for Travis Kelce.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

During the final 11-on-11 period, George Karlaftis batted a Mahomes pass up into the air for Jaden Hicks to come down with the interception. Rice ran what looked like an angle for a TD near the end of the period. Mahomes finished practice with a shovel to Pacheco.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Pete also saw wideouts Jason Brownlee and Tyquan Thornton make some plays with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew.

In Minshew's turn, Brownlee high-pointed a fade over Nohl Williams for a score. Both Brownlee and Tyquan Thornton have been getting a lot of time with Mahomes. Eager to see what they can do in the preseason coming up on Saturday. They could be battling for one vacant spot.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

Reid on Brownlee and Thornton: “I think they’re doing a nice job. You saw Brownlee with a couple of high balls there. Thornton’s doing a nice job too, likewise. So, both are big guys. Thornton is a runner, and Brownlee is a big, strong kid — little different styles, but both of…
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

And as always, Pete tallied up the starter’s targets.

Mahomes targets (11-on-11): Rice (8), Gray (3), Hunt (2), Pacheco (2), Worthy (2), Brownlee, Kelce, Royals, Smith-Schuster, Tonyan
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 3, 2025

The Chiefs will take Monday off before getting back to work at 9:15 a.m. Arrowhead Time on Tuesday. As always, we will have live updates after it begins. When it is over, quarterbacks, running backs and specialists will sign autographs, while offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will be among those speaking to reporters.

Sunday training camp notebook: 3 nuggets from Andy Reid

2025-08-03T13:00:00-05:00

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

After Kansas City’s 11th training camp practice, the head coach discussed the team’s red-zone work, the offensive line competition and hopefuls at wide receiver.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, NFL teams are capped at 16 padded practices during training camp and the preseason, with no more than three consecutive padded practices permitted. This forces head coaches like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid to get creative with scheduling.

On Sunday, Reid ran his third extended practice in as many days — but the players dressed in shorts and shells, carefully staying within the assigned restrictions.

“We were non-pads, but we had a nice long practice with it, got a lot done for a non-padded practice,” said Reid. “Part of the league rules on what you’ve got to do, what you can do and can’t do. This was one of those days that we had. So with that, progress [is] being made.”

Improving in the red zone

Sunday’s workout featured several periods in which Patrick Mahomes and the offense started in the red zone. In 2024, Kansas City finished 21st in red-zone scoring percentage (55%). On defense, it ranked 11th (54%).

“Red zone, third downs — these things, you can always get better at them,” said Reid. “So even though we were one of the top third-down teams, well, you’ve got to be better at that. On both sides of the ball, we did well. Red zone, we did pretty good there.

“In certain situations — down and distance — we got a lot of second and third-down plays today, which end up being important. You don’t get a lot of work on that in the red zone, so we tried to focus on that throughout there.”

State of the offensive line

So far in training camp, left tackle Josh Simmons, center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith have taken nearly every snap at their respective positions.

After Jawaan Taylor’s activation from the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list, Jaylon Moore has spent three days rotating with Taylor at right tackle and one day rotating with Kingsley Suamataia at left guard.

Moore could push to win either position, but Reid wasn’t ready to make any decisions on Sunday.

“We feel like we need all of them,” said Reid of the offensive linemen. “They’re rotating and doing that, and we’ll just see. We’ll see who the two are at the end when we get done with it.”

Through 11 days, Simmons has been the story of camp, seeming to be the long-awaited answer for Kansas City at left tackle. Simmons has spent many practices battling against fellow rookie Ashton Gillotte. Both players have collected wins in these matchups.

Reid sees the healthy competition as one of the grand positives of camp thus far.

“It’s one thing you see with the rookies because they do a couple of different things before we actually get them out on the field,” explained Reid, “where they’re together at these different functions, and so there’s a certain pride in your rookie class and how you’re going to establish yourself.

“When they compete — those two are competitive guys — they get in there and bang it around a little bit. I think it’s all healthy. They’re friends, so it works out off the field, but they’re both trying to chase a starting spot and see what they can do there.”

The back-end wide receiver battle

The Chiefs are expected to keep five receivers for sure: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Royals. With that considered, there are realistically four other wideouts who could push for a role or two, depending upon Rice’s anticipated suspension.

So far in training camp, both Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee have seen time with Mahomes, and they are making the most of their opportunities.

“I think they’re doing a nice job,” said Reid. “You saw Brownlee with a couple of high balls there. Thornton’s doing a nice job too, likewise. So, both are big guys. Thornton is a runner, and Brownlee is a big, strong kid — little different styles, but both of them are good players.”

Observations

Pete Sweeney was present for Sunday’s practice. You can find his complete observations by clicking here.

Injury report

Returned to practice: WR Skyy Moore (stretch and individual only)
Out of practice (due to injury): TE Jake Briningstool (out with hamstring since 7/26), WR Hollywood Brown (out with ankle since 7/30), S Deon Bush (out with hamstring since 7/29), LB Drue Tranquill (out with back since 8/2), TE Jared Wiley (out since 8/2)
Left practice early (due to injury): N/A
Non-football injury (NFI) list: DL BJ Thompson
Physically unable to perform (PUP) list: CB Kristian Fulton (out with knee since 7/22)

Post of the day

Our John Dixon compiled all of Sunday’s posts here. Here is the post of the day:

Rookie battles in the trenches continue. Josh Simmons holds his ground in the first rep, but Ashton Gillotte answers with a quick inside spin on the next #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/BwaZuFMLkd
— Taylor Burr (@TaylorBurr10) August 3, 2025

The Gillotte-Simmons rookie rivalry continues.

Quote of the day

Wide receiver Jalen Royals on fans and the “Let’s go Royals” chant: “Yeah, every time I walk in, it’s all I hear. It’s been amazing.”

What’s next?

Sunday’s practice leads into a day off for the team on Monday before another workout on Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. Arrowhead Time. Following the practice, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will address the media as quarterbacks, running backs and specialists sign autographs.

Here’s the complete 2025 training camp schedule.