The Kansas City Chiefs had their final training camp practice of the year on Thursday and ESPN's Nate Taylor caught everyone up on what to expect in the second preseason game on Saturday.
The Kansas City Chiefs had their final training camp practice of the summer on Thursday ahead of the second preseason game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Reid was also unsure if Mahomes would play a few snaps in the preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks, but he didn’t rule out the possibility, telling reporters “We’ll see how that goes.”
Mahomes was seen doing something you wouldn’t expect from a player with his resume: practicing with the scout team in the final 11-on-11 session.
As for who will start at quarterback for Kansas City on Saturday, backup quarterback Justin Fields will play into the second quarter of the contest. Expect undrafted rookie Garrett Nussmeier and veteran Chris Oladokun to get tons of reps in the game as well.
Mahomes isn’t the only veteran starter who won’t see the field on Saturday; right guard Trey Smith (hip), left tackle Josh Simmons (back) and defensive end Ashton Gillotte (ruptured plantar fascia) won’t participate in the exhibition either.
Gillotte may be available for Week 1 against the Broncos if his rehab goes well, and ESPN’s Nate Taylor stated that Kansas City’s initial evaluation of the 23-year-old suggests he will be out for three weeks.
Reid doesn’t seem worried about the pass-rusher’s future this season, which is huge because he’s expected to play a major role in the Chiefs’ efforts to get to the quarterback more consistently in 2026.
Gillotte’s a young guy that has impressed the coaching staff from the jump, and coach Reid praised his young players for a hardworking training camp. The Chiefs will be relying on several young players to get this team where it needs to go.
“They worked hard and I appreciate that,” Reid said of his players. “I thought we made progress. It's the young guys that you're looking at here. We have a number of them. How they progress -- and continue to progress -- will be a big part of how this team does.”
After the 6-11 season in 2025, expectations will be high. Getting back to dominating opposing teams, especially in one-score games, will be at the forefront of what Kansas City has its sights on.
