The Kansas City Chiefs are moving into preseason mode, and these are the biggest camp takeaways so far.
The Kansas City Chiefs are shifting from training cam mode to focus on preseason preparation, and Jesse Newell of The Athletic offered these takeaways on what he’s seen so far.
QB Patrick Mahomes looks like…Patrick Mahomes
This is the big one. Mahomes has been wearing a huge brace that seemed to limit him initially, but he’s made the necessary adjustments. Mahomes has been working extensively under center, rolling out and even making some of what Newell called his “ patented off-balance, twisting throws” in various drills. He’s also starting to ignore the brace and trying to make plays, which is another huge sign that while he’ll be limited, he’ll still be himself.
RB Kenneth Walker III is everywhere
The Chiefs love what they’ve seen from Walker so far, and they’re even expanding his role. Walker shared the backfield chores with Zach Charbonnet with the Seattle Seahawks, which mostly meant early-down carries.
Not anymore. It’s all Walker, all the time in Kansas City, as the Chiefs are featuring Walker in the screen game and using him as a receiver. It’s a noteworthy development, and he’s been featured in the red zone even more. Keeping him healthy will be the key, so rookie running back Emmett Johnson will probably play a significant role as well.
This isn’t the same stodgy Chiefs offense
The league has adjusted to coach Andy Reid’s motion offense, which was once innovative but has now been copied to death, then discarded. The Chiefs want to be a downhill team this year, and linebacker Nick Bolton commented on the various looks the offense showed as it continues to incorporate that concept.
“They did a great job,” Bolton said of the offense in practice, “of mixing the run, pass, play-actions.”
The Chiefs have an unexpected depth problem
Most of the focus has been on the wide receivers when it comes to depth questions, but Newell flagged the offensive line as a concern, especially on the interior. The Chiefs have actually kicked rookie tackle Kahlil Benson inside along with fellow tackle Jaylon Moore, which is an indictment of sorts of backups Mike Caliendo and Hunter Nourzad. Trey Smith has been out for over a week with a back issue, but Newell predicted an upgrade inside before the season starts.
These newcomers have stood out
For all the focus on the Chiefs’ free agent signees, Reid believes that camp is for evaluating rookies, and he mentioned how critical they are to Kansas City’s success this season.
“I think we made progress. I think it’s the young guys that you’re really looking at,” Reid said. “We have a number of them, and how they progressed — and continue to progress — will be a big part of how this team does.”
