By Matt McMullen – Chiefs.com Reporter
The Kansas City Chiefs are one step closer to football season as the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions wrapped up Mandatory Minicamp at the team facility on Thursday.
Mandatory Minicamp, which prohibits “live” contact and does not take place in pads, operates under the same set of rules as the Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices that transpired over the last three weeks. The key difference is that OTAs are voluntary while Mandatory Minicamp – as the name implies – is a requirement for all players to attend.
The practices this week were the last element of the offseason training program before Training Camp kicks off next month in St. Joseph, signaling a key checkpoint as the Chiefs prepare for the 2024 season.
“Good to finish up here on a positive note,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “[The players] sure have worked hard this offseason, and they finished up today. It’s been productive, particularly for the young guys, but also for the free agents that we brought in…The message [now] is just that they come back ready to go.”
Thursday marked the culmination of a process that began way back in mid-April. “Phase One” of the offseason training program – essentially just team meetings – spanned two weeks before “Phase Two,” which permitted limited on-field drills, began on April 29.
The Chiefs then kicked off “Phase Three” of the program, which allowed for 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 offensive vs. defensive drills, on May 20. “Phase Three” included nine OTA practices and this week’s minicamp, and while those practices were devoid of “live” contact, the mental reps that took place provided the foundation for the 2024 campaign.
“I think the most important thing with OTAs is building continuity and chemistry with the team. That’s a huge part of it,” said defensive tackle Chris Jones. “When you have a lot of young guys, [this helps them] get acclimated to how we practice and the speed of practice.”
It’s also worth pointing out that the Chiefs’ offseason preparation has taken place in the context of having an opportunity to make history in 2024. No team has ever won three Super Bowl championships in a row, but while that’s the Chiefs’ ultimate goal this season, the locker room has remained focused on the little things required to get there.
“I think everybody is pretty motivated to keep the mentality we had last year,” said tight end Travis Kelce. “We didn’t get to ‘back-to-back’ by always talking about ‘back-to-back.’ We got there by trying to figure out the best way to get better from the last week. I think that mentality is key.”
With all of that in mind, here are a handful of notes from both days of this week’s Mandatory Minicamp:
Day 1
– Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed a slick sidearm throw to wide receiver Hollywood Brown during 11-on-11 drills.
– Tight end Noah Gray made a great catch over the middle during 11-on-11 drills.
– Wide receiver Skyy Moore hauled in a touchdown grab over the middle despite good coverage during team drills.
– Safety Bryan Cook recorded an interception off a deflection during a 7-on-7 period. Cook later added a pass-breakup at the goal line in team red zone drills.
– Wide receiver Mecole Hardman tallied a great catch near the sideline during 7-on-7 drills.
– Rookie tight end Jared Wiley made a noteworthy catch in the corner of the end zone during a 7-on-7 period.
– Wide receiver Rashee Rice had a busy day with several catches, including a deep reception down the sideline during 11-on-11 drills.
– Safety Trey Dean recorded an interception in the end zone during an 11-on-11 period.
– Wide receiver Nikko Remigio hauled in a catch in the corner of the end zone during 7-on-7 drills.
Day 2
– Tight end Jared Wiley had another solid day with numerous receptions, including several in the end zone.
– Tight end Travis Kelce made a great catch over the middle despite good coverage during a 7-on-7 period.
– Wide receiver Rashee Rice had another productive day with several receptions, particularly on short routes over the middle of the field.
– Wide receiver Hollywood Brown made one of the plays of the day with a touchdown grab deep down the field during team drills. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw the ball at least 40 yards in the air on the play. Brown also added an over-the-shoulder touchdown grab during 7-on-7 drills a bit earlier.
– Cornerback Joshua Williams tallied a pass-breakup on a short route in the red zone during 11-on-11 drills.
– Wide receiver Skyy Moore hauled in a touchdown with a toe-tap reception in the back of the end zone during a 7-on-7 period.
