Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer and publisher of Chiefs Digest. He joined Chiefs Digest in 2013 and became lead beat writer in 2016. He resides in Kansas City, Missouri.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The solar eclipse descends on St. Joseph next week but one body already moved in front of another with Patrick Mahomes outshining Tyler Bray and assuming the role as the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind starter Alex Smith. “It gives Patrick an opportunity to step up and work with that second group and see what he …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, thrust into the starting lineup following an injury to Chris Jones, justified the faith of head coach Andy Reid with a stellar performance in Kansas City’s preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers. “He’s had a good camp and it carried over into the game,” Reid said. “I was kind of curious …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sam Ficken went to work Monday morning with his nose in a book preparing for a test at work yet on Friday night he spent the evening at his side job — kicking in the NFL. “I was at work in Greenwich, Conn.,” Ficken explained when asked where he received his summons to Kansas City. “I …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Smith started Kansas City out on the right foot in the preseason opener against San Francisco but little else when the Chief’s way in the 49ers 27-17 comeback win at Arrowhead Stadium. “I thought the ones were on top of their game,” head coach Andy Reid said. “I was very happy with them.” Smith delivered …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs host the San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium Friday night, and it’s the first opportunity for fans to watch this year’s rookie crop in live action as well as gauge the team’s strengths at various positions on the field. Head coach said he expects each of his four quarterbacks to play about …
NFL teams are stocked with 90 players for training camp and the preseason but only 53 making the opening week roster, which means opportunities for career advancements as well pitfalls remain on the horizon for a dozen or more players on each team. The Chiefs are no different than any other NFL club. Here’s a run down of some of …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs signed an insurance policy against the potential loss of kicker Cairo Santos for Friday’s preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers. The team auditioned several kickers Tuesday before settling on free agent Sam Ficken. Santos left practice Monday with a groin injury. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid indicated the injury may stem from scar …
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — An injury to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos has the team pondering its options for Friday night’s preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers in the even the veteran cannot kick. “We’ll just monitor it, see how he does,” head coach Andy Reid said. “We’ve got some other kickers that are here to come in. …
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Kansas City kicks off its preseason slate Friday night at Arrowhead Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers, and each of the team's quarterbacks carries different expectations and goals for the opener. "We're all going to get a different sliver of it come preseason," starting quarterback Alex Smith said. "We've got to do it together but we're …
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Chiefs moved to shore up depth along their defensive line with the addition of defensive tackle Maurice Swain, a rookie free agent from Auburn. The 6-5, 314-pound Swain played 18 games for Auburn during the last two seasons, picking up 20 total tackles including 1-1/2 for a loss. The Chiefs cleared space for Swain by …
