KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs all but concluded their offseason program on Thursday with the final of 12 full-squad workouts. The only item on Thursday’s agenda for the final day of the mandatory minicamp is the infamous conditioning test (more on that below).
Wednesday’s practice again took part in front of several hundred season ticket members who were invited to a “first look” at the 2023 squad. The roughly one hour, 45-minute work included the usual stretch period followed by special teams work on kick returns and kick coverage, position drills, a group install and two periods of 11-on-11 work with a 7-on-7 session sandwiched in between.
A temperature of 84 degrees remained steady throughout the practice, creating steamy conditions that may have impacted the play on the field. The offense wasn’t as crisp as it was on Tuesday, with Patrick Mahomes connecting on just one of his first four throws. No contact is allowed and players aren’t wearing pads, prompting why coaches and players refer to this as a passing camp. Perspiration from the higher temperature no doubt made the ball more slippery than in Tuesday’s cooler weather.
While a number of players stood out during the offseason workouts, two rookies from the 2022 class showed significant improvement from a year ago. On the offensive side, Moore was a true standout during the minicamp, showing an increased understanding of the playbook and much-improved chemistry and communication with Mahomes.
A great example occurred on Tuesday when Mahomes delivered one of his one-of-kind throws, a submarine sidearm pass around and under a defender. The ball found a streaking Moore over the middle who snagged the catch in stride and tacked on additional yards.
As a rookie, Moore felt he possessed the physical skills to make the catch. But now he’s much more comfortable coming out of his breaks, running at the right speed and knowing what Mahomes likes.
“I feel like this year we’re on the same page,” Moore said. “I probably knew where to be when when when he threw it, and you know he throws no-looks all the time. So me keeping my same speed and keeping the play alive, that’s probably something built on top of my game for this year versus last year.”
On the defensive side, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson showed why he made be ready for a larger role in the team’s secondary. While Johnson logged 96 snaps on special teams last year and was considered perhaps the team’s best gunner by the end of the season, he didn’t play a single down on defense in the regular season. Johnson should be ready to contribute this year, and with L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie held out of offseason work, he rotated along with Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams at the cornerback spot.
Among this year’s rookie class, receiver Rashee Rice looks best positioned to make an immediate impact but one of the more notable long-term development prospects involves third-round offensive tackle Wanya Morris. Morris may have taken more snaps than any lineman in the offseason as he rotated at both left and right tackle and on Wednesday even rotated with left tackle Donovan Smith and right tackle Jawaan Taylor with the first-team offense. While Prince Tega Wanogho and Lucas Niang are strong candidates as backup swing tackles, the Chiefs have certainly given Morris an opportunity to prove he’s the long-term solution at left tackle.
Highlights from Wednesday’s practice:
- Undrafted rookie free agent running back Deneric Prince continued his solid work in the passing game, making a tough catch on an extended play as Mahomes had difficulty finding a receiver. Prince has firmly put himself in contention for a spot on the 53-player roster as a backup running back and potential kick returner.
- Backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert and receiver John Ross combined for an unconventional touchdown when a pass intended for Rice was contested by a defender and Ross hauled in the ball on the tip drill.
- Williams and Watson combined for solid defensive plays in the red zone on back-to-back snaps in 11-on-11. First Williams had tight coverage on Travis Kelce, forcing Mahomes to throw the ball high outside the tight end’s reach. On the following play, Watson batted away a Mahomes passes intended for tight end Jody Fortson.
- The offense feasted during the 7-on-7 session. On the first play, Mahomes fired a high pass that went through the hands of Williams and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in for an incredible grab. On the next play, Mahomes found Moore for a deep touchdown strike. Three snaps later, Mahomes put a little bit too much air on a deep ball intended for John Ross, and the 5-foot-11, 194-pound receiver went up skyward for the catch with Watson, a 6-foot-2, 197-pound cornerback). The two players came down with simultaneous possession of the ball but ultimately Ross wrestled it away for the touchdown.
- Returning to 11-on-11 play, Mahomes connected with Kadarius Toney for a red zone touchdown. The defense rebounded on the next snap with safety Justin Reid denying Kelce for his second broken-up pass of the day against the All-Pro tight end in the red zone.
Tryout Receiver Shines
One of the standouts in Wednesday’s practice was tryout wide receiver Kekoa Crawford, who connected with backup quarterback Shane Buechele for two impressive catches including a touchdown grab in the red zone during full team drills.
Crawford started his college career at Michigan before transferring to California, where he caught 75 passes for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns in parts of three seasons. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Indianapolis last season. He returned to Berkley to showcase his skills in the school’s pro day in March, posting a dazzling 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash, faster than his 4.49 speed into the 2022 NFL Combine while weighing almost 10 pounds heavier. The Chiefs have plenty of competition at receiver, yet Crawford’s size (6-foot-1) and speed are tantalizing.
Running back Darrell Henderson Jr., a former third-round selection for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, also participated in the minicamp on a tryout basis. Henderson rushed for 1,742 in parts of four seasons with the Rams, averaging 4.4 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns. He also caught 92 passes for 474 yards and four scores and has never fumbled in 462 touches in his NFL career. The Chiefs currently have five running backs on the roster. Still, with Isiah Pacheco likely to start training camp in a limited capacity while recovering from offseason surgery on both his shoulder and hand, there could be a place for a veteran such as Henderson.
The Andy Reid Eyebrow
Andy Reid is well known for running a tight ship, and no one may understand that more than Kelce, who on Tuesday said he’s endured the look of disapproval from the head coach.
“I think the welcome to the league moment (for me) with Coach Reid was just that eyebrow he gives you, man,” Kelce said. “That thing, he just looks at you like, ‘All right, I better pick it up. Better stop screwing around.’
On Wednesday, Valdes-Scantling said he knows all about Reid’s eyebrow raise.
“Coach Reid doesn’t really have a lot of emotion,” Valdes-Scantling said. “So if you do get some emotion out of coach Reid, it’s like one of those — like I might have messed up for real.”
The receiver confirmed he was the target of Reid’s ire one day in a meeting room.
“It’s not a good feeling,” he said. “It’s like when you get in trouble by your granddad or something. Not not a good thing.”
Quote of the Day
He’s nice. I’ve seen him on the film. First of all, to be that big enough and that athletic is definitely rare. I think the first thing I text the guys was like, ‘Who’s 34? He’s big as hell. He’s moving really fast.’ But he’s been definitely a standout for sure. I know, the coaches love him, we love him. I can’t wait to see what he does in camp. And then me physically be out there and give him my veteran presence and then just watch and him go from there. But it definitely be fun to watch him learn and take that next challenge.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon on rookie RB Deneric Prince
What’s Next?
The Chiefs won’t hold a full squad workout for the final day of the minicamp. The final day is reserved for Reid’s dreaded conditioning test, which in recent years has consisted of about 15 half-gassers (a sprint from sideline to the opposite sideline, a distance of just more than 53 yards). The players take a similar test once they report to training camp.
After Thursday’s workout, players will be on a respite for nearly a month before reporting to St. Joseph for training camp. Rookies and quarterbacks are expected to report to camp in mid-July.
