ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — When the Chiefs visit New Orleans for their preseason opener in eight days, special teams coordinator Dave Toub will have a close eye on undrafted free agent rookie running back Deneric Prince. “I want to see him, he’ll start off as kick returner for us,” Toub said after Saturday’s practice. “I want to see him with …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dave Toub remembers all too well the nightmare of muffed punts, poor execution and missed kicks that defined the Chiefs’ special teams unit during the 2022 regular season. Following the team’s Week 3 loss at Indianapolis, Toub lined up against the wall of the club’s press room and asked, “Is this the firing squad?” This season, …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Longtime Chiefs defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas and former Washington offensive line coach Joe Bugel are the recipients of this year’s Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award, a lifetime achievement honor presented annually by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA). Thomas, also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player for the …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Thursday’s OTA practice for the Chiefs took on a bit more of a serious edge with officials in the defensive secondary making calls as the team concluded its second week of offseason practices. Midway through the team’s 10 OTA practices and three minicamp workouts that close next month, head coach Andy Reid said he’s pleased with the …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sunday’s victory over the Denver Broncos in the season finale proved costly for Kansas City’s special teams with coordinator Dave Toub searching for replacements with the team’s top two kick returners gone for the season. “We’ve got a number of guys who can do it,” Toub said. “(Demarcus Robinson) can do it, (Charcandrick West) can do …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon may not break the freezing mark, and kicker Harrison Butker might even see a few snowflakes during warm ups, prompting Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub to wonder how his rookie may fare in his first true cold-weather NFL experience. “This will be the coldest game Butker ever kicked …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kick return specialist Devin Hester retired this week after a record-setting career, and Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub probably understands Hester better than any other coach in the league. “He was a great player,” Toub said. “Five years from now, if he doesn’t get in the Hall of Fame, it would be a …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Special teams coordinator Dave Toub stands fairly pleased with Kansas City’s special teams unit fared through the first half of the season, but that doesn’t mean he cannot find room for improvement during the second half of the season. “Right now I think we’re doing okay,” Toub said. “There’s always things to improve on. I think …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kicker Harrison Butker found himself hanging out in his apartment last Monday evening in Charlotte, N.C. when he heard his phone’s ringtone. “I was in my apartment and then my agent called and said Kansas City is looking for a kicker,” Butker explained. No way in that moment could he imagine that on week later he …
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict picked up a five-game suspension from the NFL for a hit on Chiefs’ fullback Anthony Sherman, shining a spotlight on new rules and points of emphasis for the 2017 season. The rule approved by NFL owners during the offseason awards defenseless player protection to receivers running pass routes from behind and …