As the first week of training camp comes to an end for the Kansas City Chiefs, a few questions are answered from the offseason. One of the biggest wonders heading into camp is the status of the offensive line.
The Chiefs have kept it no secret that the offensive line was a priority heading into the season after the struggles in Super Bowl LV. The return of veteran offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has been a plus serving as the glue to a relatively new group. Duvernay-Tardif was a member of the Super Bowl-winning team but opted out of last season to help fight against COVID-19 back in his home country Canada.
The doctor spoke with reporters Saturday about his new teammates on the offensive line and readjusting after a year away.
”I mean, that’s why it’s so great to spend some time here in St. Joe because you get to bond with everybody,” said Duvernay-Tardif. “We’ve got a really cool group of guys and they’ve welcomed me in. Even though I’ve been here for the last eight years, I wasn’t here last year. So, it was good to build that chemistry, and I feel like now we’re pretty united.”
The Chiefs added many new names on the offensive line with hopes of solidifying the position. The new teammates are still building chemistry together in the early days of training camp, but Duvernay-Tardif feels they’ll be better as padded practices begin next week.
“I mean, it’s still a process. It’s always a process, especially because of the fact that I haven’t played for the last year, but I feel pretty good,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “Today was a good day and we just keep on building, and next week we’re going to put the pads on. And I’m looking forward to that. It’s really when you know where you’re at, you know?”
After a year away from the game, Duvernay-Tardif is finding it a bit more difficult to get back into the swing of things. But what is the most challenging to the eight-year veteran in his return to play?
“Everything, to be honest,” Duvernay-Tardif explained. “It’s always a challenge. Training camp is hard, physically and mentally. We’ve been pretty lucky that we’ve had some pretty good weather, other than it was a little hot at the beginning. It’s just making sure you compete every day. Show up with a great attitude. We have a really competitive group this year, and I think that it’s my job to show that I can still play, and I want to play.”
The depth of this team, combined with youth and experience will be essential this season, especially late in the year and heading into the playoffs.
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