The Kansas City Chiefs veterans are coming to Missouri Western’s campus in St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp. The rookies have had time to get early work, and adding the rest of the roster will open up more drills and full team practices.
Chiefs president Mark Donovan addressed the media on Friday, discussing the looming decision regarding the team’s future at Arrowhead Stadium.
“This is a generational decision,” said Donovan. “This is going to impact the future of this franchise for generations.”
The Chiefs and Royals have played at Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium for over five decades. The outdated conditions at the Truman Sports Complex could be the catalyst for a move of bath franchises in the near future.
“We have to get this right,” said Donovan. “We are going to do the due diligence. We are going to take our time and do it right. But there is a reality to the timing. You can only take so much time to get it right. And that window is starting to close.”
Logistics regarding parking lot size and the Chiefs’ hopes of hosting a Super Bowl one day are all being considered, as the Chiefs don’t want to fall behind other franchises with significant upgrades to their home facilities.
“Really, the deadline is how you can be up and running in a new facility or a renovated facility for January of the 2031 season,” said Donovan. “You’re looking at an existing structure, something we’ve done a lot of work on; there is a little less lead time. If you are talking about something new, it extends the lead time a year and a half. So we feel like we’re in the window now to get something done in the next six months to be in a good position. That’s the timeline we’re working on.”
The next few months will be critical regarding the team’s future location, making each game slated at Arrowhead Stadium more precious than usual.