Tag: Andy Reid

Chiefs’ Andy Reid praises QB Jordan Ta’amu’s work ethic

Jordan Ta’amu is battling for the backup role behind Patrick Mahomes and has managed to keep the interest of head coach Andy Reid.

 

Past NFL training camps for the Kansas City Chiefs have seen position battles for reserve spots on the depth chart. This year the opportunities are limited with no minicamps, OTAs and preseason games in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every team around the league has made the necessary adjustments to prepare for the new season. Some of the new changes agreed upon by the NFL and NFLPA include cutting down rosters earlier than expected. Teams have also been limiting reps for players not expected to start in the upcoming season. Recent free-agent quarterback signing Jordan Ta’amu is battling for the backup role behind Patrick Mahomes and has managed to keep the interest of head coach Andy Reid, despite the challenges of this unique offseason.

“Tough time to come in as a quarterback, in a year like this,” said Reid, ”but Jordan’s worked his tail off. It’s evident to all of us that he has spent the time working. We have a lot of words that are calculated in these plays that you have to be able to spit out in a short period of time and he does that well. Then, he’s strong. He’s a strong body and he has a strong mind, and that normally leads to good things. Now, how many reps is he going to get during this time? We’re short on practices for the year—these first five practices, we’re short on time, period, on the field—so he might not get as much time as we ramp up here. But his time will come down the road, but I sure love his attitude.”

Reid spoke highly of the former XFL star. When the Chiefs re-signed Matt Moore, a reliable backup who started two games in relief of Mahomes last season, it made it that much more difficult for Ta’amu. Without the opportunity to truly showcase his ability against NFL talent, Ta’amu faces an uphill battle during training camp and into the 2020 season. He might not be favored in the current climate, but hard work doesn’t go unrecognized and can take Ta’amu a long way in this league.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Tyrann Mathieu discuss the current state of college football

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and All-Pro Safety Tyrann Mathieu provided opinions on college football’s dilemma during Friday’s training can’t press conferences.

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The global pandemic continues to affect the sports world on all levels making attempts to find normalcy difficult. The college football season remains in severe doubt, with several conferences either postponing their seasons or canceling altogether.

As the Kansas City Chiefs continue to follow new protocols regarding this year’s training camp, plenty of questions regarding college football continue to circulate. The effects on scouting and NFL draft for prospects is another dilemma for those student-athletes who hope to reach the league. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and All-Pro Safety Tyrann Mathieu provided opinions on college football’s dilemma during Friday’s training camp press conferences.

“I think everybody’s situation is going to be a little different,” said Mathieu, ”Obviously, you have to have the right kind of attitude and need the right kind of people around you to make the right decisions at 19, 20, 21 years old. I’m hoping that those guys have people in their corner that can really guide them and give them the right kind of advice, whether that simply is telling the guys the truth. Some guys have enough tape where they don’t have to play another season, whereas some guys need the tape to get looked at or get mentioned in the next draft class. It’s unfortunate circumstances, so I just hope those guys have the right kind of people in their corner so they can make the right decisions.”

Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU football program in 2012 and was still drafted in 2013. He can relate to being unable to solidify draft status on the college football platform, though, under different circumstances. The lack of a college season could interrupt the scouting process forcing NFL teams into an unusual situation.

“It sounds like they’re working everything out right now, and I’m sure there are reasons why. They have a lot of smart people there,” said Reid. ”I’m not sure of all the details of it; I’m not involved with that at all. It will add another challenge I think to our scouting department on evaluating players, but they’ll work it out just like everybody else will and go forward. I have to tell you, I’m kind of more focused on this than that, but I do have a son that’s a strength coach at one of the colleges, so I’m a bit aware of it.”

The sports world continues to wait for a unanimous decision from the college football community. The health and safety of student-athletes are and should be a priority as these young men aren’t paid for their services per collegiate regulations.

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Andy Reid praises Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: ‘He still comes to work every day wanting to get better’

Travis Kelce remains as committed to his craft today as he was when he first arrived in Kansas City.

The contract extension between Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs was made official today, ensuring the star tight end will be under contract for six more seasons.

It’s been quite the journey for the third-round draft pick in 2013. Kelce went from a rambunctious rookie to a veteran leader on the team. He went from getting ejected for throwing his towel at an official to being humble and level-headed on the field. He went from being considered just another guy, to putting together four-consecutive 1000-yard receiving seasons, something no tight end has ever before accomplished.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is elated to see Kelce stay in Kansas City. He described Kelce’s growth as a player and leader as he enters his eighth season in the NFL during Friday’s media availability.

“Well, just the fact that he’s been voted captain — playoff captain — the last couple of years. Three years I think. That says everything,” Reid explained. “He has grown. We’ve watched him — everybody has here — grow before their eyes. Fans included.”

Reid praised the thing still makes Kelce such a special football player to this day. It’s a characteristic that he shares with his brother, Jason Kelce, who Reid also coached in Philadelphia.

“He still comes to work every day wanting to get better and so you love that part of it,” Reid continued. “He brings energy every day. I’ve been lucky enough to coach him and his brother and they’re both that way. They’re just wired where they want to be the best, but yet enjoy playing the game like no other, like you’re playing in the backyard type of thing.”

Kelce’s continued commitment to his craft is a point emphasis for Reid, but also the energy that he brings. Be it during practice or on the field, he plays the game with a sense of joy and passion that is akin to playing football in the backyard. It’s part of what makes Kelce, but also this team so special. They have the ability to have fun with what they’re doing but also push themselves to get better. It’s a combination that has Kelce at the top of the food chain in Kansas City, earning the utmost respect from his peers, the front office and the coaching staff.

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Former Eagles offensive line coach Howard Mudd has passed away

Howard Mudd has passed away at the age of 78

Howard Mudd has passed away in a Seattle intensive care unit after a motorcycle accident two weeks ago John Clark is reporting.

The legendary offensive line coach was named the offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles after being talked out of retirement in 2011 by then-head coach Andy Reid.

One of the best to ever coach the position, Mudd was responsible for the Eagles allowing 17 fewer sacks than they had the previous season while helping LeSean McCoy lead the NFL in total touchdowns.

In his two seasons with the Eagles, Mudd was responsible for Jason Peters’ initial improvement, played a role in the Eagles selecting Jason Kelce, and helped Evan Mathis become one of the top guards in the NFL.

From 1998 to 2009, Mudd was the offensive line coach for Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, and Indianapolis Colts, with whom he won Super Bowl XLI.

6 things we learned from Chiefs training camp media availability

Andy Reid and several Kansas City Chiefs players spoke to the media from training camp.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke to the media on Sunday along with a number of players. We heard from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and WR Sammy Watkins. We also heard from rookie CB L’Jarius Sneed for the first time since the draft. There was a lot to be said as the Chiefs’ players enter the gradual ramp-up period of training camp.

Here’s a look at six things we learned during the course of the media availability:

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs players aren’t behind compared to a normal offseason

“Because they gave us a couple extra practices in pads, we’re going to be okay. We have four practices here without pads on, and we should be okay. We should be able to cover all the situations that we normally cover, which is important in this day and age of football. Situational football, because of margins between wins and losses, is very important. So, we’re focusing in on that, making sure we’re getting that taken care of, but at the same time getting the guys in football condition where they can sustain four quarters. You’re probably behind by reps that you’ve had in the offseason, but other than that, we should be able to catch up on some of that.” – Chiefs HC Andy Reid

While the Chiefs are behind in terms of the reps that they’d normally have by now, Reid is under the impression that they’ll be able to make it up in the time they’ve been allotted. You also have to remember that with 10 fewer players on the offseason roster, there are more reps to go around.

There has also been an emphasis on situational football, which is important. If they hadn’t placed such an emphasis on that in the past, perhaps they wouldn’t have been able to accomplish those comeback wins on their way to a Super Bowl victory last year.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes excited to have Sammy Watkins back

Watkins is crucial to the Chiefs’ success on offense and the two masterminds behind it are elated to have him back.

Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins took a pay cut to stay with the team this offseason. Had he not reworked his contract, he might have been among the salary cap casualties in Kansas City.

The love was flowing for Watkins on Sunday during the Chiefs’ media availability. Both Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes spoke about how important he is to the team and their success on the field.

“I’m a big Sammy Watkins fan,” Reid said. “I think he’s a heck of a football player and really helps make this thing go offensively. I don’t worry about all that, I’d hope that he’d want the ball more. That’s what great players want. That doesn’t bother me that he said that. I’m glad he’s back here and he’ll have opportunities for sure.”

Reid isn’t concerned that Watkins expressed the desire to get the ball more this offseason. He knows that’s a quality that great players have and he knows that Watkins is bought into the way they do things in Kansas City. The No. 1 priority is winning football games and everything else is gravy.

For Mahomes, he recognizes the subtlety to Watkins’ game that helps the rest of the offense work. It isn’t just when he’s catching the ball, scoring and making plays. It’s the other things that he does to free up his teammates to make plays.

“I mean it was extremely important,” Mahomes said. “To have someone of his caliber who really goes out there and plays well every single week, like you said he does so many things well. Obviously, he catches the ball well, he scores for us, makes a lot of plays after contact, but also I mean just a part of blocking and running the routes hard and getting other guys open, I mean in this offense it takes every single person and I think you saw that in the playoffs when his number got called, he made big plays happen, and so it’s a guy that we love having back and that’s going to continue to help our offense progress and get better.”

Beyond his impact on the field, Mahomes and Watkins have bonded off the field along with the rest of the receivers. They might not get to go out to eat this season due to COVID-19, but the fact that they previously bonded that way, is part of what makes this team so close-knit.

“I mean he’s been a great teammate,” Mahomes said. “He’s been someone that since day one who’s joined in that receiver room. I mean that’s the most fun room you could probably be in in this locker room, and he’s been a leader in that room and someone who’s gotten along with everybody. We as the quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and tight ends and guys we’ll usually, probably not this year, would go usually out to eat with the families, the girlfriends and we kind of all just hang out, eat dinner and sometimes go to Chicken N Pickle, play pickleball, whatever it is and so we all have great relationships in that room and in the whole offensive and defensive rooms and that’s what makes this team so special.”

The two masterminds behind the Chiefs’ offense are elated to have Watkins back for another year. Perhaps this is a sign that Watkins is due for a big season in Kansas City? It could also simply be that Watkins and his role within the Chiefs’ offense are more than meets the eye.

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Sammy Watkins explains importance of staying with Chiefs

Sammy Watkins shared his thoughts on remaining with the Chiefs during Sunday’s training camp press conference.

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This offseason was expected to mark the official farewell for wide receiver Sammy Watkins as a manner of the Kansas City Chiefs. His cap hit wasn’t desirable and made him a likely cap casualty for the team. Instead of pursuing a more significant contract elsewhere in free agency, Watkins would decide to restructure his contract and remain with the Chiefs’ franchise, intent on winning another Super Bowl title.

The former Clemson Tigers standout has found a home In Kansas City after stints in Buffalo and Los Angeles. Watkins was a vital player in the playoffs especially Super Bowl LIV, catching five passes for 98 yards including a 38-yard reception on the game-winning drive. The 27-year-old shared his thoughts on remaining with the Chiefs during Sunday’s training camp press conference.

“Very important to stay here,” Watkins said. “What we did, winning the Super Bowl, the type of team and coaches we have, the organization, why wouldn’t I stay? I’m a guy that’s been in the league going on seven years now. I’ve been on teams that were not so good, and we weren’t winning. My job is to really stay focused. We have a well-established quarterback, well-established coaches and a well-established team. I think the fun is in the winning more than anything.”

Part of Watkins’ decision to stay was the desire to win another Super Bowl. He thinks that he can accomplish that in Kansas City.

“Coming back here was the No. 1 thing in the offseason,” Watkins said. “Why wouldn’t I come back to one of the best organizations, the best teams? And, of course, we just won a Super Bowl. If you look at the team we haven’t lost not one player who was active last year. My job and focus was to come back and win another Super Bowl and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Winning takes precedence over money, especially when Watkins knows the money is going to other deserving teammates that help the team win and stay competitive.

“As far as my contract, I think I’ve made enough money,” Watkins said. “I mean, I’d love more money, but as far as being smart and educated on this team, knowing that you gotta pay Pat (Mahomes), you gotta pay Chris (Jones), you got a lot of guys you gotta pay. For me to take a contract like I did was a blessing. I still have an opportunity to reach up to whatever amount that I can reach up to. But really just showing the world it’s not all about money. This is my happy place. Why not take a smaller contract and come out and play with the guys I’ve been playing with?”

Watkins is often second on the Chiefs’ depth chart lined up alongside Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Demarcus Robinson. The talented receiving corp hasn’t deterred his confidence regarding in-game opportunities.

“I just stay prepared. I stay prepared all season,” said Watkins, “When those plays are called and the opportunities are presented, I try to make the best of them. When my name has been called in the playoffs, I’ve been producing. That’s the best thing about staying prepared and staying ready for when your name is called.”

Watkins finished last season 52 catches and 673 yards making the most of each target. He will continue to be a key component of the Chiefs offense with his veteran leadership.

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Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire reminds Andy Reid of a young Eric Bieniemy

A new comparison for Clyde Edwards-Helaire from Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

Kansas City Chiefs first-round draft pick, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, is looking like the guy at the running back position for 2020 now that Damien Williams opted out of the season.

There has been a lot of high praise for Edwards-Helaire’s work ethic since he joined the team this past March. The coaching staff has finally got some time to work with him and he’s getting rave reviews. In a recent interview with 610 Sports Radio’s Bob Fescoe, Chiefs HC Andy Reid revealed a new comparison for the rookie running back. It’s one that fans in Kansas City should be a bit familiar with too.

“I think when you get to know him, he reminds me of Eric Bieniemy when Eric was young,” Reid said. “I had him in Philadelphia toward the end of his career there. But I competed against him, we all did, we all saw that from Missouri and Kansas when he played at Colorado. He’s wired that same way, where he’s mature for his age. He’s smart, he’s tough and he shows that — the veteran players see it and then he’s got skill. Those guys normally, barring injury, they normally work out for you OK. Now he’s lucky that he’s also got other guys who can play in that room and create competition. He’ll have to stay on top of his game. This is a demanding position in the best league there is in the world. He’ll have to adjust to that, but he sure is wired right to do that.”

Reid had Bieniemy for the last season of his NFL career in 1999. Bieniemy also played for the University of Colorado from 1987-1990. He remains the all-time leader in rushing yards (3,940) and rushing touchdowns (41) for the Buffaloes. He also coached there, serving as running backs coach from 2001-2002 and offensive coordinator from 2011-2012.

Reid was with the Missouri Tigers in 1990 as an offensive line coach when Colorado faced Missouri. Bieniemy rushed for 217 yards that game, breaking the rushing yards record that he still holds for the Buffaloes. Now, Bienemy is a Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator in Kansas City.

Reid seems to compare Edwards-Helaire to a younger Bieneimy in a handful of areas. First, he spoke about his maturity, which is essential when you’re a rookie coming into the NFL. Edwards-Helaire clearly knows how to handle his business and treat the NFL like it’s a job, which it is. Next, Reid pointed out Edwards-Helaire’s smarts, toughness and skill. A blend of those three things is precisely what you need to have a long and fruitful NFL career.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides snapshot of first phase of training camp

Reid walks us through the first phase of Kansas City Chiefs training camp and what comes next for the team.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media Tuesday morning to provide some updates on training camp thus far.

The Chiefs have been in what the NFL is describing as the acclimation period of training camp. It includes one-hour each for weight training and on-field conditioning as well as some walkthroughs.

“We’re excited to be back,” Reid began. “We’re excited to have had the rookies go through the first phase of this training camp and that’s lifting and conditioning with the walkthrough. They were able to start today with their padded shirts and helmet practice. That went well. Again, numbers are minimal for how many rookies we have, but we were able to get some work done with them, which is great. For not having the time that we had before, to have it now is perfect.”

Right now the rookies are on a different track from veterans, beginning phase two, as they had an earlier report date. They’re entering what is described as the gradual ramp-up period, but they’re limited in what they can do because the team isn’t allowed a full complement of players.

“The veterans are continuing to lift,” Reid said. “They’ve got about four more days of that program and conditioning. Then they’ll be back up and going through this same process that the rookies are with the padded shirts. We’ll kind of mesh them together at that point and everybody will work together. The rookies went this morning separate from the veterans, they had a little bit earlier practice than what the veterans did.”

Once the rookies and veterans are able to practice together, they’ll be able to do more at practice. Most of all, Reid is happy to have all the players back for face-to-face instruction.

“It’s great to have them back,” Reid said. “I like the energy that they have. Like I said, they like being around each other which is important. They’re willing to work. They’ve been with Barry (Rubin) most of the time with the lifting and conditioning phase. But the times that we’ve had them in meetings and in walkthroughs they’ve been great. With the rookies today, they all put a helmet on it was fun to watch. Even though the numbers, we don’t have a lot of bodies out there, but they sure worked well.”

While the new training camp schedule takes some getting used to, Reid is confident that it’ll be enough to get the players prepared for the 2020 NFL season.

“I think the league has done a nice job, along with the [NFLPA], building ramp-up days for the guys,” Reid said. “Not only once we put the padded shirts and shells on… but also when we start in pads. There are actual ramp-up days, so it’s a shorter period of time on the field and then it gradually gets up to what the CBA rules are which is 2.5 hours on the field. I think that’s a positive. We’ve got plenty of practice, that’s one thing we do have in order to evaluate them and for our guys to get into comfortable playing shape. I think it’ll all work out well. I think it’s still going to be a good product on the field for the fans. It’ll be good to get to that point.”

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Rick Burkholder talk COVID-19 protocols

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid teamed up with Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder to create a safer working environment.

The Kansas City Chiefs, along with every other team in the NFL, will be enduring a training camp unlike any the league has seen before. The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has sports taking a backseat due to the significant health risks.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid teamed up with Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder, who also serves as the Chiefs’ infectious control officer (ICO), to create a safer working environment. The duo spent nine weeks getting the Chiefs’ facility COVID-19 ready and in preparation for the first official weekend of training camp. Reid and Burkholder explained their plan to handle the virus throughout camp and beyond during Saturday’s press conference.

“I’d take it day-by-day,” said Reid. “I think we’re all doing that with this virus. We’ve learned that through the pandemic, things change and so we’re going to stick by what the experts tell us. I mentioned this before to you guys but the simple parts that we can do is wear a mask when needed, we can wash our hands after contact with people and make sure we use social distancing when we can. Those are important things that are base fundamentals with this, we’re going to do it. Then they’ve got the setup here, whether it’s plexiglass between lockers or all of the different things they’ve set up here with separation in meeting rooms and so on. We’re going to try to abide by that, we’re going to try to teach the best way we possibly can and then we’re going to trust the players and the coaches, I’m one of those, I’m included in this, that we do the right things when we leave here. That’s all you can do and then you go play. You focus in on playing.”

The NFL and NFL Players Association recently came to an agreement on sets of protocols to hold training camp during the pandemic. This agreement was pressured by star players protesting via social media using the #WeWantToPlay hashtag. The league was forced to reassess camp plans and eventually canceled preseason. Ultimately, the league anticipates positive tests, it’s how they respond to those positive tests that will be the difference according to Burkholder.

“Every team is going to have positive tests and we know that,” Burkholder said. “We are testing positive at 75,000 a day now [in the United States]. We know that. What we hope is we limit our positive tests and when we get a positive test, we act accordingly with the CDC to get those people isolated and get them healthy and safely back to work. There’s a protocol that would take me an hour to talk to you about because a lot of it is on an individual case basis. Whether it’s Patrick [Mahomes] or whether it’s me, we have to follow the guidelines if it’s a positive test with symptoms, days, antibodies, all of that kind of stuff to determine when it’s safe for them to come back to work. I think that the NFL will release that eventually, I just don’t think I’ve been cleared to release it. All of us who do health care for the NFL, the coaches, the general managers, we’ve asked the question about Fridays before games but right now we don’t have games, and that’s a good thing. They’re putting some protocols together as we get closer to game time. It’s not going to be normal. It’s not going to feel normal for anyone in this building because it is not normal. We’ve got to adjust. I’ll go back to the 2019 season because no team adjusted as well as the Kansas City Chiefs and
we’re going to adjust again. We’re going to get positives and take care of those guys so that when it is safe to come back to work, they will. We’re going to get positives within the staff, and we will take care of them and their families. . .”

Reid, of course, played a big role in the planning stages for the Chiefs as Burkholder helped him create structure during an uncertain time. This helped Reid take a lead role with the NFL as they worked with the NFLPA to solve outstanding issues ahead of training camp.

“You’ve really captured the motion of what Coach Reid is about and what I’m about with coach. There are two men in this world that I’d take a bullet for; one is my dad and the other one is Andy Reid,” Burkholder said. “He’s a father figure to me. He’s been awesome in this process, but he’s also been a big red-headed bear at times because of the unknown. He likes to lay things out. He has his schedule ready in May. We’re in July and it’s just being finalized today because we just got the schedule protocols. I feel like this was a chance for me to give back to Andy Reid. He’s given me so much and taught me how to be a good athletic trainer. I often feel like we are very close, but I walk into his office on Monday mornings with problems. This was the one time in my career where I actually could give him solutions. He was struggling with the unknown from the league and I was getting information earlier because it was all medical before they involved the coaches and the general managers, but then they started bringing Andy in. He knew what the questions were going to be in those meetings. He’d call me and we’d have some late-night conversations and we’d go through phantom schedules When it was all said and done, I asked how many schedules he had. He showed me on his iPad that he had 20 different schedules. Every time they would throw us a change in the protocol, he would make a change in his schedule. He’s got it pretty mastered.”

The appreciation for Reid has crossed over to the medical world as he continues to hear praise from many around the league. The Chiefs along with the Texans get the first crack at the new NFL approved pandemic training camp ahead of their opening night matchup scheduled for September 10th.

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