Chiefs Training Camp: Four Andy Reid takeaways after day 1 on July 21

On Sunday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs held their first full training camp practice of 2024 in front of thousands of excited fans at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.

Afterward, head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters about how things went on Sunday, and during the three rookie/quarterback practices the team held before the rest of the veterans reported for duty Friday afternoon.

We have summarized his thoughts in four points.

The head coach means well when he says that his team depends on experienced leaders.

Reid is somewhat famous for his tough, up-tempo camp. And if the rookies haven’t figured that out yet, the veterans are happy to explain it to them.

“You’ve got to be able to run,” Reid noted, “and maintain your speed in practice. So from that standpoint, the veteran players take care of that. They tell (the rookies) if I stand there and tell them you’ve got to be in good shape, then you’ve got to believe me, right? So overall, the guys ran well in testing yesterday. So it looks like they’re in pretty good shape.”

The team won’t be afraid to use someone as a punt returner.

While we were observing Sunday’s training, Arrowhead Pride Pete Sweeney noted that first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy, veteran Mecole Hardman, second-year wideout Nikko Remigio and third-year wide receiver Skyy Moore were all returning punters. It’s not surprising to see rookies and reserve players get that kind of work — but marquee signing Hollywood Brown screwed a few, too.

“We give everybody a chance there,” Reid said, “and he’s so talented. But when you have a couple or three guys that can do that — (and) you feel comfortable with them — that’s pretty good. So we asked him to come back. He wants to do that. He wants to play — and he’s got a great attitude.”

We probably shouldn’t expect to see Brown with the punt team very often. But just like he used to do with Tyreek Hill, special teams coordinator Dave Toub always likes to have a trick up his sleeve — just in case.

The head coach is happy to have Carson Wentz as his backup quarterback.

On Friday, Kansas City’s third quarterback, Chris Oladokun, put aside a college rivalry long enough to praise the team’s new veteran backup, who joined the NFL from North Dakota State.

“So we (took) a couple little jabs at each other,” said Oladokun, who played at South Dakota State, “but Carson is awesome — a pro’s pro. He’s done everything right. Came in, worked, learned from Pat — and even learned from me (because I’ve been here so long). Just let him know how we do things on a day-to-day basis. So we’re happy to have Carson here.”

The head coach, who has no vested interest in the fight against Dakota, agreed.

“Carson has done a good job,” Reid said. “He’s got good demeanor. He’s got good vision. (He’s) a good football player. We’re glad to have him here.”

Reid also likes having a training camp without controversy.

A year ago, it seemed like every other question was about defensive tackle Chris Jones’s ineligibility, which lasted until the first game of the regular season. Now that he’s signed a new contract, the head coach was happy to talk about Jones in his usual way.

“Chris is one of the team captains,” Reid said. “He’s been for a couple of years now; (he’s) so respected. (It’s) great to have him here. He always brings energy. He’s having fun here — and I’m glad he’s here.”