The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, August 13 for the first preseason action of their 2023 championship defense campaign. The team has seen plenty of promising prospects exceed expectations in training camp, and will get their first look at some of the newest Chiefs in action this weekend.
Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and George Karlaftis all spoke to the media after Kansas City’s final workout before Sunday’s exhibition and provided valuable insight to reporters who were in attendance for their post-practice press conference.
Check out their top quotes from August 11 below:
Andy Reid on injuries, Sunday's gameplan
“The guys that will be out for this game are Turk [Tershawn Wharton], Jody [Fortson], L’Jarius [Sneed] and Kadarius [Toney]. Everybody else will be ready to go and play. I’ve got it scheduled by quarterback so the ones – they’ll [the quarterbacks] each take a quarter. Ones will take the first quarter, twos the second quarter, threes the third quarter, fours the last quarter. Then, you know, obviously, we blend, and with special teams, it’s a little different. Substitution ends up being a big thing in the preseason, we’re juggling a lot of bodies. Anyways, I look forward to that challenge. We’re playing the [New Orleans] Saints, we know it’ll be a good test for us. Both are good teams, and it should be good to compete against somebody else. Anyways, with that time’s yours.”
Andy Reid on giving Patrick Mahomes snaps in the preseason
“[I] just [want to get him] in the flow. Pregame, the whole thing there. Having to go through the warmups, your juices are going a little bit, more than what they do in practice. Just [a] gradual ramp up.”
Andy Reid on Eric Bieniemy, recent happenings with Washington Commanders
“[Washington Commanders Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy] EB’s a tough kid, but he gets guys right. I think that’s what [Washington Commanders Head Coach] Ron [Rivera] was trying to get out the second time that he talked. Nothing wrong with that, that’s his [Bieniemy’s] personality and guys play for him and he’s had great success. He had great success as a running backs coach and had great success as a coordinator, and so I always welcomed that. That was something that I welcomed into the mix. We always talk about letting your personality show and I think that’s an important part of it. I think when it’s all said and done, their guys will appreciate it. He’s going to challenge you, and they’ll appreciate it when they’re winning games.”
Andy Reid on his message to Chiefs players ahead of Sunday's matchup
“Everybody’ll play. This game here, everybody will play, and they deserve that. They’ve earned that right; they’ve made it through this part of camp, and they’ve earned the right to get out there. Obviously, we can’t keep everybody, I tell them that, we can’t keep everybody so make the decision hard on [Chiefs General Manager] Brett [Veach], myself, and let’s go. We’re going to give you an opportunity though to get yourself on tape, so prepare and then go shine.”
Andy Reid on how "one big cut" at the end of training camp affects his process
“Yeah, I think all coaches like that, I mean I understand the other part of it. I think the coaches love that part and you get an opportunity to coach the guys all the way through and that last game, they get a lot of reps. Even when we were doing four games, that last game they got a ton of reps. I just think that’s a positive thing for the guys to have an opportunity to make a living at this thing you know, shine.”
Andy Reid on if he coaches young players differently now than he would have in the past
“I think when you really get down to it, if guys understand the end of the equation – so you work from the answer back on that – that they all want to be pushed. It’s not easy though, I mean you have to reach down in there and grab that thing inside of you that drives you through it. But, normally the end result is a positive thing for yourself and for the team.”
Andy Reid on if he still gets "jitters" ahead of first preseason game
“Yeah. I mean I have the same energy, you know I’m excited to see the young guys play and then the vets will knock off their rust – it’s an opportunity to do that. We’re still in the evaluation period and so let’s make it fair game and get out there and compete your hearts out and you know, maybe you have a chance. Some of these guys that you might not think will make the team, well maybe they will that chance and to make a great team.”
Patrick Mahomes on the benefit of taking snaps in the preseason
“I think you said it. It’s just getting that – I always say, that first hit. You want to get hit where it’s not too hard, but you can feel it. I mean you go through a long offseason of working through the pocket and knowing the guys are rushing, but they can’t touch you so it’s just different. You get in the game and you’re able to get tackled and everything like that. I like to have at least one to two drives under my belt to be able to say, ‘I’m ready to go.’ We’re doing the right things and [Head] Coach [Andy] Reid, he allows me to do that, he allows me to get in there. Adding the new tackles, it will be good to get a feel for them as well. They’ve done great in training camp so far, and I’m excited for them to get that opportunity to go out in a real game.”
Patrick Mahomes on his experience in his first preseason
“I think it was that first season that I started. That’s when I really – I felt really comfortable. I think in that first preseason, I made a lot of highlight throws, but some of the little things that sustain drives I still was working on. I always had confidence that I was going to be able to play, but the more I learned and the more I felt comfortable within the offense is when I really knew that I was going to be able to go out there and have success on the football field.”
Patrick Mahomes on his message to younger teammates
“Cut it loose. We throw so much at them in training camp. [Head] Coach][Andy Reid] and [Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Matt] Nagy and all the offensive staff and [Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve] Spagnuolo, they do a good job of simplifying it for the game. So, let’s go out there and play fast. Don’t worry about making a mistake, just go out there and fly around, let your natural talent and ability show. You’ve learned, you’ve been coached up, trust yourself.”
Patrick Mahomes on Eric Bieniemy, recent happenings with Washington Commanders
“I think I saw [Commanders Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy] EB say it perfect. EB [Eric Bieniemy] is going to be harsh on you, he’s going to really try to get the best out of you every single day. He’s not going to let you – he’s going to hold you accountable whenever you don’t really want to hold yourself accountable. It made me a better player. I think what he said that was the biggest thing is (that) he is your number one supporter though. He will go to war with you just like any other guy on your team and you’ve got to know that. You’ve got to know when he is talking to you on the football field that he’s trying to get the best out of you, he’s not trying to put you down. He’s trying to push you to be even better than you think you can be. That’s something that I think they’ll understand when they go out there and they start winning football games. There’s a reason [as] to why he’s coaching you the way that he’s coaching you and that he loves you. I mean he loves every guy that he coaches, and you see that with guys that have come out and said stuff about him. [Former Chiefs Running Back] Jamaal Charles, [Former NFL Running Back] Adrian Peterson, [Dolphins Wide Receiver] Tyreek [Hill], I mean they understand that he loves you and he’s going to try to get the best out of you every single day.”
Patrick Mahomes on if he ate breakfast on Friday, August 11
“I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. I kind of pick and choose when I eat breakfast. It was a little bit [of a] lighter day, so I didn’t eat breakfast this morning. You know the intermittent fasting I’ve been trying to do a little bit – [Former Chiefs quarterback] Alex Smith taught me about that if I do a little bit of it.”
George Karlaftis on what he wants to get out of Sunday's matchup vs. Saints
“Just getting everything started back up you know it’s been – it feels like it’s been a short offseason, it has, but it also feels like forever since we played a game. Just excited to get everything going, seeing how everyone kind of gels together. The new guys on the team and all that kind of stuff, so I’m excited.”
George Karlaftis on the energy in Kansas City's locker room
“It’s a great energy you know we’re gelling; everybody is gelling together. There’s a great energy, there’s great comradery and all the guys are getting along. It’s awesome to be a part of. Like I said last year it’s a unique locker room situation. You know we got a winning culture and a winning mentality in this team, and everyone accepts everyone and that’s awesome to have in a team.”
George Karlaftis on rookies that he will have his eyes on in Chiefs' matchup vs. Saints
“I think for me mostly the defensive linemen. You know Felix [Anudike-Uzomah], BJ [Thompson], KC [Keondre Coburn], and Truman [Jones], all those guys man. They’ve been awesome and just seeing what it’s like you know you get to see them in practice every day but just seeing them cut it loose and really get after it. It’s going to be exciting; I’m looking forward to watching them.”
George Karlaftis on if he feels he can serve as a mentor to younger teammates in his second professional season
“I think so you know I had great veterans last year that taught me a lot and I try to be a pretty fast learner and you know absorb a lot of the things that were taught to me and try to pass it down. And do it really the right way, you know not doing it form a perspective of ego and just trying to help everyone out. I feel like I can just by telling them what my experiences were you know just ‘Hey man I know what you’re feeling, like I’ve been through it, just take a deep breath and relax, you got this you know you do this every day.’ I feel like I can to a certain extent yeah.”
