The Kansas City Chiefs were hard at work on Thursday during their fourth training camp practice of the week and showed serious progression on both sides of the ball during their workouts at Missouri Western State University. Four Chiefs got in front of the podium for the team’s post-practice press conference, and each gave thorough answers to reporters’ questions about their preparation for the coming season.
Matt Nagy, Blaine Gabbert, Noah Gray, and Tershawn Wharton all spoke to reporters and provided valuable insight into their thoughts on training camp, teammates, and more.
Check out their top quotes below:
Matt Nagy on the Chiefs decision to run longer drives during Thursday’s practice
“Yeah, it’s something [Head] Coach [Andy Reid] has done for a bunch of years now. We call it our ‘Long Drive Drill’ and what it does is it simulates to these guys being mentally strong while they’re tired, simulating some drives while they’re out there. One of those long-extended drives that makes them kind of think a little bit, it’s run, it’s pass, it’s everything. A lot of the guys that are new to it at first, they are like, ‘Man, what’s going on?’ But then we get a lot of new players that come in, and when they get to the end of the season, they really appreciate it because it helps them from the very beginning.”
Matt Nagy on Patrick Mahomes’ drive to want to be the best
“Protections. I mean, from his rookie year not understanding protections to now where he’s at, he’s really, really good at protections. Understanding what defenses are throwing at him. I mean, these defensive coordinators are really good, and they like to throw a lot of different looks at you and change the backend pre-snap. So, film study – but him also understanding and taking what we do schematically with our protections scheme. Because if you’re not protected, you can’t throw, and he’s mastered that. Now he wants to be even better, but that’s the part of the game – he’s always had the physical traits to throw and run and all that stuff, but the mental side of protections, he’s really on another level, and it frustrates him when he doesn’t get it right, which we love.”
Noah Gray on Chiefs training camp
“I think all of us are having a really awesome camp. It’s been a lot of fun; we have a great tight-end group in there, and we’re always helping each other out – schematically, things we can do better out there – so I think just having a great group like that and you know, keeping each other up when it’s hot and humid out here and the practices are long. It’s a huge benefit to that and a huge credit out to all the guys up in the building up there.”
Noah Gray on feeling like a better blocker than last year
“Good. You know, [Tight Ends] Coach Tom Melvin does a great job in individuals, and even in meetings to make sure that we’re getting our footwork right, our hands right, and just being the best possible overall football player but especially a blocker. So, huge credit out to Coach Tom Melvin and the other guys who are giving looks and who are working hard in practice to help us get better every single day; that’s why we’re out here at camp.”
Noah Gray on what a "next step" looks like for him in 2023
“I’m just going to keep working hard and be the best teammate that I can possibly be. That’s all that I think the coaches and my teammates ask of me. I’m not going to try to do too much, and just do my job.”
Blaine Gabbert on how Tom Brady went about his business in comparison to Patrick Mahomes
“Yeah just high-level football conversations that we have. How [former Buccaneers QB] Tom [Brady] saw the game, how Patrick [Mahomes] sees the game. I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by both those guys now. I’m still building that relationship with Patrick, but Tom and I had a great one over the last three years. Seeing how Tom operated, seeing how Patrick operates, I’m just trying to bring ideas to both sides of the table and ultimately help Patrick be better than he already is. He’s a phenomenal player right now, but he’s an open book, open mind to see how other guys played the game.”
Blaine Gabbert on adjusting to playing for new teams
“Every organization is so different, top down, ownership, general manager, head coach, coaching staff, players. For instance, in Tampa, we were a very old team [Tampa Bay Buccaneers], I think we were the oldest team in the NFL the last few years. So, coming to the Chiefs where we’re a very young team, there’s definitely more of a leadership, old guy type of role here. I think Travis [Kelce] and I are the oldest guys on the team right now and I had definitely not been the oldest guy on the team, because [former Buccaneers QB] Tom [Brady] was old. Yeah, but every routine is different, every organization is different. Personally, I try and keep my routine very similar, getting ready for practice, how I study the playbook, how I study the game plans, how I physically get ready for the day. Every routine is different, sometimes you have to tinker with the timing of things, but for the most part every organization is dialed in the way they want to do it and you just have to come in and learn that routine.”
Blaine Gabbert on his first impressions of Andy Reid
“First and foremost he’s a great person. The biggest thing, he lets you be you, and as you’ve seen over the course of the years, he doctors the play call to a specific guy, [former Chiefs QB] Alex [Smith] to Patrick [Mahomes], [former Chiefs QB] Matt Moore, [former Chiefs QB] Chad [Henne] bits and
pieces here the last few years. So as a play-caller, [Head] Coach [Andy] Reid does a great job, the coaching staff does a great job having a plan for each and every guy. His track record speaks for itself, he’s a great coach.”
Blaine Gabbert on watching film with Patrick Mahomes, feeling old
“Yeah, it’s – I don’t like to look back too much, it makes me feel old. Funny story, we were watching film, there’s a play we put in at the end of the game and it was from 2011 in Jacksonville, and they were like ‘That was you at quarterback? We couldn’t even see you the film was so grainy [laughter].’ So that really made me feel old. Coming from college I thought that film was crystal clear and good, but we watch it now and you can’t even see me throwing the football it was so bad. Yeah, so looking back makes me feel old so I don’t really do it that much.”
Blaine Gabbert reflected on his rookie season
“Yeah, it’s – I don’t like to look back too much, it makes me feel old. Funny story, we were watching film, there’s a play we put in at the end of the game and it was from 2011 in Jacksonville, and they were like ‘That was you at quarterback? We couldn’t even see you the film was so grainy [laughter].’ So that really made me feel old. Coming from college I thought that film was crystal clear and good, but we watch it now and you can’t even see me throwing the football it was so bad. Yeah, so looking back makes me feel old so I don’t really do it that much.”
Tershawn Wharton on pacing himself before preseason
“I mean right now we are just getting – well for me coming back off of injury, I’m just preparing to get back fully healthy and continue to take my strides so I can play.”
Tershawn Wharton on working with assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer
“I had [Assistant Athletic Trainer] Julie [Frymyer] and she’s great, you know. She kind of put those – her job she emphasizes it well and she got me right. I think all the things you hear about Julie, I’ll just say it’s true.”
Tershawn Wharton on staying positive during rehab from his 2022 injury
“I think – of course they were in season. Seeing the guys come in and seeing me on the training tables, they encouraged me to always to keep my head up and then I like to attack everything like a pro. So, attacking it and just seeing my strides when you know, as the months come along and being able to do things that I wasn’t able to do, that always made me continue to keep my head up and smile through the process.”
