OPENING STATEMENT: “Good afternoon and I’m glad everybody is here. Before I get going, I want to express my condolences to the Hall family on the passing of (former Hallmark Chairman and CEO) Don Hall Sr., he was a true Kansas City icon who did so much for the city. He leaves a tremendous legacy and will be greatly missed. For the Chiefs, it’s been a great start to the season. Obviously, we’re excited to be coming out of the bye week at 5-0, we’ve certainly experienced some adversity with injuries that we’ve had and I want to compliment the guys who have come in and stepped up in those positions. I think it’s a real credit to both (Head Coach) Andy Reid and (General Manager) Brett Veach with the job that they’ve done of taking the next man up and putting him in a position to succeed. With that, I’m happy to open it up to questions.”
Q: After the video of Kareem Hunt was released in 2018, the Chiefs let him go from the team. How do you reconcile that with bringing him back now?
HUNT: “Well, going back to six years ago we were obviously very disappointed by the actions that we saw in that video and how he (Kareem Hunt) handled it afterwards. As we talked about it as an organization here a few weeks ago, both (General Manager) Brett (Veach) and (Head Coach) Andy (Reid) expressed to me that they felt confident that he had matured from that, that he learned from the mistake, gotten the help that he had needed and as a result, we felt comfortable in bringing him back.”
Q: Have you spoken with Kareem Hunt yet?
HUNT: “I have, I have. He (Kareem Hunt) expressed to me his gratitude for being back here. He knows it’s a really good fit for him from a career standpoint. (He) knows that he left here under some difficult circumstances and is very glad to be back and getting to play for our great fans.”
Q: On Tom Brady becoming a partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
HUNT: “We certainly talked about the subject of him (former NFL QB Tom Brady) being an owner as well as a broadcaster. The commissioner – after consulting with many owners – decided that the right step to take was to limit his participation in the production meetings and that was enough to get everybody comfortable with the dual roles. It did pass unanimously with everybody yesterday, so I think everybody felt very comfortable with that.”
Q: Is there another quarterback that you can envision being an owner in this league one day?
HUNT: “(Laughter) I’m sure he (former NFL QB Tom Brady) won’t be the last.”
Q: You led the committee to allow private equity investment in teams. Why is that not a route that the Chiefs are pursuing?
HUNT: “Every organization and the families who are involved are going to make their own decisions and there are a lot of things that play into a decision to sell a stake in the team, whether you’re selling it to private equity or to another individual. We’ve talked about it as a family and everybody is very excited about the Chiefs and what we’re doing on the field and opportunities that we have in front of us and we just don’t feel it’s the right time to sell a stake in the team.”
Q: Have any of the other ownership groups started down the private equity road yet?
HUNT: “It’s a very compressed time frame with the league just approving it at the end of August and the paperwork literally being finalized over the last several weeks. My understanding is that there are several teams that are pursuing transactions. One or two of those might close before year end, but I would expect that there’ll be many others that will close next year and in the years to come.”
Q: What can you share about your timeline of decision making on the stadium situation?
HUNT: “For the last three months or so, since I had the chance to visit with you all at training camp, we’ve been working on creating some options. Not only for the stadium but also for potentially a new training facility. We’ve been looking at a lot at sites on both the Kansas and Missouri sides, as well as talking to the political leaders in Missouri about perhaps renovating GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Again, we’re not at the end of that process at all, we continue to have good conversations and we’re hopeful that by the spring we’ll have some direction. I certainly don’t expect to have anything finalized by that point, but I’d like to know the direction that we’re heading in that time frame.”
Q: When you spoke during training camp, you said that you would like to have answers about the stadium at the end of the year. Are you saying that now it will likely be later than that?
HUNT: “I would just reiterate what I said at training camp which is it’s very hard to put a timeline on a stadium process. We want to move as quickly as we can, the real deadline that we have is in February of 2031 when our lease runs out here at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. There’s a lot of work that will need to go into either renovating the stadium or building a new one, so we do feel like we need to work as expeditiously as possible.”
Q: What are the three or four things you might point to that take so long to make this process thorough?
HUNT: “Probably the most difficult thing is there are a lot of stakeholders. When you’re involved in a stadium process, you’ve got the local city, the county, the state, that all have to be part of those conversations. Obviously, there is a lot of work on our side in terms of figuring out what the right opportunity is for us economically. We also are very cognizant of making sure that we keep the community and our fans in mind. We want to make sure that where we end up will work for many generations of Chiefs fans.”
Q: On a political side, Harrison Butker has created a PAC, are you fine with your players being involved politically like that?
HUNT: “One of the things I talk to the players about every year at training camp is using their platform to make a difference. Obviously, we have players on both sides of the political spectrum and both sides of whichever controversial issue you want to bring up, so I’m not at all concerned when our players use their platform to try to make a difference for what they believe in.”
Q: Regarding stadium decisions, what do you need to have happen in the state of Missouri through all the levels? Do you anticipate if something gets done in Missouri, it won’t be a ballot issue at that point and there’s going to have to be another vehicle to get that done?
HUNT: “I think there are a lot of avenues that we could pursue with Missouri on financing for a renovation of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The effort that failed earlier this year had a couple stakeholders – with the state being part of it as well as the county, and the city historically has also had a small involvement with the stadium. So, I would anticipate that it would be a combination of all three of those. Certainly, something that has slowed us down a little bit is the election coming up here in three weeks. We’re going to have a change in the governor of the state, so, once we get past that, we think that will really open up the opportunity for us to have more constructive conversations.”
Q: From the outside looking in, it looks like Kansas did a whole bunch of work for this and it looks easier to maybe go do that. Is it not easier just to take that? Is it worth something more to work harder on this side of the state line?
HUNT: “Well, we are not looking for what’s easiest, we are looking for the right opportunity. We are grateful for the work that was done on the Kansas side that opens that up as an opportunity.”
Q: From talking to Head Coach Andy Reid in that airport in Philadelphia 11 years ago to where you are now, do you feel like you guys have been able to build everything that you envisioned culture-wise when you were talking to him?
HUNT: “Yeah, I think there is an argument that we’ve maybe exceeded my expectations. Certainly, I envisioned building a team that could consistently compete for championships, and obviously, (Head Coach) Andy (Reid) and (General Manager) Brett (Veach), and their coaching staff and football operations team, have done an unbelievable job of that. But you mention the culture, and I think that is one of the things that is so special about this team is the culture. Andy Reid gets a lot of credit for having established that culture, but we wouldn’t have what we have, both on the field and off, without the players. The player leadership specifically – Patrick (Mahomes), Travis (Kelce), Chris Jones – those veteran players do a tremendous job of helping perpetuate the culture that Andy established when he came here 11-plus years ago.”
Q: You mention the possibility of different locations on both sides, can you share what some of those locations might be on each side of the border and how important is it that the stadium and the practice facility be tied together instead of separate locations?
HUNT: “It wouldn’t be helpful to the process for me to mention specific sites other than obviously, here at the (Harry S.) Truman Sports Complex, which is an obvious one. In regard to your second question, the practice facility and the stadium don’t have to be next to each other going forward, and on the Missouri side that’s something that we’re contemplating, is perhaps another location in Missouri for a training facility.”
Q: Do they both have to be in the same state, or can you have one in one state and one in the other?
HUNT: “I think really everything is on the table in that regard. There is some logic to having them in the same state, but I don’t think they have to be.”
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
October 16, 2024
HEAD COACH ANDY REID
OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright, really the only injury that will not practice today is Mike Danna. He’s got a pec strain, so we’ll just see how he does this week as we go forward. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the 49ers, (they’re) a heck of a football team. (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan) does a great job with the team and he and (49ers Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line) Chris (Foerster) have that offense rolling right now and their defense is one of the top defenses in the NFL –and (49ers Defensive Coordinator) Nick (Sorensen) heading up the defense. Special teams, (49ers Special Teams Coordinator) Brian (Schneider) does a great job there on special teams so listen, they’re well coached (and) they’ve got good players. I think both teams kind of know each other and it should just be a heck of a game. With that, time’s yours.”
Q: What is it about the 49ers defense that makes them so difficult to prepare for?
REID: “Their defensive front. It starts with those guys and then they’ve got an All-Pro linebacker (49ers LB Fred Warner) sitting right there that’s pretty good, along with their secondary. They’re well-rounded but it starts with the defensive front. Those guys – they set the tempo for their defense.”
Q: What are your plans for Clyde Edwards-Helaire now that he’s on the active roster again?
REID: “We’ll just see how that goes and how it all works, and we’ve got to look at everything on that. Special teams, etcetera, etcetera so, we’ll just – but he’s (Clyde Edwards-Helaire) good to go practice. He knows what he’s doing (and) he’s feeling great, which is the most important thing.”
Q: Do you anticipate that Clyde Edwards-Helaire will play on Sunday?
REID: “We’ll see. We’ll see how that goes.”
Q: Is the Super Bowl footage of any use at all at this stage?
REID: “Yeah, I think both teams will look at that, for sure. You’re going to look at everything. I mean, over the time that we’ve had against each other, along with the games we’ve already played and they’ve played. So, you look at all of that.”
Q: Do you consider this a rematch or is it just another regular season game?
REID: “I think that comes from you guys (the media) and then – but I think it’s two good teams playing each other, for sure. That’s how I look at it.”
Q: How was the bye week for you and your coaching staff?
REID: “It was good. It was good to step back for a second – for the players in particular. They got quite a bit of time off and (the) coaches got a little bit of time off. It was good for everybody there.”
Q: What are the benefits of having an early bye rather than a later bye?
REID: “We’ve normally had them (a) little (later) – ninth week or plus, somewhere in that area. Our schedule is crazy enough where you’re going to get some days off and it’s important that you take advantage of those days so that’s what I’d tell you. It was good to get this one and then how we handle the rest of the schedule is the important part and when we have time, make sure you take the time for recovery purposes.”
Q: You had a lot of success under center against the Saints. What do you attribute that to?
REID: “We’ve done a little bit more of that this year and it’s just – listen, it’s one more thing that we like to use and we’re able to use it a little bit more. I think (the) running backs love that part, obviously, but it’s a good change up.”
Q: How do you feel about the pass protection at the left tackle position so far?
REID: “Listen, we’ve got young guys playing the left tackle. I mean, that’s not a secret and so it’s important that we just continue to progress there and get better. We know there’s going to be some hiccups, and we’ve just got to keep getting better and better as we go, that’s the important thing. The guys are working hard so that’s kind of where we’re at with that.”
Q: Will Wanya Morris start this week?
REID: “Yeah, Wanya (Morris) will start.”
Q: What have you seen from 49ers QB Brock Purdy over the first few years of his career?
REID: “I think he’s (49ers QB Brock Purdy) a heck of a player. I remember there – the head coach at Iowa State (Matt Campbell) saying, ‘This guy changed the program around.’ When you make a statement like that – and he’s a good football coach – when you make a statement like that, that’s bold and we all see why he said it. He was right on with that. I mean, this kid – he’s a heck of a football player.”
Q: Why has JuJu Smith-Schuster been able to pick up right where he left off from the 2022 season?
REID: “First of all, he’s (JuJu Smith-Schuster) a veteran and he works hard and he’s smart, so I think all of those kind of go into that. Pat (Mahomes) has trust in him and we as coaches have trust in him and we’ve tried to put him in good positions for his strengths and try to utilize those. I think all of those things kind of add up to production. The main thing is (that) he’s kept himself in great shape and he’s smart, you know? He knows how to play the game.”
Q: JuJu Smith-Schuster said that he saw Rashee Rice doing a lot of the things that he had done the year before. Does that just make him a really good piece to have around when you do lose Rashee?
REID: “You and I have talked about this, Matt (Derrick) but the guy opposite of (Travis) Kelce ends up being very important. That they know how to play the game and can kind of do similar things that Kelce can do. If you can get that then you’ve got something going offensively that way. So, he (JuJu Smith-Schuster) did that before, (former WR Byron) Pringle did that before him. We’ve had guys in those spots that could do that so that’s a positive thing. Anyways, JuJu’s good with that and yeah, there are similar things. They’re doing similar things.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
October 16, 2024
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: You’re used to playing in big games, but is there anything special about this one given the recent history between these teams?
MAHOMES: “I mean, it’s as big as a regular season game (that) you can play in. They’re a great football team and I always like going up against the best and that’s what we’re going up against this week. We understand that it’s going to be a big game. We understand that it’s going to take our best to win, so you just have to have extreme focus and know that it’s going to be one play that decides the entire game.”
Q: Are you aware of this rivalry’s place in NFL history?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, in a sense. I think when you have two great football that meet up in the Super Bowl and meet up in all these big games, there’s going to be a history between that. Obviously, we’ve been able to win those games, but we know how good this football team is, and we have a ton of respect for them. It’s not like one play couldn’t have changed all of these football games and so we go in with that mindset of we just have to make the plays whenever they count.”
Q: What goes through your mind when you watch the last two offensive drives of last year’s game?
MAHOMES: “I think the biggest thing is the guys just stepped up and made plays. It wasn’t one guy, it was everybody. Guys just continued to make plays and did their job and that’s what special football teams do. It was this close (hand motion), I mean, there was a play here and there that if that changes, then they win. So, that’s kind of the NFL and especially when you get two of the top teams going up against each other.”
Q: Was there something you still wanted to focus in on with your own game over the bye week?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I got some work in, and I feel like I’m in a good spot. Until you take time off, you stay on top of your fundamentals, you stay on top of the stuff that’s gotten you to where you are so far in the season. I thought it was good bye week. I spent some time with my family and some friends and family as well – did that and then got some work in fundamentally and I’m excited for a great challenge ahead.”
Q: What’s your approach for yourself and for your teammates for the rest of the season as you guys buckle in for this 12-game unbroken stretch to finish things out?
MAHOMES: “You have to take it one game at a time (and) one day at a time. I haven’t been in this situation before just because I’ve always had a later bye week, but I always try to stay on top of my body and making sure I’m (as) healthy as possible. I mean, you’re going to be banged up in the NFL, but you have to continue to just grind away every single day and get better. Then, once you get to the playoffs, that’s when you want to be playing your best football. I think that’s something that (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid does a great job of (is) how he schedules practices (and) how he schedules the week to get your body best prepared for the entire season.”
Q: What qualities make JuJu Smith-Schuster a good player for that role opposite of Travis Kelce?
MAHOMES: “I think he (JuJu Smith-Schuster) just does a good job of knowing where to be at, knowing the full concept of the offense, getting himself open in man-to-man coverage and then just doing whatever it takes to be good. I mean, he’ll block, he’ll catch the ball, he’ll run routes (to) get other guys open. (He’s) just a true team player and then when his number gets called, he goes out there and makes the play and that’s what it takes to be great in this league.”
Q: Speaking of keeping your body right, what sort of stuff do you try to do with Bobby Stroupe during the season and what are you emphasizing right now?
MAHOMES: “You stay on top of the little things – shoulder health, knee health, ankle health, all that different type of stuff, especially when you get a little bit of extra time in the bye week. Then, I try to do whatever I can to maintain my weight in the right spot. Then, I even get with my QB coach and get some work in as well in that bye week. You just get a little extra time to focus on your fundamentals even more and so doing that and then coming back in the building and continuing to stay on top of that will be important to me this year.”
Q: What’s Bobby Stroupe’s voice like in your ear at this point in the season?
MAHOMES: “His (Bobby Stroupe) voice is in my ear at all times. No, he just makes sure I stay on top of the little things. I think that’s the biggest thing that’s helped me throughout my career, and I’ve noticed a difference from my first few years to know that Bobby’s up here working with me is that he doesn’t let the little things slide and he knows some days I don’t feel as good. He makes sure that I get that work in, and I make sure to kind of check the boxes so that I can be the best I can be every single week.”
Q: Did you enjoy your trip over to Kauffman Stadium?
MAHOMES: “I did. It was awesome. The energy was amazing. Obviously, the Royals played great against a great baseball team and didn’t come out with the win, but it was cool to see and experience that. I’ve been waiting for that for a long time and hopefully it’s a building block and a step in the right direction for the future and I’m excited for those guys and the seasons to come.”
Q: How awful was Gehrig Dieter in the suite with you?
MAHOMES: “He (Gehrig Dieter) actually wasn’t that bad. I probably was worse. I was the ‘Dieter’ in that situation. No, he’s a big Yankees fan, obviously, and he’s super excited and now he gets to talk trash to Travis (Kelce), so I passed that along to Trav.”
Q: On the trash talk.
MAHOMES: “No, dude. You can’t give him (Gehrig Dieter) a little sliver of opening and Travis (Kelce) told us that he was going to the game and all of a sudden, I looked and Dieter’s flying to New York. (You) can’t give him an opening but it’s cool for him to get to do it. I mean, I’m not like a (New York) Yankees hater, but sometimes I don’t want the Yankees to win because of him. He’s made me not want the Yankees – but I like the guys on the team so I’m just watching as a fan now, which is cool.”
Q: What inspired you to get involved with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum?
MAHOMES: “It was cool because I don’t know Kansas City and the history of the Negro Leagues in Kansas City. When I got here as a rookie and the rookie symposium type (of) stuff, they took us over to the museum and I realized how great it was and met (Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President) Bob (Kendrick) and got to hear the history. That was the same stuff that my dad (Patrick Mahomes Sr.) and LaTroy (Hawkins) had talked about growing up and my dad used to mimic (National Baseball Hall of Famer) Satchel Paige and some of the ways he’d do his mechanics and pitch and so it just hit me close because I had heard this stuff growing up and now I got to hear the history of it. I know people talk about it but if you haven’t been, I would go over to the Negro Leagues Museum and see the history of the game and how it impacted not only baseball but the sports world in general. It was easy for me whenever Adidas came up to me and said, ‘Let’s make something that goes with Kansas City,’ and I was like, ‘The Negro Leagues Museum and the (Kansas City) Monarchs, especially.’ I’m excited for how this shoe turned out and hopefully you go out and get them.”
Q: What’s your confidence like with your receivers?
MAHOMES: “I have extreme confidence with the guys that are on that football field. I mean, they’ve won games, they’ve won Super Bowls, they’ve made plays in big moments and (General Manager) Brett Veach does a great job of bringing payers in that can step up whenever their number is called. Every time I step on that football field, I feel like we have the best ability to win. I think that’s a credit to Brett Veach and (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid bringing in guys that really get after it and put in the work to be great every single day.”
Q: How much time in the bye week did you look at your performance in the red zone and is there anything you want to change when you guys get in that area of the field?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think it’s just execution. I think for me, myself, I have to just trust to throw into those tighter windows and make those plays and know that that window might be the only opportunity you have to score a touchdown. Then, we have to be able to run the ball down there and know that we get different coverages than a lot of other teams. So, instead of necessarily going in with a certain mindset because this is how this team has played in the red zone, we have to go in with more ‘good vs. all’ plays. If you look at some of these teams, it’s like they play man (coverage) all game and then they play us – I mean all season – and then they play us, and it’s Cover 2 or Cover 4 and vice versa. We have to go in with the mindset of knowing teams are going to play us a little differently, and we have to execute and accept that challenge. I’ve talked about it, if we score in some of these red zone situations, there isn’t as many – I guess, questions about the offense because we’re scoring more and more points and so eliminating turnover (and) scoring in the red zone are the two things that we just need to work on as the season goes on.”
Q: Did you see stuff when going through film, particularly in the red zone, where there was a small crease where you could have thrown it?
MAHOMES: “In certain situations, yeah. I remember just from not even watching on tape but just remembering the Atlanta game, I had one where I kind of went out to the left and it wasn’t necessarily the window to throw it, but I could’ve maybe back shouldered the corner route. I didn’t throw it that one instance and then we didn’t get another opportunity to score (on) that drive. So, just knowing that you have to pick and choose when you want to take those chances. Obviously, with our defense and how they’re playing, you don’t want to necessarily put the ball in harm’s way in the red zone, but whenever you get those opportunities, you can throw a ball that might be him or nobody and the guy can make a catch. (That’s) stuff that I’ll continue to work on as the season goes on.”
Q: When a guy like JuJu Smith-Schuster comes back, what’s the process like of getting on the same page again?
MAHOMES: “It always helps when you get in the game and it just kind of works out. Obviously, you get the reps in practice, and you try to work through the things that you’ve – I don’t want to say lost but you haven’t worked on in the last year of him (JuJu Smith-Schuster) not being here. Then, it seemed like when we got out into the game, it kind of just clicked. That was something that was big for me and we’ll continue to get him involved in the offense as well as other guys. I’m just excited for the guys that continue to get better and better each and every week and I think we have the guys to do it.”