Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
January 14, 2025
OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright, as far as the injuries go, everybody will practice today. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Texans, (they’re) a good football team – a really good football team. (Texans Head Coach) DeMeco’s (Ryans) done a heck of a job there, as his coordinators have. They’ve got a ton of speed on that football team, and they’re well coached (and) execute well. With that, the time’s yours.”
Q: How have you handled having so much time off? What have you seen from the guys?
REID: “Sure, they’ve got a good attitude – the players. They were in last week and did a nice job with that and even on the days off a lot of them came in. We wanted to make sure we gave them a little time for recovery but they’re excited to go. They know they’re playing a good football team.”
Q: What do you remember about the 2019 Divisional Round Game against the Texans?
REID: “We didn’t start off very well, that’s for sure and they were playing well. I was proud of our guys for kind of regathering together – coaches and players and trusting each other enough to come back and we were able to do that, but the first half wasn’t very good.”
Q: When you broke out the navy-blue blazer at the Super Bowl last year, how much do those traditional things mean to you?
REID: “Listen, I’ve got to give credit to (General Manager) Brett Veach on that. He set it up (and) we’ve worn it a couple times. (We’ve) worn the red one (blazer), too and had a little success with that one. I love the history of the game. Obviously, there was a ton of history here, so I love that part of it. Kind of grew up, I was a big (Chiefs Hall of Famer) Mike Garrett fan, so I followed the Chiefs and those are special years, for sure.”
Q: Given your love for the history of the game, is there any part of you that allows yourself to appreciate what you’re trying to accomplish this postseason?
REID: “You don’t ever – Sam (McDowell), you don’t ever go there, you know what I mean? You’re kind of tunneled in here. Just trying to find another play that possibly works or another even defensive play that works or that special teams guys are doing that part. It’s a weird dynamic that way. You don’t ever look at that stuff, you’re just ingrained in trying to make sure you get communicated and see enough tape, communicate with the players and teach them and so on.”
Q: Do you ensure that the players have the same mindset as well?
REID: “I haven’t heard them say much about it (the three-peat). I’m sure if I would’ve heard something that I felt like they were looking ahead or whatever, I’d remind them but there hasn’t been any need to do that. They’ve been pretty focused in all year. I mean, they know how I roll. They’re around me all the time, so I don’t ever go there.”
Q: What’s your optimism level for a potential Jaylen Watson return?
REID: “I kind of want to see this week – see how he (Jaylen Watson) does but (from) what I’ve seen so far, it’s been good. He’s in good shape, and I’m not telling you he can play a whole game, but he sure – I think he has a chance of playing. We’ll see.”
Q: What catches your eye most about the Texans defense?
REID: “The first thing that jumps out at you is speed, that front can run. We didn’t have a chance to play against 0 (Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair) last time we played them a couple weeks back. He’s fast also as a linebacker. He’s kind of their main play caller there. The speed of the d line (and) the linebackers just jump out at you, they’re a real good – the hands of the secondary, those guys they catch the ball. You don’t see a lot of bobbles or drops or that – if you’re presenting it close, they can go up and snag it.”
Q: Do you feel like you can control every turnover or is some of that just luck?
REID: “Yeah there’s some of it that you can’t (control). I mean, obviously, the ball is not round so that thing bounces a little crazy sometimes. Those – you kind of go, ‘Alright, that happened.’ Some of these things you can focus on. Keeping the ball high and tight, not letting it get off your body, the throws, the routes that you call for the throws. Those are all things that you can have some control over.”
Q: On the left tackle situation.
REID: “I’m going to see how it goes this week. I’m going to rotate them (Joe Thuney and D.J. Humphries), so it gives us some flexibility there. I was happy with what Joe and Mike (Caliendo) did in there, but I also liked what D.J. did in some of those snaps that he had. There weren’t a lot of them, but the snaps that he had against Denver.”
Q: When you say rotate, you mean rotate in practice right?
REID: “Yeah, in practice, yeah. We’ll just see, we’ll see how it goes.”
Q: As Patrick Mahomes’ family has grown, do you think it has been easier for him to manage everything?
REID: “Yeah, I think he (Patrick Mahomes) does great with it. He came in as Patrick 2pm, now he’s Patrick 3pm. Once you have three, four and five are easy. That’s what I told him. You’ve made three, you add a couple more, we’ll talk.”
Q: What’s the process of allowing rookies to play through their struggles?
REID: “You can see the talent – he’s (Xavier Worthy) a smart kid – you can see the talent, you knew it was a matter of time. You saw that with Rashee (Rice) the year before. We’ve seen it with a bunch of receivers over time. As long as they’re willing to work, smart and they have the skill he has, obviously, you just hang with it, and they’ll work through it. They’ve got to see it – get kind of those main defenses down and the reads and the routes and all that. He’s done a nice job with all that.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Quotes
January 14, 2025
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: Did you do anything out of the ordinary to stay sharp during the time off?
MAHOMES: “Not – nothing that I would not normally do, I guess would be the best way to say it. I just kind of continue to work as far as working in the building, working at practice like I usually do. Obviously, the reps are a little bit different but at the same time, you can get mental reps, and you can get physical reps on the side – continuing to work with those guys that weren’t playing in that last Denver game and then preparing your body to go out there and execute in the playoffs.”
Q: Is the Denver loss an easy one to forget or are there still guys who are hung up on it?
MAHOMES: “Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted (it) to. I mean, we wanted to win the game and obviously didn’t do that. We’ve had some time now and you kind of come back and you just – you get ready to play. I mean, this is the playoffs now, this is where you want to be at and you’re going up against a great football team and it’s going to take your best effort to win it.”
Q: On getting rid of the ball quickly.
MAHOMES: “I think just going up against great defenses, you have to get the ball out of your hand and let guys make plays. We have a lot of talented guys that can make plays after the catch and so, get the ball out of my hand, let the guys make a positive play and then move onto the next one. I mean, that’s what you do in the playoffs.”
Q: What did you see from the Texans in their game against the Chargers?
MAHOMES: “I think what everybody has kind of known. That defense is extremely real. They have a great quarterback (Texans QB C.J. Stroud) and a great coach (Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans). It’s – we knew when we played them this last time, it was a hard-fought game and they get after the quarterback really well, they have really good secondary players, and the linebackers fly around. It’ll be a great challenge for us, and we’ll have to play our best football.”
Q: What do you remember about your first playoff game against the Texans?
MAHOMES: “It was a – I mean, just a big momentum swing I think for us. Obviously, it was the second time I played in the playoffs and getting down like that, things could’ve went south really fast but I was proud of the resilience of the guys, and that kind of carried us throughout that entire playoff run is that we just had no doubts that we were going to find a way to win. That was a really good football team, and we were able to come back and beat that team and it kind of sprung us through the rest of the playoffs to get that Super Bowl win.”
Q: On the energy of that game and the experience of it.
MAHOMES: “I think just being down that many points and being able to come back in a win, it just tells you that the game’s not over. You just have to take it one play at a time. That’s kind of put us in situations in my career where we’ve been down points and we’ve been able to kind of bounce back and not try to make it all happen with one play. Just go one play at a time, do what you’re supposed to do and then let the game kind of come to us.”
Q: How challenging is the first playoff game for a rookie and what makes Xavier Worthy ready for that in your mind?
MAHOMES: “I think just the steady progression that he’s (Xavier Worthy) made all year long. Obviously, adrenaline’s going to be flowing and you’re going to be, I guess, a little nervous or whatever that is, but once you get on the football field, you just play. I think that’s something that he’s done great this entire season. He’s played (in) a lot of big games; he’s done a lot of productive things, and I expect him to do the same things as we get to the playoffs.”
Q: On what the recent playoff success means to Kansas City.
MAHOMES: “I think it’s (an) exciting time in the city. I think just with all the different teams and how they’re performing and obviously, this has been a fun run that we’ve had with the Chiefs, but I think every year is special. Obviously, you want to win three in a row but building those memories with the guys and with the community every single year is special. When I look back at all the different Super Bowls that we’ve won, I look back at special moments that we’ve had and special games that we’ve had. We’ll try to do that the same this year. I mean, it’s been a fun run up to this point, but we want to get to that ultimate goal but we know it’s going to be challenging so we have to just really focus in on the day and how we can get better and try to win the game and win the practice so that we’re prepared for the game.”
Q: What have the last few days been like for you with the new baby?
MAHOMES: “It’s been cool. I mean, I’m just supporting. Brittany (Mahomes) crushed it. It’s been cool to welcome another baby girl in our family and see how my other kids react to her and having baby sissy and stuff like that. It’s been a lot of fun and it was cool that football was on TV when I was in the hospital, so I got to watch a little bit. Brittany was kind enough to let us watch football as she was getting ready to give birth to our second daughter.”
Q: Do you feel like it has become easier to manage football and family life?
MAHOMES: “I don’t even want to say that because Brittany’s (Mahomes) doing everything, so I’m just trying to be supportive. No, it was cool that we got the bye (week) just because you can kind of really focus in on just being at the hospital and being in the moment. It’s a special moment that I know a lot of dads and moms have experienced and you don’t forget about that stuff, so I’m glad I was able to be there and supporting the best way I can.”
Q: On the number of kids.
MAHOMES: “I’m good with three for right now. We’ll see down the line maybe, but my goal was always three, so we’ve had three and we’ll stick there for a while and see if we need to come back and get another one later on.”
Q: What does playoff football mean to Travis Kelce?
MAHOMES: “I think it’s just the greats, man. They step up in the playoffs and it’s just higher intensity. The best players and the best leaders step up and make the best plays and he’s (Travis Kelce) done that and (I) expect the same from him going into these playoffs. I think his mentality that he steps on the football field with at practice and on game day is kind of resonates with the entire team and gets everybody to play their best football and that’s what it takes in order to win championships.”
Q: On Travis Kelce resting last year before the Miami game.
MAHOMES: “I think that and – I think it meant a lot to the team that he (Travis Kelce) put the team above himself in that moment. I mean, he obviously could’ve got 1,000 yards pretty quickly there and all of us wanted him to get 1,000 yards. He said, ‘That’s not my goal, my goal is to win a Super Bowl,’ and I think guys took that and they ran with it. Then, obviously he stepped up his play and made a lot of big time plays and it worked out all for the best.”
Q: What did that mean to you?
MAHOMES: “I think – I mean, I still wanted him (Travis Kelce) to get it (1,000 yards), I’m going to be honest with you. I think it just – it inspired the team, and I think he kind of has the heart of a champion and I think that inspires everybody. When your leaders and your Hall of Fame guys are doing that, I think everybody knows that they have to put it all on the line.”
Q: What did you see that kind of prompted Xavier Worthy’s increased production? Did it start in the Buffalo game?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think that was for sure. I think just he (Xavier Worthy) just let it go and just played. I think the offense started coming to him better. He had been open earlier in the year. I think for me, it’s just the more and more reps we got, I started hitting him on some of those passes. He’s a smart kid, he works extremely hard and usually when you do that and you’re that talented, good things happen. You just stay with the process, and he’s done that and that’s why he’s gotten better and better as the years went on.”
Q: On the chance of making girls flag football a high school sport in Missouri.
MAHOMES: “I’m all for it, you know. I didn’t know that, but I mean that would be awesome. Just to see the flag football and how it’s kind of swept the entire nation to get the girls and the women involved and let them go out there and dominate and have fun. It would be really cool, and Sterling (Mahomes) can throw a football, so I’m sure she’ll be very interested if we can get it in Missouri.”