Chiefs Coordinator Quotes
August 8, 2026
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB
Q: On practicing six or more days in a row.
TOUB: “I mean, I think it was seven days in a row that we went, we practiced, so it’s kind of unusual, we haven’t done that in the past. So, it was a little bit of a grinder starting from Thursday, we went to 10-10-10, then we had to come back put the pads on again with no break. So, it was a little different this year, and I thought they did a great job today. I thought they finished strong.”
Q: What have you seen from Patrick Mahomes and are you surprised?
TOUB: “It really is, it’s incredible what we’re seeing with (QB Patrick Mahomes) Pat. I keep watching every day. I’m on the outside watching offense and defense, and I keep watching for anything, any sign of him limping or anything like that, and I don’t see anything. He just keeps getting better and stronger. It’s exciting, you know it’s exciting to see where he’s at.”
Q: It’s an unusual situation playing two teams in the preseason that you play in the regular season, is that good, bad or indifferent?
TOUB: “It’s good for us because they’re two really good football teams, I mean for special teams. There’s not a lot of different things you can do, like whatever you do in the preseason is probably what you’ll do in the regular season. It’ll be good for us to see what they are personnel wise, and for them as well. So, you know it’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Chiefs Players Quotes
August 8, 2026
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: It was pretty chippy out there. How do you feel?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, six straight days of going against the same guys and being competitive, I think that's what's been great about this camp. It's super competitive on both sides and so a little scuffle here and there, but nothing crazy and as long as we keep it like that and keep competing, we get the best football team you can get.”
Q: How does the knee feel?
MAHOMES: “It feels great, pushing every single day, trying to stack days together. I feel like when you're tired, sometimes you don't even think about it. So, I'm trying to protect it, but at the same time, I’m trying to push it and get myself ready to go for the season.”
Q: Head Coach Andy Reid said he doesn’t think you will play in the preseason. How do you feel about that?
MAHOMES: “I'm for whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) says. Like I said, I'm going to prepare to play. He hasn't told me anything. So, I'll prepare to play and prepare to get myself ready and we'll see where we go from there. And if not, I'll be as locked in as I am during the game and try to get myself as ready to go for the game. So, it’s a process of trying to make sure you're ready for the season and whatever Coach thinks (is) best, I'll do.”
Q: Do you tell yourself during practice that you need to run and escape the pocket to work the leg?
MAHOMES: “I think it's the opposite. I'm trying to hold myself back because I’m a competitor and I like competing and all of a sudden I'm running and cutting back and trying to pitch the ball. So, it’s trying to keep yourself from doing stuff like that but when it's fourth down, you want to try to make a play happen. You try to make a play happen. So, I'm not going to lose who I am, but I'm trying to keep myself smart, keep myself in position to be out there for my teammates.”
Q: What has stood out to you about T Kahlil Benson?
MAHOMES: “I think (T Kahlil Benson) he's done a great job competing and you kind of understand sometimes when the young guys, they don't make the same mistakes. That's a big thing is if you can fix your mistakes and get better and better each and every day, usually good things happen and that's what he's done ever since he's been here. I mean, it started in the OTAs and the rookie minicamp, honestly. I remember watching film on that and seeing that guy and seeing him kind of do stuff the right way. And he's kind of built and got better and better all the way to this point. And I think that's what makes (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid's camp so good is he's going to have competition. He's going to push guys to be even better. So, I think he's done a great job stepping up to the plate whenever his number is getting called. And now it's about how can he stack and how can he go to a preseason game and how can he get himself ready for the regular season? We still have a long way to go, but I'm happy with the progress so far.”
Q: Who has impressed you the most about the rookies and second year guys?
MAHOMES: “It's been a lot of guys. I think (DB) Nohl Williams kind of is the first one in my mind. I knew how talented he is, but you can tell when the guy starts to get it, starts to figure out formations, figure out motions and know where to put himself at to make it easier on himself. So, he's someone that's kind of been big. I mean, obviously (WR) Cyrus (Allen) had a great start to start the camp and so getting him back out there will be important. And then I know he's not a first, second year guy, but I think (OL) Kingsley's (Suamataia) had a great camp so far and so you want guys like that to keep improving, keep getting better. And we have a lot of young guys out there and they're competing and that's all you can ask for.”
Q: Are you at the point where you are forgetting about your knee injury?
MAHOMES: “I forget about it sometimes. I try to be smart, like I said, but there's sometimes you get through camp, man, you're trying to compete practices are long and I mean, you want to win the rep. So, there's times where I do forget about it and just play football, which is a good thing and then I'll have to do that again whenever we get to the regular season. So, it's about learning how to play with what I’ve got, and I feel like I'm able to move and do the things that I can and we're going to keep pushing it and see where I can get it to. So I can hopefully get that okay to go out there and play Week 1.”
Q: Do you find the knee sleeve more comfortable than the brace?
MAHOMES: “I do like it more. I like when I have pants on because it holds it tighter. I feel like when I'm wearing the shorts and the sleeve and you start sweating, it starts moving a little bit. And that's where I'm kind of fidgeting and trying to get it back into place. When you have that sleeve on top of it with the pants, you can kind of lock it into place. And so, I like it definitely more, but don't tell (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid, no more padded practices. So don’t tell him all that.”
Q: Is there a difference between playing your first snaps in the preseason versus the regular season?
MAHOMES: “I mean, I don't know. I haven't done it before, but I'll be ready to play. I know that. I mean, that’s how you have to go about it is whenever the opportunity comes out there, to go out there and play football, you have to go out there and maximize it. And so, if that's the preseason, I will go out there and play and if that's the regular season, I'll go out there and play. And so, it’s whenever I get that opportunity, I'm going to be ready to step back on that football field and be myself.”
Q: On a play in practice where he felt his knee injury made a difference.
MAHOMES: “Honestly, I was more mad at myself that I didn't get the first down because I felt like if I really had that go, I would have been able to beat (DL) Peter Woods, but he was kind of fast. So, I was more mad at myself. If I'm not going to be able to scramble and get the first down, I’ve got to throw the ball and get someone else another chance and so it's learning what I got. That's what I have to say and I think as I get more and more used to it, I'll get faster and faster and have the chances to make more and more plays, but protecting yourself, still pushing yourself to see what you’ve got out on the football field.”
Q: How big of a goal was it to be fully cleared to practice?
MAHOMES: “So, it was a test. I had to pass a test that that was pretty, pretty hard. And so, it was kind of about making me—so basically it made me really tired. Then they made me go out there and do a lot of cutting and jumping and all that different type of stuff. And so, I'm a competitor. So, when it comes to a test of physical ability, I wanted to go out there and do it, but (Dr. Dan Cooper) he wasn't going to take it easy on me. He was going to push me to my limit and see what I got. And so, you're nervous because you're so close to camp and have to pass it kind of on that first time but I was able to do that. Then once he cleared me, it wasn't like he was just going to clear me to clear me. And so, I knew that I could go out there and be myself and now it's about proving to the coaches and the doctors, as they watch all this stuff that I can go out there and do that in the regular season as well.”
Q: Does it feel like the recovery is going fast?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, it definitely feels like it's going quick. I feel like your whole career though you have to enjoy the moments. To have that different perspective, now being a father is to enjoy the little moments and enjoy the time at camp, enjoy cafeteria, because all of a sudden you're going to look up, you're not going to be coming back here. And so, I hope that's a long ways away but I do enjoy getting to be here, listen to this music I've never heard of and just be that the old guy at camp now and try to build those relationships with your teammates.”
Q: Is it easy to contrast what you felt like in that first camp with how you feel today?
MAHOMES: “I just have a better perspective of like what practices, how to push through it, getting home, getting rest, taking care of your body and stuff like that. When you're young and you're studying and your head's kind of spinning, sometimes you make mistakes that you wouldn't usually make. And now I try to preach that knowledge to the young guys like (QB Garrett) Nuss (Nussmeier) and (RB) Emmett (Johnson) and all these guys is like, get them to study and then go out there and play football. At the end of the day, that's why you're here and I try to give that knowledge to those guys because those guys will help us at some point in their careers.”
Q: You had a couple of your former teammates here. How does that make you feel?
MAHOMES: “Whenever your teammates are like the coaches that are coming in and they’re in the Ambassadors program, that means you've been playing for a long time (laughter). So, it's cool to see those guys though. We've been there, they were in these dorms with us. We were going around fighting through, listening to (Offensive Coordinator Eric) EB (Bieniemy) yell at us. I mean, we've kind of been through it and we've built these great memories and so to have them here, it's special and I think it helped. Not only is it cool for me, but it's cool for other guys to see like they can go to those guys and ask what did they do to kind of get through camp? What did they learn? Why is the coach kind of getting on me like this? And then have a better understanding of it and how to go out there and make themselves better and I think it's a great thing what (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) does bringing those guys back around.”
Q: On former Chiefs S Tyrann Mathieu who visited the facility during camp.
MAHOMES: “(S Tyrann Mathieu) He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around. So, I think just him and the knowledge that he's able to give everybody, especially to some of these young DBs that we have, you’ve got to soak it up because I mean, that's what made him who he was. He's physically gifted and had the instincts, but the leadership and the way he came to him prepared every single day is kind of what took him to be in that Hall of Fame type level and so it's cool to have him around and have him kind of give that knowledge to other players.”
Q: What intrigues you the most about the offense going into this season?
MAHOMES: “Number nine (RB Kenneth Walker). That's all I can say, that right there, that change in the ability to catch, run, pass protect, do everything. You make a play out of nothing to a 20-yard gain. That's going to be the biggest impact I think we'll have and then just to find the ways to get him to football.”
Q: What contact have you had with Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy and what has it been like for you with this situation?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, first off prayers to (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) him and his family and Miss (Mia) Bieniemy and she's doing better now. So, it's always great to hear the news from him about her and it's been good to talk to him. He's been zooming in. He's been live streaming. I mean, he's still EB. It's not like he's not EB. And so, he's calling you at the end of the night and talking to you about kind of throughout the day and all the plays and stuff like that. And so, we'll be excited to get him back, but at the same time, we want him to take as much time as he needs to be with his family. But when he does come back, he’ll be the most excited guy on the football field.”
LB JACK COCHRANE
Q: On the topic of taking pride in multiple positions.
COCHRANE: “Yeah, it’s kind of been my role the past few years. It’s whatever I can do to help the team. If that means going in and playing Sam, Will, Mike — just however I can help. I take a lot of pride in being able to play each of those spots and do well.”
Q: You had to make a decision for your career after last season, why did you decide to come back here?
COCHRANE: “This is a place of people who have been very good to me. A lot of my teammates, coaches and staff here are like family. Obviously, this is a place I wanted to come back to, and I am very happy to be back.”
Q: On managing the workload during the long drive drills.
COCHRANE: “We are all out here to kind of build a foundation for the season. When guys go down that might amp up a couple of reps. All of this is building blocks for the season. That’s kind of how I view it. If that means a few more reps, that could just put me in a better position come fall. Again, just being ready to go in and do whatever I need to do each day and try and focus on taking advantage of each opportunity.”
RB EMMETT JOHNSON
Q: What have you learned throughout the training camp process?
JOHNSON: “I feel like I just learned a lot about taking it day by day. Focusing on just winning every play, every rep, and not really focusing on the next day. But just keep stacking plays and keep getting better every day.”
Q: What’s going to be going through your mind next week at Arrowhead?
JOHNSON: “Honestly just getting out there and winning the football game, first of all, but just attacking every rep that I get. Whatever opportunity I get, making the most out of it and just showing (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) that he can rely on me as well as the other players on the team.”
Q: What does it mean to you to step down the tunnel for the first time with the Chiefs logo?