Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
November 11, 2026
OPENING STATEMENT: “Alright, first of all, it's Veterans Day, so my hat goes off to all the veterans for the great work in which they do and for all of us to be able to do what we do, a lot of things that go into that. I look forward to—well let me give you a couple of the injuries here. (OL) Jaylon Moore and (DL) Peter Woods won't practice today. Both are doing better, but they won't practice. And then we made some changes on some things, so (WR Nikko) Remigio and (DE Jack) Pyburn were released and then (WR) Josh (Downs) was added to the active list there. We'll get him incorporated into the offense as we go forward here. We look forward to the challenge of playing Atlanta, a good football team. It wasn't but a couple weeks ago that they got after the 49ers, so we know what they're all about. It's important that we study them and then have a good week of practice. As far as the kicking part goes, I'm going to stick with (K Harrison) Butker this week, and we'll go from there. Then the rest of it, time's yours.”
Q: Can you speak to the process of getting WR Josh Downs oriented and getting him going?
REID: “I mentioned it like a week or two ago. Someone asked that question, what it would take for the receiver to get going? They've got to have some aptitude. They've got to be smart and some capacity there to learn quickly. And so, when (General Manager) Brett (Veach) was going through and looking at different people, he kept that in mind for sure. He knows exactly what it takes, Brett does, to be able to function in this thing, especially if you bring a guy in that needs to get in there and do his thing. That's why you make trades and so on. So that's what we felt about (WR) Josh (Downs), that he has that ability. Now it's just a matter of him spending the time to knock it out, but he's a pretty alert kid. I think you guys will see that when you have a chance to visit with him, sharp.”
Q: When you speak to those abilities, what does stand out to you about what WR Josh Downs can bring to your offense?
REID: “Again, (WR Josh Downs) he'll be a blend in with the other guys, but he's got his strengths (which) are his quickness and speed. He knows how to set routes up. I think he does that very well. We saw that firsthand is what I was going to say before, when we played him.”
Q: What's your projection for a realistic number of plays and what's for WR Josh Downs in five days' time?
REID: “I'm just going to play it by ear here as we go. I want to see how (WR Josh Downs) he does. I mean, he just got here. See how it all rolls.”
Q: On staying with K Harrison Butker this week.
REID: “Yeah, listen, (K) Harrison's (Butker) done such a great job for us. Over time, sometimes you go through these little peaks and valley things. So, you've got to give him a chance to work through them. We'll see how things go.”
Q: Is there a short leash now?
REID: “I'm not going there. I'm just taking it week by week here.”
Q: When it comes to DL Peter Woods, was he dealing with something before the neck injury, or is this something where it's lingered longer than anticipated?
REID: “No, it's the nerve part of it. Those things take just a bit of time, so I think (DL Peter Woods) he's going to be okay. He's getting stronger. That's the primary thing. It's a little bit like (CB Mansoor) Delane. It's the same thing. It's a matter of getting stronger. I mean, he's working like crazy to do it.”
Q: Where's the feeling on that side?
REID: “(DL Peter Woods) He's got the feeling. Yeah, it's literally being able to do that (arm going inward motion) and just get it where he's got strength to it.”
Q: What's the process of getting WR Josh Downs to see things the way that you see it, the way that QB Patrick Mahomes sees it?
REID: “Yeah, no, that's what (WR Josh Downs) he's been great at, all the option routes and that. But you've got to be coordinated with the quarterback, and then you've got to have that as a play. So, we've got to see where it all goes the next couple of days here. I just want to get on the field with both of them and see how they handle one another there. I'm anticipating good things, but I'm not trying to sound negative here, this is fresh.”
Q: Do you anticipate QB Patrick Mahomes to be able to do everything according to the athletic training staff with the elbow?
REID: “Yeah, (QB Patrick Mahomes) he's throwing the ball now.”
Q: What do you think Jeff Saturday means when he says that WR Josh Downs has TE Travis Kelce tendencies?
REID: “I’m not sure, but you can ask Jeff (Saturday) (laughter). He probably means he's a good football player.”
Q: Adlib stuff, kind of get open when things go haywire?
REID: “Good feel. Yeah, we'll put it in that category. Good feel for the game.”
Q: On WR Xavier Worthy.
REID: “(WR Xavier Worthy) He's feeling pretty good. So, he's going to practice today for sure.”
Q: On the process of bringing a guy in midseason.
REID: “No, you hit it right. You don't know until they're here and doing it. So that's absolutely right on that. I'm anticipating, (WR Josh Downs) he seems like a sharp kid, but let's give him a chance here to get on the field and do his thing. All I've heard and seen to this point is he'll be a nice fit.”
Q: With (OL) Joshua Ezeudu, how would you say his progress has gone from getting here to where you are now?
REID: “Listen, I think (OL Joshua Ezeudu) he's done a nice job. I think he doesn't say much, but he works his tail off, and I like what I see. He's a good athlete, moves around well. I think he's got a good fit with that group. The guys trust him.”
Q: Can you give us an update on where DT Omarr Norman-Lott is?
REID: “Yeah, actually doing well. So, we'll see here in the next week or so where (DT Omarr Norman-Lott) he's at, but he is doing well. And we'll just see where it goes here in the next week or two, but he's right on schedule.”
Q: Are there some game situations that you can't really replicate in practice for WR Josh Downs?
REID: “We're going to try our best to replicate it. We'll see. The way we're practicing now, the scouting team gives you a good look. We're going fast, and so they'll give you an idea. Some of it you take off the tape also and see what (WR Josh Downs) he's done in the past on the things that maybe fit into your offense. Between that combination, I think we'll have a pretty good feel as we go here the next couple days.”
Q: Did you spend extra time watching tape on WR Josh Downs for that reason?
REID: “Well, yeah. I had to watch him live, which wasn't good.”
Q: What stands out about the Falcons and the challenge that they bring to the table defensively?
REID: “Fast, and even faster when they're on their turf. They're very athletic. They've got some young linebackers that are flying around. They've got that front, and they rotate those guys. (DE James) Pearce is back for them, and he's been a dominant player, so he's a good football player. Then the back end, to let (Jaguars S Jessie Bates) three go, they had to feel pretty comfortable with whoever was going to replace him because he's a good football player. I think they're well-coached. You can see what (Falcons Head Coach) Kevin's (Stefanski) doing with the team and the coordinators are doing with their side of the football.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
November 11, 2026
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: How has the last 24 hours been for you with all the excitement regarding Brittany Mahomes’ pregnancy and the trade for WR Josh Downs?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean, obviously, I've known for a while, so it wasn't like I just learned about it. I appreciate it, thank you but obviously, it's a blessing to have another baby on the way. I'm excited for it. I'm hoping that me and (Son of QB Patrick Mahomes) Bronze (Mahomes) can even up the score, but I'm just praying for a healthy baby at the end of the day but that's awesome. And then I'm always excited to add another player, someone that's been productive in this league and that can really help out and from meeting (WR) Josh (Downs) today, really just the mindset that he has. I can tell he's going to fit in that room perfectly and really help us continue to get better and better as we kind of continue down the stretch here. So, I'm excited for that as well.”
Q: Every time you and Brittany Mahomes have made a pregnancy announcement, the Chiefs have made the Super Bowl.
MAHOMES: “I'm hoping, I'm hoping. I don't know if (Wife of QB Patrick Mahomes) Brittany (Mahomes) is, but I'm hoping if we can keep that going and get another Super Bowl win with a baby on the way. That would be awesome for sure.”
Q: What stood out about your meeting with WR Josh Downs?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think you can tell just the intellect and how (WR Josh Downs) he's able to pick stuff up and that he's a professional, that he knows what he's doing and he wants to come in and just compete and to have success and he wants to win and so, I'm excited for that. And then you can just see him interacting with the other receivers in the room. You can tell that there’s going to be a great cohesion there and that's the type of guys you want on the team, that want to compete and that want to win.”
Q: What's your next few days like with WR Josh Downs on the practice field to try and get him up to speed?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean obviously a lot of reps. Getting a lot of reps. Talking through kind of what he thinks (WR Josh Downs), he does best, and trying to put him in those positions and then in the film room. I'm sure he'll get a lot of work with (Wide Receivers) Coach (Chad) O'Shea but just having those communications with him there and seeing stuff like that. But like I said, he's a professional. You can just tell from talking to him that he understands it and that we'll just try to put him in the best position to succeed this week, and then we'll continue to add to that as the year goes on.”
Q: What is your role in ushering in WR Josh Downs and how do you help get him oriented?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think just constant communication with (WR Josh Downs) him. You want to hear what he's thinking, what's kind of hitting his brain the right way, where I can help kind of smooth out that transition and then we get the reps on the field. I know it's not like we have a ton of time there, but between when defense is out there and we're on the side, maybe getting a couple extra reps here and there that aren't necessarily in the practice script or anything like that. And so that's stuff that you'll do but when you have a guy that's come from an offense that has similar characteristics to ours, it's more about the lingo and the verbiage and then putting him out there and building up, like I said, as the year goes on.”
Q: When was your first contact with him? Did you get his number and text him right away or anything like that?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I was able to get (WR Josh Downs) his number quickly after the trade was announced and text him and stuff like that, but those conversations are more about just the city. It's trade and everybody talks about the football side of it, but it's someone who's spent the last three or four years of his life in Indianapolis and having to move to Kansas City and trying to point him in the right direction there and be a resource that way as much as on the field and getting him comfortable because when he's more comfortable, he'll be able to play at a better level and so I'm excited for him. Like I said, he seems like a great dude and someone that will really help out the entire team.”
Q: How realistic is it for you to tell WR Josh Downs where to lineup as he learns the lingo of the offense?
MAHOMES: “I mean, it is realistic because we do a great job of kind of moving guys in and out of every single position and so guys know the entire concepts of the plays and so we're very detailed with how we call the plays in the huddle, which will help (WR Josh Downs) him out a ton. Then when he doesn't know, being able to talk to me in the huddle or talk to the guys as they're breaking the huddle, and that usually helps when the guys like each other and so it's good to have a guy that you can tell everybody's going to like and that he has his head on the right way and he's going to make sure that he's going to do whatever it takes to win.”
Q: Was there anything you see on tape that made you think WR Josh Downs would work in the offense?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean, (WR Josh Downs) he does a great job of winning one-on-one matchups, which is always important. He runs routes really well. He sets them up really well where he will run a route early in the game that he sets up for another one later in the game. And then he has really good feel, you can tell, obviously, playing in the system that he has, he has a lot of read-type routes, and you can tell he knows how to get himself open, settle in the right zones, and win versus man (coverage) when he can and so I think it will be an easy transition for him to kind of do that stuff in our offense. Then with how we do things, he can play a lot of different positions as we move receivers and tight ends around.”
Q: What does it mean to you to play with a guy who wants to play with you?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think it’s always shown, not even just for me, but just that we're doing stuff the right way for the team, like that guys want to be here, they want to go out and compete, and that they want to have chances to win championships. And so, it shows that this year we're doing stuff in the right direction, that (WR Josh Downs) he wanted to be here, and then that we were able to get him and put him into our system. And now it's about how can we continue to use him and he can use us to be better and to be a winning football team? And I think that's what he wants to do is just win. So, I'm excited for him to have that opportunity to come here and do that.”
Q: What did you see on film that made you want to throw the ball to WR Josh Downs?
MAHOMES: “I think you just see that (WR Josh Downs) he's done it. You can see that he's made plays against some of the best defenses in the league and teams that we’ll go up against this season are in the playoffs. And so, whenever he's put that on tape, then you know that that is there and so now it's about us utilizing his skillset within the other guys on the team in order to make the offense even better than we've been so far.”
Q: Do you feel like you need to get more of an intermediate and the deep passing game to get the offense where you want it to be and make a Super Bowl?
MAHOMES: “I think we just have to be able to do it. We have to be able to prove that we can throw the ball down the field and make those big plays happen because when you're able to do that, then all the other stuff opens up even more. But at the end of the day, you've got to take whatever's there. You've got to take the game plan. And like this last game, we were able to get the ball out of my hands, get it to the guys, and they were making plays after the catch and so, like I said, I'll do whatever it takes to win. I love throwing the ball deep. I came from Texas Tech. That's all we did, and so I'll do that but at the same time, if they're giving us any stuff, I'll throw it to those guys as well and so at the end of the day, a win's a win.”
Q: What were the last two days like for you treating your elbow?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, a lot of treatment, a lot of work here and at home and so we're in a better spot than we were after the game. I think it helped playing an earlier game. I was able to get some treatment after the game as well and everything like that. But I'll be able to be out on the practice field and throw the football and do all that different type of stuff and we'll continue this process throughout the entire week, so that I can be 100 percent on Sunday whenever we get to Atlanta and so it's a process and a lot more time at the building, but that's something that I'm willing to do.”
Q: When do you know if someone has picked up the offense?
MAHOMES: “I mean, the entire offense will probably take a couple weeks, but I think what I've learned just from meeting (WR) Josh (Downs) is he's very intelligent. He has a good feel for playing in the NFL, and their scheme is similar to our scheme. Obviously, verbiage and everything like that, but we can utilize him in his role in his spots but at the end of the day, when you get guys in the building and they're picking up stuff like we were at walk through earlier and he's picking up stuff quickly, then you can kind of give him more and more. And so, he's definitely a smart football player, and I think it won't be a long time until he's really getting utilized in the offense.”
Q: What stands out about the Falcons' defense and what you need to be aware of in each and every play?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I mean, they fly around. They fly around, they fly to the football, they're able to get turnovers and sacks and stuff like that. And they have, in their offense, they have talented players there, and they've beat some really, really good football teams this year and so it's a really talented football team. They fly, they play hard, and so it'll take us executing at a high level in order to go out there and have success and so it'll be a great environment going down there playing, and it'll be a great challenge for us.”
Q: Do you remember how you felt on the first couple throws after hurting your elbow?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I got a lot of swelling pretty quickly, and I think just that swelling, I was throwing the ball, I wasn't feeling exactly how I usually feel when I throw it. But then as we were working on that second half, (Assistant Athletic Trainer Julie Frymyer) she was really getting the swelling out of my arm, which made it feel more comfortable to throw the football. And then we were able to kind of, how we handled the game the second half, we were able to run the ball really well, so I didn't necessarily have to push it down the field and so we're in a better spot now than we were then, and so we'll continue to get better there.”
Q: What were your feelings after the MRI?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, for sure, because anytime you get in there, you never know what it's going to show on the machine after and so you can feel as optimistic as you do, but then you get in there and something happens. And so obviously, after talking to the doctors and stuff like that, I feel like I'm in a great spot. Now it's just about pain and pain management and stuff like that, which I'll try to do whatever I can to be in the best place possible.”
Q: How much has preparing your body in the offseason prepared you to play during the season?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, it's helped a ton, and you can see it. You can see from the stuff that I do that whenever I get put in some bad positions, that sometimes I'm able to have some resistance to some injuries. You can't stop everything, obviously, but all that work does pay off in the end, and if I didn't see it, I wouldn't be doing it because it sucks to do. So, I'll keep doing it. “
Q: How does the plan work when you go through it with Bobby Stroupe?
MAHOMES: “No, it changes every year. We go over, like, different positions from tape that I was in and the years previous, and then we try to do stuff to attack that stuff. And so, there's a plan of why we're doing stuff. We want to make sure that I'm obviously able to do things and play it the best but be able to prevent injuries so I can be on the field as much as possible.”
WR RASHEE RICE
Q: How do you feel WR Josh Downs is going to be able to help out with this offense?
RICE: “I think (WR Josh Downs) he's going to be a great weapon to be able to add to the weapons that we already have. He's a great player. You can watch his film and see that for yourself. I think we're going to find, (Head) Coach Reid, (Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy) EB, they're going to find the best ways to make sure he contributes to the offense as best as he can.”
Q: Is it hard to get used to knowing what QB Patrick Mahomes wants? Is that going to be a learning curve for WR Josh Downs?
RICE: “No, not necessarily. It's not really hard to understand what (QB Patrick) Pat's (Mahomes) thinking on the field. Once you love the game of football and you're doing everything you can to get open, Pat's going to do everything he can to get you the ball. So, as long as you separate and make some room to make sure he can make the throw, which he will. So, I mean, as long as he does that, it'll be easy for him to, you know, prepare for the plays.”
Q: Where do you feel like you stand right now as far as the season has played out?
RICE: “I mean, I don't really know exactly where I stand. I know I'm in the wide receiver room full of great wide receivers, and we just focus on going to win each game.”
LB NICK BOLTON
Q: It was reported you restructured your contract, probably to get WR Josh Downs here. What was that process like?
BOLTON: “Yeah, my agent called me a couple of days prior. Obviously, we're trying to make a move, and they just need a little bit more space. So, like I said, if we can bring in good players and help our team win football games, I'm all for it, but that's pretty much all it was. A couple of days of communication, just giving me a heads up that this might happen or it's an opportunity that could happen and obviously, if we can bring good guys in the building. I'm all for it, so.”
Q: How much does restructuring your deal show your desire to win?
BOLTON: “Yeah, obviously, everybody in this building, not just me, wants to win football games. I've been here for a long time and have a lot of success doing that, so it's also the people—our captains, our leaders, and our coaches, and obviously, (QB Patrick) Pat's (Mahomes) taking his deal and stuff like that. I'd help the team win, so I think everybody in this building is kind of buying into that.”
Q: What was it like competing against WR Josh Downs in Week 2?
BOLTON: “Yeah, we went into that game understanding the type of player (WR Josh Downs) he is and what he can do versus man coverage and work his way in the slot and zone, so obviously, I think there's some things that he can bring to this team, as well, that’s why we brought him in, but he does a lot of work in the slot, and I thought he was pretty shifty, able to run after the catch, get the ball fast out in space, runs the different routes, and kind of breaks leverage and stuff like that, so I think he'd be good for our offense.”
WR JOSH DOWNS
Q: What does it mean to you to hear from QB Patrick Mahomes and WR Rashee Rice right away?
DOWNS: “Yeah, it's good when guys welcome you and accept you. So, I feel like at this point, it's my turn to earn their respect on the field and earn their respect as a teammate and I'm going to do what I can to do that.”
Q: How do you plan to get acclimated with QB Patrick Mahomes?
DOWNS: “Yeah, build that relationship with (QB Patrick Mahomes) him. Then, on the field, when he throws me the ball, just catch it and keep making plays when he throws it to me and do anything I can to learn the offense as fast as possible. I don't want to be a guy that's asking everybody what the play is, what the formation is. I feel like that's when you kind of get left behind. So, I want to do everything I can to learn as fast as possible.”
Q: Did the Colts send you where you wanted to go?