Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
August 31, 2025
OPENING STATEMENT: “All right, as far as the injuries go today for practice, really (Jalen) Royals is the only one that won’t practice. Everybody else will go, before the challenge of playing the Chargers, they’re a good football team. They’re into that second year, so you know that they’ve got the offense, defense and special teams down. (Chargers Head Coach) Jim (Harbaugh) does a great job with that crew of getting them ready. They’ve got good players, they’re well coached, their coordinators – (Chargers Offensive Coordinator) Greg (Roman) on offense (and) (Chargers Defensive Coordinator) Jesse (Minter) on defense and (Chargers Special Teams Coordinator) Ryan (Ficken) on special teams. They’re all good coordinators. Should be a heck of a football game. (I) look forward to going to Brazil. I mean that’s going to be – you don’t get invited unless you’ve done it right in the past. We feel honored to have the opportunity to go down there. With that, time’s yours.”
Q: On Hollywood Brown’s injury progress.
REID: “Yeah, so listen, I think he’ll (Hollywood Brown) be ok. He’s a veteran guy. If he’s younger, I’d be a little bit more worried about it, but he’s a veteran guy that kinda knows how to go about it and I think he should be fine. We’ve got guys that can rotate in too, so we mix and match as we go.”
Q: How have you seen Jim Harbaugh elevate the Chargers?
REID: “Yeah, listen I think he (Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh) does a great job with really all the phases. And I know as you go here, he can even add more. They’ve done a nice job that’s what I can tell you.”
Q: What concerns you most about the Chargers defense?
REID: “They’re a zone (defense) team. But the zones are tight, and they have a bunch of different combinations. Plus, they can play man, and they do that well, but their zones are – they do a heck of a job with that. You can see why they were ranked so high and they’re trying not to give up the big play obviously but at the same time be able to attack underneath. They’ve got good speed on the defense and those front guys. I mean, (number) 52 (Chargers LB Khalil Mack), heck of a player. That number 3 (Chargers S Derwin James Jr.) is not bad either, so they’re good players for them (Chargers).”
Q: What have you learned about organizing and preparing for an international trip?
REID: “I just look at the time of preparation the people did (staff). They tried to do it so it’s not any problem with the players or coaches. They kind of keep us out of it but the work that goes on behind the scenes there is crazy. They’re moving up basically a whole crew to go down there for a couple days. It’s one thing to go for a day to a game, let alone a couple days. It’s quite a challenge and then you’ve got different medical staffs that aren’t quite as familiar with what we are doing and that whole part of it. It’s an interesting process, but our guys have gotten pretty efficient with it over the years.”
Q: Is there a difference in traveling overseas for a game at the beginning of the season versus in the middle of the season?
REID: “I’d say if it was our first year (traveling overseas for a game), that might be a pretty big challenge but having done it before, I think our people have a pretty good feel for it. I think the players, when it is all said and done, just want to play. They don’t really care where it is. I’d probably tell you both teams feel that way. That’s what I’ve noticed over the years.”
Q: On the impact of not playing most of the games on Sunday and the challenges.
REID: “Well it’s the head coach’s responsibility to keep things as organized and on time for the guys. Consistent as you possibly can for that. That’s you know one of the jobs that I deal with. It hasn’t been a problem. These guys are so willing to do anything that you lay it out there and they go ‘ok, here we go’. It’s been pretty good but depending on the stacked days in a row as far as when you play three games in ten days, something like that, the rest becomes – you’ve got to give these guys some time to get themselves back, you know?”
Q: What stood out about Patrick Mahomes over the course of the last four weeks?
REID: “First of all, I thought he (Patrick Mahomes) had a good camp all the way through. He’s a great leader. He has continued on with that. (He) wants to know everything. Loves that part of it. Asks great questions. I like the way that he’s got some guys back now for a second term, so he’s familiar with them and trying to take that to another level on gamedays, so I know that’s one of his challenges right now with the crew that we have. He feels comfortable with the guys and so that’s a good part, but he doesn’t let anything really bother him. He (is) just full steam ahead with a positive attitude. That’s a thing that I appreciate the most, so I even think he has taken it up a notch this year and he’s really had a nice camp. You can see he is comfortable with the guys that he is playing with out there.”
Q: On if he has noticed Patrick Mahomes’ excitement level increase for primetime games.
REID: “Well he (Patrick Mahomes) likes to play every game. He probably does, I don’t know that. I know he gets up for every game. If we played one of the high school teams he would be fired up (laughter). He doesn’t care (about if it is a primetime game or not).”
Chiefs Player Quotes
August 31, 2025
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: What has your anticipation been like to start this year?
MAHOMES: “I mean, I'm super excited, you know. You get to go out there and play the game that you love. And we got a lot of guys that are super hungry and want to go out there and put on a show, and so for us, we have to just go out there with the mentality (of), let's have some fun playing the game that we love and try to go out there and win football games.”
Q: How optimistic are you about the offensive line?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think every step of the way so far, they've (offensive line) done a great job of getting better and better and kind of checking those boxes. And so, this will be a great test for them. And this is a prolific D-line with (Chargers LB) Khalil Mack and really all throughout. They (have) got depth at edge at d-tackles, and they were one of the best defenses in the league this last year. So, it'll be another test for these guys, and I'm excited for them to go out there and accept the challenge and showcase who they are.”
Q: What stands out about this team that gives you the confidence that this team can make it back to the Super Bowl?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think it's just how we've kind of went about our business in the offseason. I mean, you can just see from the OTAs and to the training camp, we have a good mix of veteran guys, kind of these young veteran guys that have been in a lot of big games and then some, like young guys that are athletic and want to make their imprint. And so, when you have that good mix of players like that, you have the experience, you have the athleticism and now you have to go out there and just prove that you can win. And we (have) got a lot of guys on our football team that have won a lot of games. So how can we bring those guys in that are new up to the standard that we hold every single day at practice, in the film room, and on the game days? And so, I think we've done that so far, and now it's about going out there and proving it on game day.”
Q: With the preparation in the offseason, how do you feel going into this season?
MAHOMES: “No, I feel great. You know, it was good to get a full offseason and nothing serious injury wise. So just being able to go out there and work my body and then being able to get these repetitions with the receivers and get on the same page with them. And we have a lot of the same receivers, I think, which is cool kind of in those primary roles with Xavier (Worthy) and then with Rashee (Rice) and then Hollywood (Brown). Guys that I've thrown to a lot and add in with the tight ends, and then the new guys were even here, a lot of them last year as well. And so having that chemistry built before the offseason, we can kind of work on the finer details of things, and I think it's going to show up on game days because we've kind of built that chemistry before.”
Q: What was your initial reaction to seeing the first regular season game plan?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think, I mean, I think it's a good game plan. I think coaches have kind of been on it even before we finished that last preseason game. And so, I finished it and turned right to watching film on the Chargers. Obviously (I) have a good feel for stuff they did last year. I mean, you watch – you play them twice and then we had that bye week, so I was watching Chargers film with the possibility of playing them in the playoffs last year. And so, they're a good defense. I mean they're a really good defense at every single level. They have great players. You know they’re coached really well by (Chargers Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Jesse) Minter and they're going to come in with the right mentality. And so, it's about us accepting the challenge. I feel like we have a good game plan in so far, we’ll keep adding to that throughout the week. But you (have) got to be able to execute on a play-by-play basis in order to move the football, because they will capitalize on all miscues and take advantage of their opportunities as well.”
Q: How important are the AFC West days throughout the offseason for when you go into a game like this?
MAHOMES: “For sure, I mean, you get a good feel for the entire scheme of things you know, they have really, they have a fast defense that can be complex, and everybody knows what they're doing. And so, you want to be able to know what they're trying to execute. I mean, obviously they're going to have changeups. I mean they have good coaches and good players, but you want to have a good sense of what they're trying to do, what they're trying to make the quarterback do and try to get you outside of your comfort zone. And so, trying to be as simple as you can and trying to stay within what we do at a high level and then try to execute against stuff that they're trying to scheme up against.”
Q: On your excitement of going to Brazil and starting the season.
MAHOMES: “Yeah, no, I'm super excited. It'll be a great experience, a great chance to showcase who we are as the Kansas City Chiefs worldwide. And I know the fan base in Brazil is extremely excited as well. So, it'll be a cool experience and being able to play our first game out there against a great opponent, it'll be a lot of fun.”
Q: What are your thoughts on adjusting to such a long trip?
MAHOMES: “I mean, obviously I don't know for sure because I've never been down to Brazil before, but I think it's going to be a similar effect (to) Germany, except Germany, you were way ahead (the) timeline and stuff like that. So, it won’t be as crazy as far as the sleep and how you figure out your sleep. I think it's just about managing the plane ride and keeping yourself moving whenever you have opportunities to and getting your body right. But the trainers and coaches have really done the research and they understand what we need to do. So now it's just going down there and playing football. And I think more than anything, we just explained it to some guys how far the trip was. Some guys didn’t understand how far the travel was – Travis (Kelce), even though he was just down there like last year. So, I was just explaining to him how the globe works (laughter).”
Q: Is there a difference between starting the first regular season game internationally versus a couple of weeks into the season?
MAHOMES: “You know, I think the blessing that we've had over these last few years is we've had a lot of crazy schedules. So, it's like you just kind of go with the flow, you trust in the decisions that our operations and our coaches kind of plan for us throughout the offseason, and then we just try to execute that at a high level so that when we get to the football field, we can just play our best football. And that's what we're here to do. And so, we're excited for the opportunity”
Q: Does Rashee Rice’s suspension change the game plan against the Chargers?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think we prepared a little bit in the offseason just for other guys (to) have to step up in certain roles but that's part of it, you know even, I mean, last year with the injury that he (Rashee Rice) had guys had to step up and make plays. And so, I think obviously losing a receiver of that magnitude that (is) that good, it takes away from the offense in a sense, but at the same time, we have – brought in depth with – (General Manager Brett) Veach and them (Player Personnel Staff), have brought in a lot of receiver depth so that guys can step up and take over that role in different spots. It won’t be just one guy. It’ll be multiple guys that will kind of do some of the stuff that Rashee has done, and then other guys will step up in other spots and make plays as well.”
CB TRENT MCDUFFIE
Q: What’s your anticipation for this year given the outcome of last season?
MCDUFFIE: “Yeah, a lot of excitement, really. I think everybody’s – now that training camp’s over, and now that we’re back from St. Joe’s, (there’s) just that excitement of the first game. Just going out there and putting this defense fully together. During Preseason, I don’t think we played a full half even, altogether. And we showed some glimpses and obviously we played our offense a lot, but finally (we get to) just go out there and play a full game with each other and go hit somebody other than who we always hit is going to be really nice.”
Q: What mentality do you want to establish in Week 1?
MCDUFFIE: “Just that relentless KC (Kansas City) defense. Over these past few years, since I’ve been here at least, I feel like we’ve gotten better and better and better each year, and I think (that) guys are comfortable now. We brought back most of the defense, and we all kind of know how each other plays. So just going out there and – I always say Coach Spags’ (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) thing this year, ‘Be bold, be great’, like that’s truly just what we want to be.”
T JOSH SIMMONS
Q: What have you been told about getting ready for the first game of the season by the veteran players?
SIMMONS: “Just be prepared. They’re (Los Angeles Chargers) a great team, (and) obviously we are, so it’s just about kind of just putting the preparation in and taking that to Brazil.”
Q: What do you want to put on tape for the NFL to see this week?
SIMMONS: “First, I want to do my job. I want to make sure my teammates can count on me, but then it’s just more (about) technique. If you’re always in the right spot at the right time, it can definitely get you a lot of one blocks.”
Q: How did you evaluate your preseason games?