Chiefs Coaches Quotes
August 12, 2025
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB
Q: What did you see the other night as far as special teams?
TOUB: “I thought we played – had a good game. It was solid, (we) secured the football, that’s always hard to do. So, it hurt them a little bit. But also, on the other hand, I liked the fact that we did knock the ball out. So, you look at it that way, too. The guys flew around pretty good. Kicking was exceptional, (Harrison) Butker was really trying to work the edges with the kickoffs – a little too close really, that thing could have easily bounced out. You want to try to push the limits right now during the preseason. You want to see how far you can go with it. He’s worked so hard at it, and it’s good to see him have some success there. Then Matt (Araiza) punted well, he had some really good punts. He had the one touchback where I thought we could’ve done a better job with the hang time on that instead of the distance, but he’s moving the ball well (and) he’s gotten better from last year. I’m excited about where we are right now.”
Q: With the new kickoff rule, is there something you can learn from in-game experience that you can’t learn in practice?
TOUB: “Not really. Our guys are doing different stuff now because you’re allowed to take the middle guy and have him off the line. You can have three guys off the line now, which is, I think it’s an advantage for the kickoff return team. It helped us a little bit, I thought in the game, I think teams are going to use it to their advantage like we did. Other than that, obviously, teams are going to be kicking it into the target zone, that’s going to happen. There’s going to be a lot more returns, a lot more coverages and it’s all good for special teams.”
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH ANDY HECK
Q: On Josh Simmons progression through the first preseason game, practices, meeting rooms and OTAs?
HECK: “It’s a big job for anybody coming in to learn the details of the offense, assignments (and) techniques. Every play has a thousand little details and so picking those things up, that was job one in the spring where he (Josh Simmons) was doing less physical work with us. Since he has gotten to training camp, he’s been able to every day add one or two of these details that are important to each play. So, I’ve seen him steadily improve, and his understanding - and we’re able to have better conversations about what’s going on and I think that’s what we’ll see his trajectory do is just go like this (points up).”
Q: How strong is the competition for the eighth, ninth and tenth spot on the roster?
HECK: “Yeah, I think this is one of the best years we’ve had in terms of bringing in talent and creating competition across the board. That’s just going to make the group better so, when you talk about the eighth, ninth, and tenth spot, there’s a lot of competition going on and there’s still a lot more to be done there in terms of evaluation. Those preseason games are going to be huge. So, who is operating and grading up, basically getting their guy blocked the most consistently? Who do we trust to put in there on a Sunday or Monday night?
Q: Where does Josh Simmons fit among the players you’ve coached based on your experience?
HECK: “I’d hesitate to compare guys; every guy is different. I’m still in a learning process myself, of what makes him (Josh Simmons) tick, how does he learn best (and) how can I help him get better? There’s constant communication there. But I would say he’s certainly as talented a player as I’ve ever been around. He loves the game. So, those are two good things, when you’re talented and you love the game, and you want to be the best, you got a great chance to be a good one.”
DEFENSIVE LINE COACH JOE CULLEN
Q: On the similarities between Ashton Gillotte and George Karlaftis.
CULLEN: “(They are) very similar. They were coached by the same coach. (Louisville Defensive Line) Coach (Mark) Hagen did a great job with George (Karlaftis) at Purdue, and now he’s at Louisville. But very similar. Both (Ashton Gillotte and George Karlaftis) have great motors, both love football, so (they are) really, really similar.”
Q: On getting more sacks this season.
CULLEN: “Absolutely. When you look at the two years we won the Super Bowl – and Spags (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is as creative as it comes, in terms of getting to the quarterback. We have guys that can get to the quarterback, and we had like 57 or 60 (sacks), two years in a row. And then we dipped a little bit last year, but we picked it up at the end of the year and into the playoffs. So, the thing we (have) got to do a better job of is making sure in certain situations he (the quarterback) doesn’t get out of the pocket. We had opportunities to get him (the quarterback) down and didn’t finish, and that’s been our emphasis this year.”
Q: How have you seen Chris Jones embrace his leadership role on the defensive line?
CULLEN: “Chris (Jones) is having a phenomenal camp. He hasn’t missed a rep, and this is our fourth year together. He had a similar camp in ‘22. Obviously, he wasn’t here in ’23, (and) he was injured a little bit last year. He hasn’t missed a rep. Long-drive drill, nine-on-seven, one-on-one pass rush, (he’s been) phenomenal. He’s in great physical shape, and he’s on a mission.”
DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH DAVE MERRITT
Q: What do you like about Nohl Williams?
MERRITT: “He (Nohl Williams) competes. He showed some physicality in the game in Arizona. So, those are things that we were looking for, and I just love the fact that the kid, he takes coaching. A lot of guys, sometimes they come in and you don’t know what you’re getting. It’s like a box of chocolates, you have no clue on what you’re going to get. But he takes coaching, so we love that about him.”
Q: On Chris Roland-Wallace.
MERRITT “Chris (Roland-Wallace) has done a wonderful job for us. I mean, we have him at multiple positions. He did that his rookie year where we played him at safety, (we) played him at nickel, (we) moved him from outside and just really played him closer towards the box. And so (the) young man is very cerebral, and so he’s able to pick up the defenses and then he can do a lot of things for us. Whether it’s strong, free safety, as well as play a little dime or nickel. So having that, kind of, Swiss Army Knife is going to help us out.”
Q: What are the challenges of bringing in Kristian Fulton at this time?
MERRITT: “I think the challenge for Kristian (Fulton) is just to get his cardio. Because you can go and you can work with your offseason coach, you can go and work with your trainers, but when you come out here and you’re working with a professional coach, as well as going against a professional offense – your cardio is the first thing that you’re going to see. And so I think the good thing about him (Kristian Fulton) is today, I think he wanted to tap out, and then all of a sudden (I) just told him, ‘just keep going.’ Because he needs that, just play after play after play. So, if he can continue to expand and open his lungs, that’s going to help us all out.”
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH CONNOR EMBREE
Q: On Xavier Worthy’s improvement in route running.
EMBREE: “After this season, me and him had a good talk (on) what he needs to get better at and I think he did a good job in the offseason, especially the summer of working on the stuff we were talking about. I think it shows on the field. He’s not just a straight-line go route guy. He can run multiple routes, so I really like what he did. (He) came back in great shape and then like you said he’s gotten better at route running.”
Q: On dealing with so many injuries in the wide receiver room last season.
EMBREE: “It was difficult, but I think that’s what makes us such a great team. It’s that next man up. All the second, third string guys, they know they’re one play away from being a starter. So that’s credit to them too, being in their book, knowing what to do, and when they got their opportunity, they made the most of it.”
Q: On the speed of the wide receivers.
EMBREE: “Yeah, it’s fast. It’s like a track team out there. 4x1 team. It’s next man up. They all can run. That’s kind of what our offense is based off of is just speed, speed, speed, speed. And then just like you said, we got a lot of guys that can run. So, I like the depth of our room and the speed of it.”
PASS GAME COORDINATOR JOE BLEYMAIER
Q: How are you able to use Xavier Worthy now that he’s in year two, in ways you couldn’t in year one?
BLEYMAIER: “Yeah, he (Xavier Worthy) has a familiarity with the offense and scheme to where he can do more things. He can put more, in terms of where he aligns, and the routes and the concepts on his plate. He too, utilizing him more, he too, is in that identity phase in that formation of himself as a player. And so, one of the things that he does, I think, that’s a credit to him, is that he’s really emphasizing and focusing on the things that he does well. Continuing to do those (things) well, rather than just take it for granted (and) focus on the next thing he would like to build-on. He singles out Trent (McDuffie) in one-on-ones, and often times he’s going to run the same routes over and over against Trent. So really sharpening his fast ball, his main pitch, and then from there, being able to say all right, here’s how I can complement that. And here’s the other moves and the routes that can work off that. So, he’s like a microcosm of the offense, in general. In year two, he’s trying to establish that identity of here’s what I can do against anybody in the league. And then if they start taking it away, here’s how I can complement that.”
Q: What have you seen from Travis Kelce this year? How has he evolved over the years?
BLEYMAIER: “I think, I mean today was a great example. One of the hotter, last days of training camp, in full pads. We started off slow on offense. Travis gets a route one-on-one, and we haven’t seen many completions out there today, and Trav beats his man one-on-one, breaks out for a 20-yard gain, and kind of sets the tone for everybody that ‘Hey, you get man to man coverage, we’re winning these routes. Let’s go.’ So, that, just the veteran that he is, the amount of years out here, and then when everybody was pushing through the dog days of camp, it was him who made the play one-on-one against the defense. That kind of just goes to that bigger picture where maybe you don’t recognize the years as much, because it’s just the same old Trav. That’s what he’s always been doing. But for him to be able to dig deep, and do that, I mean, that was just like a fountain of youth moment today in full pads out here.”
Q: What has stuck out to you the most about Patrick Mahomes this year?
BLEYMAIER: “His ability to communicate with the veteran guys who have been here, and then also the younger guys, Jalen (Royals), who’s learning our offense, some of the newer tight ends, exactly what he wants, through their eyes. So, he can speak to Rashee (Rice) and Xavier (Worthy), Hollywood (Brown), Trav(is) (Kelce), a certain way. They have a communication that sometimes is unspoken, but then with Jalen and some of our newer tight ends and newer pass catchers, he’s been able to communicate exactly what he wants through their eyes. Which is, you can see him almost taking a breath and saying ‘Hey, I know exactly what you were thinking,’ or ‘here’s what I think you thought, and here’s how I saw it,’ and it’s just clicking. I think that’s a maturity and an experience thing from Patrick to be able to recognize the game through their eyes, and see it through their experience, and then meet them where they are. It’s been incredible to watch.”
Chiefs Assistant General Managers Quotes
August 12, 2025
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER MIKE BRADWAY
Q: What is the process for choosing guys in the wide receiver room? What does that conversation look like?
BRADWAY: “I think typically, I mean, I think, you know, the way I see it, I think in the past you kind of wanted to build it like almost like a basketball team a little bit, you know? Different, you know, different skill sets, different types of players. I think we have a lot of talented players in the room. There’s a lot of really good competition. But yeah, I think you can balance speed, physicality, run after catch, you know, special teams, aspect. So, you want to have a lot of diversity in the room in terms of skill sets. But the special team’s aspect is huge. Especially for those depth guys.”
Q: The offensive and defensive lines are always emphasized in the off-season as being a priority. This off-season did it seem like the offensive line had to be the top of list in conversation?
BRADWAY: “Yeah, I think so. And listen, it wasn’t because of, you know, the Super Bowl. I think it was, I think that’s just kind of how we want to build the roster. And we want to infuse it with youth and talent. And fortunately, through free agency and the draft, we were able to do that. And feel good (that) it’s a good blend of youth experience, (and) I think guys with versatility. So really, really, encouraged by what we’ve seen so far.”
Q: On being 31 on the waiver wire and how some rivals are high on the waiver wire.
BRADWAY: “And that’s just the reality of it. It’s a good problem to have. You’ve hit on it pretty well; you’re far down on the claim. But yeah, right now, we’re talking to every team in the league. I mean, you know, myself, all our contacts, we’re just gathering information now. So, whether that would mean potentially trading for a guy, doing a play for a player swap, maybe trying to, maybe there could be a guy that you think would be available to claim. We’re going to be active. I mean, we’re going to watch as many tapes as possible. We’re going to, you know, and maybe it just doesn’t work out, but we’re going to identify certain players that we think could help us now (and) down the road and see where it goes.”
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER CHRIS SHEA
Q: How important was it to get Trey Smith and George Karlaftis signed long-term?
SHEA: “We were very excited to be able to get both of those contracts done and you know, zooming out to the big picture, one of the core operating principles we have that (General Manager Brett) Veech has adopted as the general manager here and goes all the way up to ownership is that we want to draft well and retain our own players to the maximum extent possible that’s feasible within our constraints and we were very happy to get both of those guys done as important starters on both offense and defense.”
Q: On how the changing of salary cap affects their decisions for two to three years in the future.
SHEA: “It is an educated guesstimate, based on a lot of factors but you know generally I think teams tend to be a little bit conservative with protecting the cap, so they make sure they don’t get themselves into any dangerous waters. If the cap comes in a little bit higher than we think, then that’s a pleasant problem to have. It’s sort of found money, for lack of a better term but we work through historical trends and how we see things moving in the future to try and give us a conservative and fair number to work with.”
Q: On the second-round picks across the league not signing initially and if the Chiefs knew that was coming or if it was a curveball.