Chiefs Coordinator & Assistant Coach Quotes
November 12, 2026
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB
Q: What are you trying to do with K Harrison Butker this week that you haven't done?
TOUB: “We're going to keep pounding it. We're going to keep working it and keep kicking (K Harrison Butker) him. He's going to come through it. I mean, we're confident that he will. We're just going to keep practicing him and keep working on little things, and he's looked good in practice. There's a reason why he's still our kicker.”
Q: Did you have a conversation with K Harrison Butker telling him he’s the kicker this week?
TOUB: “Yeah, (K Harrison Butker) he knows. I mean, if he wasn't the guy, he would be the first one to know.”
Q: When it comes to waiving WR Nikko Remigio and adding WR Josh Downs, what is the strategy with the returners?
TOUB: “Obviously, (WR) Josh (Downs) brings something to our offense, and we wouldn't have traded for him if he didn't. So, I'm all in, obviously. I mean, he's got 80 reps back there as a punt returner in his career since 2023, so he's lined up back there a lot. He's a good catcher. I went through every one of them. He's dynamic at times when he gets out. They're a different scheme than what we do. We do a lot more returns than what the Colts do. They rush a little bit more. Some singled up gunners, so they have gunners in his face a lot, so he has to make a lot of fair catches. A little different from what we do, but he's looked good in practice yesterday. He's a good kid. It seems like he's a real good kid to fit in so far.”
Q: On kick return.
TOUB: “(WR) Nikko (Remigio), he was solid back there. I said before, he was the adult in the room. Now we have a lot of rookies that aren't rookies anymore, and they're developing, and (RB Emmett Johnson) 10 keeps getting better. I still have (TE Noah) Gray. I could use Gray as an off-returner, not necessarily the guy. There are different things that you can do. These young guys are getting better and better, and that's what we hope for. That's what we're trying to do. We have a lot of rookies that are getting better.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLO
OPENING STATEMENT: “Good morning. How's everybody doing? Everybody looks fresh, yeah a bit better. But anyway, listen, we didn't lose a draw because last week was a little bit different. It's on to the next team, and this doesn't get any easier. Every time we play a team, it looks like they've got talent everywhere. Tight end, wide out, certainly running back and quarterback. So, with that, I'll just open it up.”
Q: What tells you that the sacks breakout is repeatable as you go?
SPAGNUOLO: “What tells us that? Nothing tells me it's repeatable (laughter). I just hope it is. I mean, look, the guys go out there, and we put the same kind of effort and work in every week and hope to have those kind of results. Yeah, I'd like to think that's the beginning of something good that's going to come, but we'll know that when we get to know the game.”
Q: Was there a schematic change?
SPAGNUOLO: “Yeah, I mean, you kept hearing the guys, and we were saying it. You know, we were inches away or a step away. This past week we got there, which made a difference. Keep doing the same things we're doing. Hopefully we can get some of the other guys oiled up too. (DE) R Mason (Thomas) and (DE) Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) has been, you know, you don't see some of the things that Felix does. Like interior, I see him. I mean, he's had, I'm always, it seems like every week I'm putting up on the tape in the unit meeting, number 91 coming off the ball and knocking somebody back. Now, it might not be in a pass play, but I think those are some of the things that Felix is doing really (well). And hopefully that turns into, you know, everybody likes sacks, right? I like points low. However, that happens, I'm good with it.”
Q: Do you feel like DE George Karlaftis has moved to a different kind of tier this season in realizing his potential?
SPAGNUOLO: “I certainly think (DE George Karlaftis) he's headed that way. I think it feels like that to everybody, right, that he's kind of stepped it up and played better. He's been effective. A lot of it comes back to he's been in the same system for a long period of time. He's comfortable with it. He's comfortable with the guys around him. I think that all good players, all players, play really good when they're confident. So, when something really good happens, it boosts confidence. You get one sack and then you're chasing another. But, you know, George is a lot like (DE) Felix (Anudike-Uzomah). There's things interior-wise around a run play that he doesn't, that people don't see that I do, that makes us effective. Now, does he every once in a while have a bonehead play? Yeah, they all got those, right? But he's eliminated those for the most part, and I think he's excelled.”
Q: On CB Mansoor Delane.
SPAGNUOLO: “I don't know. I mean, look, we hope not. (CB Mansoor Delane) He's a tough kid. One thing, he wants to be back in there, but this thing has been, and when you've got to do certain things as a corner, you can't go out there with one arm. I think we'll get him back here. We'll find out today a little bit more. Yesterday, you know, you guys saw we just had helmets on. So, I couldn't really challenge him enough to see if he can use that thing. We'll find out more today, but we need him back. I mean, corners, you can't win in this league without corners. So, we need our guys up and rolling, and hopefully it's not one of those up-and-down years, Todd (Leabo), like you're saying.”
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR ERIC BIENIEMY
OPENING STATEMENT: “Good afternoon, hope all is well. Feels good actually coming out with a victory. I thought our guys played hard. We started off a little slow and sluggish, but we found a way to pick it up and did some good things in the second half and we found a way to finish and it feels good getting back on track. Now we're off and getting ready for the fighting Falcons. So, with all that said, I'm all ears.”
Q: What happened between you and RB Emmett Johnson after the play where QB Patrick Mahomes got hurt?
BIENIEMY: “Colorful conversations always take place. Unfortunately, you guys probably caught me with that one but just like I've said to you guys in the past, we're a young team learning how to play together and our guys are doing a great job of being - first of all, our coaching staff is doing a heck of a job of getting these guys in the right place, guys going out there and doing the right things. But as you grow throughout the season, we’ve got to make sure as an offensive unit that we're doing a great job of communicating and just having a feel for the game. And unfortunate situations like that, you don't want it to happen, but when it happens, you correct yourself and you continue moving on. Other than that, my conversation with (RB) Emmett (Johnson) will stay in between us. It was very colorful and fun but nobody's ever out there to do anything to get anyone hurt in that particular matter, I just want our guys to play with more awareness and attention to detail throughout those situations. I thought (QB Patrick) Pat (Mahomes) did a hell of a job of rebounding, and he showed you who he is and why he is the person that he is. Because for him to get up, to get back out there and not miss a snap, says a lot about his character, says a lot about the personality of the player that we have, and I'm glad I'm on his side.”
Q: What do you want WR Josh Downs to learn about the culture here?
BIENIEMY: “I think one thing as far as the culture, I think (WR Josh Downs) he's getting a feel for that just being around the guys and how we handle and conduct our business. First of all, he's an outstanding player, but he's an even better person. I've heard a lot of great things about him, not just from coaches around the league, but I mean, (Defensive Backs Coach) Dave Merritt has a very good relationship with the family. I've talked to a number of people, had a conversation with a very close friend of mine, the former (Colts) GM, Chris Ballard, who spoke rave reviews about the kid and so I'm looking forward to having this opportunity to working with him, but also looking forward to watching him work.”
Q: What is the process of getting WR Josh Downs ready to play on Sunday?
BIENIEMY: “Well, with this, you always want to make sure that you're putting those guys in the best situation so they can go out and be productive. But on top of that, you want to make sure that you're being careful as well. You don't want to overwhelm them too much, but this kid's a very sharp young man. He's very sharp, he has a good feel for the game. He's going to be alright. He's blending in pretty damn good.”
Q: What has stuck out to you about why TE Travis Kelce is still such a productive player in year 14?
BIENIEMY: “The will to win, the will to want to be successful. (TE Travis Kelce) He's still one of those guys who brings a tremendous amount of energy. He's a leader. He's always providing leadership lessons to our younger players. So, it's not shocking nor surprising. I mean, Kelce wants to win. I think that's more important than anything because–and it's not just about the numbers. He wants to help out in any way that he can. And so, you appreciate the effort, the energy, and the intensity, and the professionalism that he brings in this building every single day. And so, I'm not shocked that he's leading us. But the thing that I appreciate is all the other things that he brings to the table as far as being a leader and being a person of example of what it looks like to be a consistent professional in his business.”
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH ANDY HECK
Q: On the screen play where RB Kenneth Walker scored on Sunday.
HECK: “Yeah, well, our guys have a lot of confidence in the screens and for those of you who may have been to a lot of the training camp practices, you can picture a lot of those and so that confidence really began to build there. (C) Creed (Humphrey) and (G) Trey (Smith) have been running these things for a long time and now (OL) Kingsley (Suamataia) is getting some time on task under his belt and those are guys you want out in space making these kind of blocks. So, screens shake out a little differently every time you do it but if we can get them into a good pass rush, (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) does a great job timing up the calls of these things. They got their ears pinned back, here they come and we get our guys out in space. So as soon as I see that, those three guys leave and those guys really rushing to get out to the quarterback, I know we’ve got a good thing going.”
Q: How has OL Joshua Ezeudu been able to step in for you?
HECK: “Yeah, I really am proud of (OL) Josh (Ezeudu) and have a lot of confidence in his ability. He's played a lot of football. He's super versatile and asks great questions. He's a quick study. So, there's a lot to learn. He's still getting details. Something came up in the meeting today, something we had hit on in training camp, which he wasn't here for, a type of a call. And he was like, ‘Woah, wait a minute, I haven't got that.’ I'm like, ‘Oh, that's right. Okay, we've got to bring you up to speed on that.’ So, there's always something. Boom, he adds it, puts it in his tool belt and he's a quick study, as I said.”
Q: What's impressed you most about T Kahlil Benson since the first day you met him?
HECK: “(T Kahlil Benson) His competitive nature. Super competitive guy, really strains to get after people and tries to exert himself physically. He wants to be a dominant player. And so, that's the kind of thing, when you see that in a guy, you're like, ‘Okay, this guy's got a chance.’ On top of that, he's a mountain and super strong. So, you add those things up there. Now it's just a matter of experience and gaining all the details.”
Q: Big picture-wise, through eight games, how do you evaluate just the offensive line play as a whole?
HECK: “Yeah, I would say they're doing a lot of good things, but we need to be more consistent. Last week I thought that they exerted themselves physically in the run game and got back to what we want to be doing there, but not so much in the pass game. So, putting together a whole game where you're on your details, you're on it run and pass, and so we're still striving to do that.”
DEFENSIVE LINE COACH JOE CULLEN
OPENING STATEMENT: “Well, it's a beautiful day. I hope everybody's doing well, and we're excited to get out to practice. Obviously, a tough opponent, Atlanta. They can really run the football. (Falcons QB) Michael Penix (Jr.) has done a great job, and, you know, (Falcons Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (Offensive Line) Coach (Bill) Callahan, two of the best in the business, they're doing a great job with that offense. Between (Falcons RB) Bijan (Robinson), you know, running the ball, Michael chucking it, and they get a really good offensive line, too. We got our hands full with that. I'll open it up.”
Q: What did you see with DT Chris Jones finally getting through to the quarterback on tape when you went back and looked at it?
CULLEN: “Well, you know, a lot of times, I tell the guys, you know, sometimes the ball gets out quick. Seattle, they threw like eight passes behind the line of scrimmage early in the game. Those are out in 1.5 seconds. You just keep rushing, keep rushing, keep rushing, and then obviously rushing coverage, working together. (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) makes a great call, and he's holding the ball. You got to get home when that happens. I just thought guys collectively rushed well together, whether it was a four-man rush, five-man rush, whatever coach called. And they won their one-on-ones, and they kept rushing.”
Q: Did you sense that kind of day coming from DE George Karlaftis specifically?
CULLEN: “I mean, it seems like (DE George Karlaftis) he's pressured the quarterback a lot, even if, you know, the first seven games he just had one sack. When you look at, like I tell the guys, you just keep rushing. He's had a lot of hits, a lot of hurries. You look back, and George, he doesn’t want to hear this, but he had a sack taken away in the Chargers game. They came back, and said if they had reviewed it, his knee was down. So, things like that, you just got to keep rushing. Can't worry about just going to the next play and keep chopping wood. And when you keep chopping, the tree's going to fall down, just like the sacks will come.”
Q: What do you guys have to do up front with Falcons RB Bijan Robinson setting the edge?
CULLEN: “(Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) leads every training camp with it. First of all, you got to build a wall. You’ve got to play with great knockback, keep your shoulders square. You got to set the edge so (Falcons RB Bijan Robinson) he can't get the edge. Then when he cuts the ball back, we got to make sure someone's tracking the hip. But it's all hands-on deck. It'll take all 11 to stop the run, just like it takes all 11 to get after the quarterback.”
Q: How much of your attention is trying to get DT Chris Jones going when maybe he's not?
CULLEN: “I think you always try to get each guy going, whether that be the call, whether that be individually working. (DT Chris Jones) He knows how to get going, and this is his 11th year. It's like anything. When you have the opportunity to win a one-on-one, you've got to win it. But he's a self-starter. Chris gets going.”
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH CHAD O’SHEA
Q: What are your first impressions of WR Josh Downs?
O’SHEA: “Yeah, first, it's great to have (WR) Josh (Downs) here with us. Somebody I've always had a great deal of respect for as a player and then working with him yesterday, it's really clear on how professional he is and great work ethic, was embraced by our receiver group right away, and it was easy to do that because of the type of person that he is. So, I was very impressed with his first day of work here at the Chiefs.”
Q: How do you see WR Josh Downs fitting into the lineup?
O’SHEA: “Yeah, I think (WR Josh Downs) his role is a work in progress, just being here a day, he's trying to learn the playbook, learn his teammates. So, I do think this is a work in progress. We're going to see, we know what he does well, and we're just going to try to fit those things within our system of how to help us win games on offense. So, I'm certainly looking forward to working with him. He's excited to get to the field today and every day is going to be some learning for him, just learning the playbook.”
Q: Can you see WR Josh Downs filling the role of WR Tyquan Thornton?
O’SHEA: “Yeah, I think that, (WR) Tyquan (Thornton) obviously, we know what he brought for us, and I think that we've replaced Tyquan kind of by committee, and I don't think that's going to be any different with (WR) Josh (Downs), he's going to bring certain things that maybe Tyquan brought, whether it is downfield or whether it's a short to intermediate route tree. He does a lot of things really well, and we're going to take advantage of the things and use the things he does well and that’s our job as coaches to do that.”
Q: What do you want to see from the WR room collectively over the next eight games?
O’SHEA: “I think consistency. That's what we're asking of all our positions right now is just let's work for consistency. There's certainly been moments where we've done it the right way, and there's been moments we've fallen short of that. So, it's really bringing the consistency across the board at each position, and we're asking the guys to improve every day. So, we're going out there today, and our goal is to improve and get better, and if we do that, then we'll work towards the level of consistency that we're talking about trying to get to.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
November 12, 2026
DT CHRIS JONES
Q: What kind of juice, even on the defensive side, does an addition like WR Josh Downs bring to the entire team?
JONES: “Listen, (WR Josh Downs) he's sweet, man. He's sweet feet. I know when we played him, we doubled him a lot. The game plan was around him and (Colts RB) Jonathan Taylor, of course. So, to have him on our side right now, it's a sweet thing. I think we're going to be able to utilize him in the deep ball, get him open, and then open up for everyone else on the offense.”
Q: What's the key to the defensive approach to Falcons RB Bijan Robinson?
JONES: “Trying to play fundamentally sound, reset the line of scrimmage with the D-line. (Falcons RB Bijan Robinson) He's a very patient runner, inside, outside. He can break a big one anytime his hands are on the ball. So, for us, it's about playing fundamental football, playing disciplined.”
Q: You guys have typically been great against elite running backs. Why is that?