Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes
August 7, 2025
OPENING STATEMENT: “All right so this (is) what we got. Injury wise- (Jake) Briningstool, Marquise (Hollywood) Brown, (Cam) Jones, (Rashee) Rice. They did not play, the guys that came back were (Kristian) Fulton and Drue Tranquill, came back and did some individual work. And then the guys at the end were (Fabien) Lovett, (he) tweaked his ankle but he came back in. Then (Brashard) Smith hurt his finger, but they’re going to take care of him up there. He should be alright. All in all, good practice, long one today. The guys got a lot of reps in and worked their tail off getting through. We had a little bit of heat today. I thought the effort was definitely there. Ones got a lot of reps in particular. Anyways, with that as far as the game goes, since I know you’re going to go in that direction, the quarterbacks, we situated out the quarterbacks so they’ll each get a quarter. The first one will be Patrick (Mahomes), the second one is (Gardner) Minshew, and then (Bailey) Zappe and then Chris (Oladokun) at the end there. All right, so each one gets a quarter. And then everybody kind of follows that as we go. All right? Any questions? Time is yours.”
Q: On where Chukwuebuka Godrick fit in.
REID: “He’s (Chukwuebuka Godrick) actually doing a good job. Talking about Chu here. He’s actually doing a good job out there. He’s worked guard, he’s worked tackle, he’s trying to get into that flex position where he can help out and compete. But he’s having a good camp so far. Look forward to seeing him in the games.”
Q: Do you feel that Chukwuebuka Godrick is ready for the regular season?
REID: “Yeah well, he’s getting there for sure, yeah. Yeah, for sure. This will be a big, big camp for him as we go.”
Q: On leaving in players longer than one quarter.
REID: “Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll play that by ear, but you know probably not more than a quarter.”
Q: On the decision to put the rookies in during the preseason games.
REID: “Yeah, so it’s important that they get in now, they’re in front of some bright lights, and it takes it up one more notch. Not quite the season, but you’re still in front of a big crowd, and I guess another team so your adrenaline level gets pushed to another level, and let’s see how we do.”
Q: Would you consider Rashee Rice’s injury minor?
REID: “It seems to be, but going to be cautious, cautious with that thing.”
Q: Did you invite Terrell Owens down?
REID: “I did, yeah. He was in town.”
Q: On Terrell Owens being at practice.
REID: “Listen, it’s great. It’s great to have him. I’ve watched him grow up and he’s a dad now. His son’s with the 49ers doing a nice job. He’s got a daughter that is a heck of a volleyball player and you know, just watching people grow I think that’s a great position that I’m in to see that. And he’s got a good heart. T.O. has got a good heart.”
Q: What went into the decision to do the ESPN series?
REID: “Well our owner asked me to do it (laughter). So, I mean it’s not really my deal, but that’s, you know, he’s, my boss. And so, I jumped in on it. So, if I’m going in, I’m going in. I’m going to go all in.”
Q: Was there any point in time where you felt it was too intrusive or wish you weren’t doing it?
REID: “No, you know, I thought the people handled it well. I thought they did a really good job of not being a distraction. I worry about that, and one reason I don’t like doing those things. I thought they actually really handled themselves well, where I didn’t have to tell people to get back, get out of here, you know. That’s not what it was. So, my hat goes off to them for handling it that way.”
Q: When evaluating the ones in the preseason, what do you need to see to know they’re good and they can come out?
REID: “Well, you know, you’d like us to do well, but I know we have other preseason games to answer your question if I’m going to be truthful about it. So, (just) go out (there), and do the best you can. I’m going to keep the numbers down, for the first game, and then we’ll see about the second game.”
Q: Is there a specific reason for a longer practice today than normal?
REID: “Yeah, we don’t - listen, I’ve told you before, we don’t spend a ton of time on the game part of it. We try to get our work done in here. I think that’s the most important, right now. We’ll give them some stuff this afternoon and talk about it and get a walk through tomorrow, you know with the mock game. But we’re not spending a ton of time on it, and I imagine they’re doing the same thing. But it’s always good to go get somebody else and have a little competition in there.”
Chiefs Player Quotes
August 7, 2025
QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q: On researching Josh Simmons before the 2025 NFL Draft.
MAHOMES: “I told (General Manager Brett) Veach when I watched him (Josh Simmons) that he was really good. I think that was the biggest thing. I mean, obviously, the health stuff and stuff like that, I can’t be there for (that) medical stuff and everything like that. But when you watch him on tape you realize how talented he was, how strong he was (and) the way he was able to move. And so, good for us that we were able to get him, and that he’s gotten here and he’s been healthy so far. And so, he’s done a great job, man. I mean, he’s gotten better and better, he’s learning, and obviously he’s had some highlights and made some big plays. But it’s about getting better and better, and he’s continuing to do that.”
Q: Do you feel like Noah Gray is taking another step in his career this year?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think you saw that last year and I think he’s (Noah Gray) just carrying that momentum into this season. He makes plays. I mean, he’s not the guy that’s going to go out and like, be vocalized about it or kind of show off or showboat, or anything like that. He just goes out there and does his job to the best of his ability, and whenever he gets the opportunity, he makes the play happen. So, that’s a guy that I trust a lot. He’s learned a ton from Trav (Travis Kelce), and I think he’s going to be a guy that’s going to be a vital part of our offense as we continue to push the game moving forward.”
Q: Are you experimenting more with throwing passes into tight windows this season?
MAHOMES: “We definitely want to push the ball down the field and push the ball into tighter windows this year. I mean, we got the guys that can make the contested catches. I think you all have seen that out there. And the guys are – we told them we’re going to give them a chance, and they got to prove to us that they can make those plays, and they’re proving that. So, (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid has been adamant about pushing the ball, (and) trying to make plays happen and we’ve been having success with it. And the goal is to keep that going throughout the regular season.”
Q: Is it an acquired mentality to throw into those tight windows?
MAHOMES: “I mean, that’s how I’ve always played. I mean these last few years, I’d say it was abnormal not pushing the ball down the field, (and) not being (in) an attacking mindset. And so, we’re trying to get back to that. And so, (we’re) giving guys chances to make plays. We got the receivers, we got the offensive line blocking. Let’s get the guys chances to make plays down the field, and if it’s a one-on-one, we think our guys are going to win.”
Q: How did injuries impact your play last season?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I think it’s – you don’t want it to affect you. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. I mean, obviously last year we didn’t play our best offensive football, but to be a great quarterback in this league you got to stand in there, take the hits and make the throws, and I think you see the greats do that. And so, for me, being able to get back to that mindset and trusting the offensive line, they’ve done a great job at this camp so far, and I’m going to (put) trust in those guys, stand in there, make those throws and let guys make plays.”
Q: What do you want the rookies to know about their first NFL experience?
MAHOMES: “I think it’s going out there and doing what they’ve (rookies) done this camp. I mean, obviously it’s going to be a bigger stage. You’re going up against another team, but I think (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid prepares us better than anybody else in the league to go out there and play your best football. And that’s because we practice hard (and) we practice fast. And so, when we get to the game, it’s not that huge step up. It’s a step up for sure, but it’s not that huge step up. So go out there like you practice, have that right mindset, and just play fast and let the rest handle itself.”
Q: On his thoughts of Jason Brownlee and Tyquan Thornton.
MAHOMES: “Those guys gotta step up and make plays and they’ve done that. That speaks to the depth of our receiving room this year and being able to have some guys that are just having some knicks and bruises here and there and they get to rest a little bit (and) rest their bodies and other guys step up and make some plays, that is a good sign to see, and so (Head) Coach Reid, (General Manager Brett) Veach all those guys providing a lot of talented players and they (are) making plays whenever they get the opportunity to.”
Q: Are you looking forward to going against another defense Saturday?
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I don’t necessarily look forward to getting hit. I always like getting hit once, but it’s still a shock but going up against (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags is always tough but it’ll be a good defense that we are going up against and they have a great scheme and a great coach so I’m just excited to see where we’re at. Go out there and see where we’re at and hopefully get a couple series in - go out there and play some good football.”
Q: On the use of smelling salts on the sideline.
MAHOMES: “I’m not a big smelling salt guy. I’m not really hitting people though, so I know guys are – people do use those, not for bad reasons but to get themselves ready to go. I know we can bring them, but they can’t provide them. I don’t know how that works, but I’m sure some people will figure out a way to get the smelling salts out there since it is a vital part of the football game.”
Q: On if he feels like he can be his best this year.
MAHOMES: “Yeah, 100 percent. I think that’s not just me. We brought in the players to do that. (General Manager Brett) Veech, like I said, has brought in a lot of great receivers and tight ends and running backs to make plays. The offensive line, we got depth there. They’re (the offensive line) playing some great football and then my mindset is just let these guys go out there and make plays, and so I think sometimes you try to do too much when you have too much information and I feel like at times these last few years I’ve done that. Just being smart and being able to see stuff, but at the end of the day, it’s football and if you think it’s one on one and your guy can beat that guy, let him have a chance to make a play.”
Q: On how Head Coach Andy Reid has put him in a position to better himself.
MAHOMES: “Yeah, I wanted to up my mentality. Sometimes you get to camp and you just wanna go out there and dominate the day. I want to dominate every single rep. I want to make sure we are getting the best that we can out of every single rep when we get on the field if that’s, even like being a shift in motion for example, we are just going through the shifts and the motions I just wanna make sure we are getting set, we are doing those things the right way and that carries through the entire practice and no days off. You have to get better and better every day, no bad days and I think that is something we have been great at this camp.”
Q: On his Madden rating.
MAHOMES: “I mean, I like playing Madden, so I would like to be rated higher, but I got to play and showcase that stuff on the football field and so I believe if I go out there and play the football that I wanna play that we can get to 99 (overall) pretty quickly.”
Q: On being a partner in the ‘The Kingdom’ and if he had seen it yet.
MAHOMES: “I have seen parts for sure. It’s a great documentary. Obviously, the season is part of it but it’s great to see the history of the Kansas City Chiefs, and I saw stuff that I didn’t even know. I thought I knew everything about the Kansas City Chiefs. So, the Hunt family, the Kansas City Chiefs (and) Disney, they all did it the right way and for them to let me be a part of it in some way and some form it was really cool for me. I got to do that after the season, so now we’re back to football, but it is cool to see stuff like that done because I have loved documentaries my whole entire life and so seeing how the bread is buttered is really cool.”
Q: Did you have an editorial say?
MAHOMES: “I do stuff here and there, but I’m very low on the totem pole. It’s more of like ‘let’s keep this codeword out of there’ so I can use it this next year and stuff like that. Nothing too crazy as far – those people are amazing at their jobs, so I’m going to let them handle that.”
CB CHRIS ROLAND-WALLACE
Q: How much do you rely on Trent McDuffie when it comes to learning the nickel position?
ROLAND-WALLACE: “Any questions that I have, he did it at a high level, so all I got to do is just look over my shoulder and talk to him. I’m thankful for him.”
Q: What was your experience before the NFL, playing the nickel position?
ROLAND-WALLACE: “In college when I was at SC (University of Southern California), I got a little bit of dime, a little bit of safety (and) a little bit of nickel. So, it wasn’t brand new when I transitioned over.”
Q: Last year you went through training camp for the first time, how did that help you as a player this past season?
ROLAND-WALLACE: “It helped me a lot, actually. Just being around great guys (like) Coach (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags, (Senior Defense Assistant) Coach (Matt) House, (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid and just the players. It’s been extremely helpful, so I can lean on them any time.”
DB NOHL WILLIAMS
Q: What will it mean to you stepping on the field for your first preseason game?
WILLIAMS: “It hasn’t hit me just yet. I’m just taking it day by day, but it’s going to be a blessing just going out there with my guys. Just putting on for Kansas City, name on my back and the people next to me. It will be big.”
Q: How comfortable are you feeling after learning the defense and being at training camp for a couple of weeks?
WILLIAMS: “I’m getting comfortable more and more. The more I study, the more it starts to gel with me, and like I said, ‘watching the veterans, (you) see they’ve been in the system for a while, learning from them, picking their brains, and I feel like every day I get a step closer to our goal.’”
Q: How cool is it having a Defensive Coordinator like Steve Spagnuolo?