3 August 2023
SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. — Football teams always desire fire and intensity throughout their squad and those traits are certainly in Kansas City this season.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes found himself breaking up a scuffle among teammates and tight end Travis Kelce has had some rough interactions with teammates as well.
Head coach Andy Reid loves it all and he wants the team to maintain an edge to them. And for the defending Super Bowl champions, an edge is much needed for a team that hopes to repeat.
“You want to maintain your edge as you go through daily make it a habit,” Reid said.
“And that edge helps drive you to be the best you can be that day. And when you finish with that one, you line up the next day and do that. So, it’s a grind going through camp. I like the effort that’s being put forward, the mindset’s good.”
“I think we all have it. We all, we have a lot of guys out here that are super competitive,” Mahomes said.
“But it’s about just doing it the right way. [Travis Kelce] punching a guy [is] not necessarily the way you want to do it, but you love the fire. You love the fire. Both sides of the ball trying to finish to the last second. That’s just the kind of guys we are. We’re gonna compete. We’re gonna argue out there on the football field and we’re gonna love each other in the locker room.”
There have been few training camp scuffles in the past few seasons at Missouri Western State University which makes this year stand out.
But maybe this kind of fire is what the Chiefs need with an even bigger target on their backs (doesn’t feel like it can get any bigger) and a roster that is capable of repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Cornerback Joshua Williams said keeping that edge is what keeps teams from winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
“You see how hard we go every day. I don’t think anybody on that field is complacent,” he said. “I think everybody’s going 100% and if you can’t see that, you’re not watching the practices.”
That edge has been preached all offseason and it’s rearing its head in camp for the good of the team.