The wait is finally coming to an end. The NFL is about to kick off a new season, and teams are wrapping up their preparations. The reigning champion, Kansas City Chiefs, will begin their title defense with a preseason game against the Jaguars, and Coach Andy Reid has made an announcement regarding Patrick Mahomes and the QBs.
This weekend will mark the official start for the Chiefs as they pursue a new Super Bowl ring. Although their offensive potential isn’t quite what it was in previous years, they still have their star, Mahomes, as their main reference, along with the ever-powerful TE Travis Kelce.
Regarding the quarterback position and who will make their debut in the first preseason game, Reid hinted at the decision he will make about who will play against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In an interview with SI.com, Reid stated: “As far as the play time for this game, we’ll go the ones for a quarter, twos for the second quarter, threes the third quarter and fours for the fourth quarter, and we’ll just keep it at that.”
Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 21, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.
When asked if he is particularly excited to see any player on Saturday, the coach responded: “I’m gonna play everybody. All those young guys, I’d love to see how they compete. The higher draft picks are gonna be in there [against] a little bit better competition, so I want to see how they handle that.”
Andy Reid and pre season games
Reid used to play Mahomes and the starting players during the preseason, even though many NFL teams have moved away from using their star quarterbacks in exhibition games. Asked about this situation, the coach stated:
“I allow ’em to get into the swing of things, and the ones know how to do that. Both sides of the ball, they know how to go about doing that, but somewhere you’ve got to get on there and shoot, and so it gives him an opportunity to do that.”
Head coach Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs talk prior to a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
Joe Thuney actual situation
Finally, the head coach was asked if veteran guard Joe Thuney would be tested on Saturday against the Jaguars, given that he has not participated in the weekly practices.
In response to this situation, Reid was clear: “I would probably say no. We’ll see, we’ll get it to you. We’ve got a few days yet.”
Chiefs early season matchups for 2024
- Week 1: vs Ravens – September 5th, Arrowhead Stadium
- Week 2: vs Bengals – September 15th, Arrowhead Stadium
- Week 3: vs Falcons – September 22nd, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Week 4: vs Chargers – September 29th, SoFi Stadium
- Week 5: vs Saints – October 7th, Arrowhead Stadium
