Takeaways From Andy Reid’s Tuesday Media Availability
The Kansas City Chiefs have just a handful of days until their Super Bowl LVII matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and on Monday night, both teams took the stage for Opening Night festivities and answered plenty of questions about various topics. Head coach Andy Reid provided some updates at the time, with some of his players speaking about their health while also sharing some thoughts on their respective seasons and also Sunday's game.
On Tuesday afternoon, Reid and select players met with the media again. In his availability, Reid was asked about a multitude of things and had some answers that add some context to the week ahead and what Super Bowl LVII could look like. Below are some overarching takeaways from what Reid had to say on Tuesday.
Patrick Mahomes's ankle is doing just fine
When asked about Patrick Mahomes's high-ankle sprain that he suffered in the Chiefs' Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Reid was optimistic and said that his quarterback is in a good place regarding the injury. While Reid wouldn't go as far as to claim that Mahomes is 100% healthy, he said that the Chiefs' training staff has worked with Mahomes "endlessly" over the past several days to keep his rehabilitation in central focus.
Reid tipped his cap to assistant trainer Julie Frymyer, who has primarily taken control of designing Mahomes's rehab plan and recovery from his injury. Mahomes confirmed that his ankle is doing "way better" as the Super Bowl approaches, which is a massive plus for Kansas City. The likely 2022-23 NFL MVP winner threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns over a week ago on that bad ankle, so the fact that it's in a better spot now means the Chiefs could get a near-ideal version of Mahomes in the Super Bowl.
Kansas City's running back depth is intriguing
The Chiefs' main two running backs for the past few months have been rookie Isiah Pacheco and veteran Jerick McKinnon, with the former starting games and being a better pure runner and the latter serving as a lethal receiving and pass-protecting option. This one-two punch has emerged as a legitimate one, and veteran Ronald Jones has worked sparingly as the team's third-string running back in the absence of former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Edwards-Helaire was activated off the injured reserve list on Monday, though, putting another name into the proverbial running back hat.
With that in mind, even with Edwards-Helaire being back, Reid still wouldn't commit to him being the Chiefs' official third running back in Sunday's Super Bowl. He praised Jones for the job he's done and is capable of doing, also adding that it's good to have Edwards-Helaire back even if there isn't a finalized plan for him yet. Kansas City will have no shortage of halfbacks to choose from this weekend and regardless of who the third man is, it doesn't appear that the No. 3 back will have a significant role relative to Pacheco and McKinnon either way.
A practice outlook and updates on JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney
To open his availability, Reid said that everyone on the active roster participated in practice in some capacity on Monday. He added that Tuesday would be more of the same, and the team would be having a light day of work following some time with pads on the day prior. The Chiefs will ramp up for the rest of the week in advance of Sunday's game, and everyone on the team being able to work — including cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who has cleared concussion protocol — bodes well for the next few days.
On Monday night, wide receiver Kadarius Toney said that he'd "definitely" be playing in the Super Bowl. JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has been battling some knee swelling/soreness in recent days, is on track to play as well. Reid said that both pass-catchers looked good in practice on Monday and that the team will continue to evaluate their progress as the week continues. As of Tuesday, things are looking good for Kansas City's receiver room outside of Mecole Hardman going on IR.
