Time Is a Gift, but Andy Reid Is Antsy to Get Back to Work With Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Andy Reid will hold court at the AFC coaches breakfast on Tuesday, but he provided a sneak preview upon arrival in Phoenix.

Reid gave senior columnist Judy Battista a mini-quiche appetizer on Saturday, noting that Patrick Mahomes doesn’t have a definitive return date despite his encouraging Instagram post last week. And in the event Mahomes can’t go in Week 1, Reid told Battista he loved how Brett Veach “snuck out and got a good quarterback” in Justin Fields.

rei — Jan 6, 2018; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches team warm ups before the game against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Arrowhead stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Reid has never had a top-4 rushing offense

This year’s league meeting is significantly different than any of the prior eight for Reid, Veach and the Chiefs. For starters, they’ve had a lot more time to peruse that breakfast menu and ponder decisions to improve the team.

Last season ended a streak of three Super Bowl berths and eight consecutive AFC championship appearances. The last time Reid and the Chiefs had this much time to prepare for an upcoming season was 2017, when Alex Smith was Kansas City’s starting quarterback.

mahome — Feb 7, 2020; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul (90) pressures Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

“We've had a lot of time to think about it,” Reid told Battista on Saturday. “This has been a long offseason.

“But it's great to reflect, great to go back in and turn what in your mind is a negative, having the end of the season the way we did, into a positive by retooling -- making sure that you're getting healthy, coaches and players. So, stay on top of that and then go take advantage of it as you work into this next season.”

walke — Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) with the balla as Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom (56) defends in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Working into that offseason got a lot of clarity just minutes into free agency on March 9 when the Chiefs agreed to terms with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. For context, consider that a Reid-coached team in Philadelphia or Kansas City has never finished higher than fifth in rushing. And since Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starter in 2018, the highest they’ve finished in that category is 16th (2018, 2020-21).

The offseason also got clarity on Wednesday, when Mahomes threw for the first time since surgery (exactly 100 days after the Dec. 15 procedure to repair the ACL and LCL in his left knee). And other than the Iverson-style sleeve covering his left leg, uninformed observers would be shocked to learn he was executing a flawless seven-step drop so soon after surgery.

Parsons seems on a different timeline

Micah Parsons, for example, tore his ACL hours after Mahomes on Dec. 14 and the Packers’ edge rusher will reportedly miss at least the first two weeks of the season.

Reid said Mahomes has been in the Chiefs’ facility seven hours a day to rehabilitate his knee. Players aren’t required to do that, but Mahomes has committed to his goal of returning for Week 1 and leans heavily on assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer.

Prior to Wednesday, whether and how much Mahomes would be able to take on-field reps during the last two phases of the Chiefs’ offseason program was uncertain. Now, barring any setbacks, his video shows that he might take at least a few reps.

Kansas City’s first phase of the offseason program begins April 20. After two weeks, the team can begin on-field work with organized team activities (OTAs). In June, the Chiefs will conduct a mandatory three-day minicamp before six weeks off and reporting to training camp in St. Joseph, Mo., begins in late July.

The Chiefs' first regular-season game will be either Sunday, Sept. 13, or Monday, Sept. 14, something they'll know when the league releases the full schedule in May.