WATCH: Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy’s Tuesday Availability

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy spoke in advance of his club’s workout at team headquarters on Tuesday.

To view his comments, watch below.

On approaching preseason finale after Patrick Mahomes didn’t play last week:

“Really the same way. I think what's great about this is it really allows us as coaches and players to really focus and prepare. Kind of even for us as coaches, get into, get back to the building, get into a mindset of what we do during the season as far as keeping the schedule the same. Like for today, for instance, I don't know what day it is in the real world, but for us it's a Thursday. Today's a Thursday. So, we're doing a Thursday practice.

“And I think for us as coaches, we have some new guys on staff, offense, defense, special teams, so it allows us to get through that. And then for instance, the quarterbacks, the process they go through, it's different and easier when you're here than it is when you're at camp.”

Matt Nagy, Patrick Mahomes — Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy against the Denver Broncos during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

On the offensive line:

“I feel really good right now where it's at, and I think that's a credit to Coach (Andy) Heck and Coach (Corey) Matthaei and then obviously the players that are on that left side. They've done a great job. Josh (Simmons) has done great.

“I think every day he gets a little bit better. He feels more confident, which is natural. So, we want to keep that going. There's still going to be times where some things happen and that's okay. Let's just learn from it and then just try to eliminate those as much as we can.”

On developing chemistry between Mahomes and the offensive line in a game:

“It's vital. You want to be able to have that so that these guys, again, even for Patrick, like as he gets into the mode of getting ready to play the regular season, understanding, for instance, the offensive line, the sets that they have, where they're at. The cadence for those offensive linemen listening to Pat. That's important. Then those guys on, for instance, the young guys on the left side of the line, communicating and hearing the calls that we have.

“So all of it is really a great test run in a great environment to be able to help them for Week 1.”

On getting RB Brashard Smith ready for the regular season:

“It's key that we make him understand that. Because I can imagine a young guy like him coming into this offense, even a guy like Gardner (Minshew) who's here for the first time, who's been in several different offenses, it can be a lot.

“So, you just got to kind of temper their expectations and not allow them to get frustrated, whoever it is. If it's Brashard, if you make a mistake, that's okay; don't make it twice. And then when you get a chance to get on the football field like he did last week -- he made some good plays; he did a good job there -- but can you follow that up and continue with that is the key.”

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith (30) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On Tyquan Thornton, finding a role for him on both offense and special teams:

“I think it's a really good situation for us when you have that. One of the things that Coach (Andy) Reid, Brett Veach, Coach (Dave) Toub on special teams, they do a great job of trying to figure out, ‘Okay, if this guy is on the roster, how can we maximize what he does best? And then vice versa, if there's a guy that's a special-teams guy and we need him in a certain role, how do we get him in the offense and use him?

“Because you want to maximize those guys that are up for gameday and you want to try to stay away from having a guy that's playing four or five, six plays a game. You'd like to use those guys as much as possible. But the coaches do a good job of that.”

On Rashee Rice’s potential suspension and its effect on WR roster numbers:

“One of the things that we tried to do as a staff was prepare both ways for it, just not knowing. So, we have a plan for if he is there, and if he's not there. And so, it kind of made it easier. And that's not something that we just did here recently; we've thought it through.

“And there is a little bit of juggling in training camp, not only just with that, but also his health, making sure that you balance both of those together. So, Coach (Connor) Embree’s done a great job of doing that and I think we have a solid plan in place.”

On Robert Tonyan’s improvisational touchdown reception Friday at Seattle:

“He actually did some scrambling on that. We told him afterward on the sideline it was a great job listening to Coach Connor (Embree) in training camp on the scramble rules. He was supposed to run a corner route, which is pretty obvious on that play, and then he just kind of saw what was happening, slipped back inside.

“And then Gardner (Minshew) made a heck of a throw, being able to see that throw across his body. That’s one of those ones where, as a quarterbacks coach, you’re like, ‘No, no, no … yes, yes, yes, that was great.’ That was just (Tonyan) playing football. He’s had a great camp.”

Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Robert Tonyan (85) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On patience with the left side of the offensive line:

“We really, we try to understand that on the front end … It’s nice because when you get in training camp, now you put on pads. So, now you got to you got to let them play. You got to see what they can do. So, the 1-on-1 reps, too, are great, which a lot of people don't see. But when they're getting these 1-on-1 reps during our 7-on-7 periods, that's valuable time.

“So, we put all that together and then, now they get these preseason games. And so now that's all very real for timing, and now it's our job as coaches to make sure we're coaching them the right way to help them develop.”

On changing up short-yardage offense:

“For us, that's a critical part of the game that you got to be great at, and we're hard on ourselves when we don't do well. And we know that the quarterback sneak in this game for a lot of teams is very, very important and they do it; they live by it. You know, you have the Tush Push that everybody does, or that several teams do. Obviously, we don't live in that world, but schematically, we feel like we have our own ways of kind of getting to that quarterback sneak, even if it's not that play.

“But then there also is maybe the element of surprise when that does come. You never know, right? So, I think that that's kind of an advantage to us. But it is for us to also know, hey, there are different ways to be successful, whether it's running the football, throwing it. And that's where I think a lot of credit goes to Coach Reid and Coach Heck in the run game, with that part of it.”

On whether the Chiefs would ever live in the ‘Tush Push World:’

“Well, I'm telling you that we're not in the Tush Push World, but maybe we are and you don't know it. So, I'm just not going to say it right now. And that would be pretty sweet. You now you don't really know. So maybe we come out the first third-and-1 and do it. That'd be pretty cool.”

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