KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up to kick off the 2024 NFL season this Thursday.
On Sunday, head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and safety Justin Reid spoke with reporters as the team began its practice week early.
As the back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs are set to host the first game of the new season. On Sept. 5, Kansas City will host its AFC Championship opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The game kicks off at 7:20 p.m. central time.
Coach Reid told reporters on Friday that he does not expect injured wide receiver Hollywood Brown to play in Week 1. On Sunday, the head coach confirmed that recent veteran running back signing, Samaje Perine, would play.
The head coach had nothing but praise for the Ravens, who are coached by his former pupil John Harbaugh.
“John (Harbaugh) does a phenomenal job there. Along with (Defensive Coordinator) Zach (Orr), (Offensive Coordinator) Todd (Monken), and (Special Teams Coordinator) Chris (Horton) and their spots with the offense, defense and special teams,” Reid said. “We know they are well-coached, we know they have good players. So, we go through our preparation this week, today is the first main day of practice.”
Reid says one of the biggest challenges in this matchup might not be their opponent.
“The obvious is execution. This is a team that’s a physical football team, so you have to add that element into it,” Reid said. “They’re good, they’ve played together so they’re good. They’re going to test your ability to execute on both sides of the ball and special teams, so it’s important that we take care of business here these few days that we have to prepare and you’ve got to do that the right way. That would be it along with – part of execution is hanging on to the football.”
Patrick Mahomes Week One press conference
The Chiefs’ star quarterback is excited to begin the season in primetime.
“It’s just a great opportunity for the guys. To see what it’s like to be on the biggest stage,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, you want to play in the Super Bowl at the end of the year, but this is a big stage as well. To be able to get that experience, play a great football team, I’m excited for these guys to get out there and the guys who haven’t been here see what it’s like to be on that type of stage.”
He’s also ready for the challenge of a tough Ravens defense in Week One.
“The common thing is just physicality and speed. That’s who the Ravens are. They’re a team that’s going to play hard. They’re going to play physical, and you have to accept that challenge. If you don’t, they’re going to dominate the football game. Even though they’ve traded through defensive coordinators, they have those same principles,” Mahomes said.
Justin Reid Week One press conference
Kansas City’s defensive leader at safety detailed his feelings about rookie Jaden Hicks, who has established himself early as a potential contributor in 2024.
“Stud, absolute stud. Jaden Hicks, great player, humble, willing to learn and he’s going to help us this year. He’s going to be (in) some situations, he’s going to come in and make some plays,” Reid said.
The safety also shared what he does to get ready for Week 1.
“Just staying dialed in, conditioning more than anything but just staying dialed in,” Reid said. “At the end of the day, it’s just another football game and you treat it that way and don’t make the stage too big to where you have deer in the headlight eyes. It allows you to remain calm and it allows your leaders to step up and be able to lead guys and help make plays.”
