Chiefs practice with fans for first time on Sunday
By Jacob Meikel
Fans were back in full force on Sunday for Chiefs training camp, cheering mightily for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
With the return of fans to St. Joseph, Sunday also meant the first practice for the entire team, as the rest of the veteran players showed up in the latter half of last week. Among those is wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who signed a new one-year contract to stay with the team who drafted him in 2019. Hardman talked about the decision of him staying in Kansas City for the short term, citing it as something that “made sense.”
“I know the system, I know the coaches, very familiar with the scheme and everything going on,” Hardman said. “Coach [Andy] Reid has a good way of putting me on the field and using me in certain situations, so I’m excited for it.”
Hardman wasn’t the only piece the team brought back in the offseason. Defensive tackle Chris Jones was brought back in a huge way, signing a massive five-year, $158.75 million deal, making him the highest paid defensive tackle in NFL history. In 2023, Jones missed the entirety of training camp as he was in search of a new deal much like the one he signed for this past offseason, but returns enthusiastic about where the team is headed.
“I’m happy to be back, man,” Jones said. “It’s been two years since I’ve been able to be out here with the guys. I love being in this environment where we all can focus on football, get better, compete and challenge each other day in and day out.”
As one of the team captains, head coach Andy Reid is familiar with the influence Jones has on the rest of the players given his experience and also his tenure with the franchise. Reid talked about Jones’s return to St. Joseph, also enthusiastic about having the All-Pro back in camp.
“He always brings energy. He has fun out here. I’m glad he’s here,” Reid said.
The biggest storyline coming out of Sunday’s practice was the status of safety Justin Reid, who was placed on the non-football injury list with a quad injury. Head coach Andy Reid said that the team is taking Reid’s recovery “day by day.”
