Chiefs return to St. Joseph following preseason loss
By Jacob Meikel
Kansas City Chiefs rookies brought significant memories from their first preseason game this past weekend back to St. Joseph for the final week of training camp.
The Chiefs fell in their preseason opener for the third consecutive season to the Jaguars on Saturday, with plenty of things to take away from the game.
Head coach Andy Reid echoed roughly the same sentiment he shared after the game on Saturday. He said after training camp practice on Monday there were some good things, and there were things the team could work on.
The team saw all of the rookies take part in the preseason game, with some standing out among the rest. Playing time varies for all the rookies taking part in their first preseason game. First round wide receiver Xavier Worthy got the least bit of a workload on Saturday, as his role with first-team offense capped his time on the field.
Worthy came away with no catches on zero targets in the game. However, his production could increase in the final two preseason games with starting wide receiver Hollywood Brown expected to miss time with a shoulder injury. With his role potentially increasing, Worthy’s mindset doesn’t change with Brown’s absence and his availability for Week 1 up in the air.
“Hollywood is definitely one of the leaders. He shows me a lot, teaches me a lot, but I feel like him just being there regardless, that helped me a lot,” Worthy said. “But my mindset is just to be the best regardless.”
Of the players who got extended playing time, fourth round pick Jaden Hicks made the most of his opportunities. The Washington State product translated his stellar play from the practice field in training camp to the stadium in Jacksonville, tallying four solo tackles, including a tackle for loss. Hicks pinpointed the atmosphere as his favorite part of his first preseason game.
“It was amazing seeing all the guys getting ready for the game, getting all the jitters out as well,” Hicks said.
The lone touchdown scorer of Saturday’s game for Kansas City came from a player who had been turning heads in the last week, making plays as a running back with the ball in his hands and in pass protection drills. Undrafted free agent out of UCLA Carson Steele got his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard run late in the second quarter. Steele had been getting work with the first-team offense on Monday in team work, showing the team trusts the former Bruin and what he brings to the table.
“My main goal was trying to be a Swiss Army knife, try to do it all. Wherever they need to put me in is where I can get in,” Steele said.
The Chiefs have just three days left of training camp in St. Joseph. The final day of camp before camp breaks will be this Thursday.
