Chiefs Quotes: Saturday

Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill catches a ball during NFL football training camp Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Chiefs Quotes: Saturday

Read quotes from Andy Reid, Mecole Hardman, Juan Thornhill and Trent McDuffie.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

August 6, 2022

OPENING STATEMENT: “(Gary) Jennings has a concussion, he’s in concussion protocol, (Taylor) Stallworth has a knee contusion. (Rashad) Fenton, (Jody) Fortson and (Lucas) Niang are the same. (Daurice) Fountain actually hurt his finger today and they’re going to x-ray it and MRI it and make sure that they find out what it is.  Anyways, great work out here today. Little bit more heat again today. The guys battled through it. (They) had a day off yesterday, so they freshened up and then came out here and worked their tail off. Great competition between both sides and I appreciate that as a head coach. Anyways, with that time’s yours.”

Q: Jody Fortson has been out of practice for a week now, how is his progress and is there a level of concern?

REID: “Listen, he’s progressing. So, you never know on these things. That’s where I try not to put a time on them. We’ll see. We’ll see where it goes but it doesn’t seem to be serious but it’s serious enough where we need to keep him out here and not have it happen again.”

Q: What have you seen from Juan Thornhill?

REID: “Yes, I think he learned a lot from Ty (Tyrann Mathieu) so that’s helped him. He’s taken on that leadership role back there. He’s a brilliant kid, I mean very, very smart and he’s playing hard, so I think he’s stepped his game up. He’s one of those guys that has done that. I’m curious to see how he does once we play the real game, but he looks like he’s really stepped up. I think he also feels healthy. You know, he’s come back from that leg.”

Q: Is there a sense that Rashad Fenton is getting closer to being ready to join you guys?

REID: “Yeah, he’s doing well too. I can’t give you a date, but I mean these guys are all making progress. It’s just we’re in that part of camp where it’s going fast and furious so now when we bring them back, they have to be at that level, or something happens. So, we’re trying to get them back to speed here.”

Q: On Trent McDuffie’s progress throughout camp.

REID: “I like what I see. He’s smart, strong. He understands leverages which is important. He’s got that ‘want to’ and he’s making plays. He’s also when he’s not getting the play he’s about that far off. So, he’s at least in position to make things happen. For a young guy that’s pretty good stuff and we can work with that.”

Q: Did the Hall of Fame game bring sparks to the season? Are you ready to start playing games?

REID: “It catches everybody’s eyes. It tells you it’s here. It’s not just out here banging up against each other. There’s a game in the future here. A week from today we’ll be going. That’s exciting. Then you’re kind of through the tougher part of camp there.”

Q: Are you used to the shortened preseason?

REID: “Yeah, listen, I thought we were okay last year with it. I felt pretty good about that. You’re going to make sure that your guys get enough work in there that are going to play. And at the same time, you try to balance it out where you can see the young guys. So, it’s always that fourth game that you got to see the young guys quite a bit. But again, we’ve worked that out where we’ll get a good look and we’ll see them.”

Q: How does having two bigger receivers in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling do in the red zone?

REID: “It’s not going to hurt us, for sure. We’ve been pretty good there. And we’ll figure out a way to utilize them. We’ve got tight ends that can also do that down there. So, we’ve got some big guys there that are good receivers.”

Q: How do you like the competition beyond Clyde Edwards-Helaire for what might be that number two role?

REID: “I like the depth at running back. Yeah, no, I like it. Again, I’m curious to see those guys compete in games. But we know a couple of them because they’ve been here and we’re learning about the other two – or three I guess you’d say. It looks like a good group.”

Q: What do you think will translate the easiest for Isiah Pacheco?

REID: “Yeah, I think the things you’re guaranteed of are he’s going to run hard. That’s what he’s going to do. Will he have to learn the different schemes and how they work against certain defenses and at times be patient? He’ll learn that. But, you’re guaranteed he’s going to run hard. He’s a good catcher, so he can catch the football. The rest of all that we can work with, and he’s doing that now. He’s learning the feel of it.”

Chiefs Players Quotes

August 6, 2022

WR MECOLE HARDMAN

Q: What have you noticed most about how Patrick Mahomes is trying to bring all the wide receivers together?

HARDMAN: “I think he’s doing a good job. You know Pat (Patrick Mahomes) is that leader, he’s going to lead us and we’re going to look to him to lead. I think he does a good job of that, of putting a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He’s getting us all together and doing everything he needs to do being a leader, you can’t ask anything more out of him for sure.”

Q: We’ve seen you take some snaps out of the wildcat formation, what do you like about that?

HARDMAN: “It takes me back to my high school days; I think I’m kind of familiar with it. It’s definitely foreign from another position I can actually be back there like a little different kind of role. So, I’m definitely looking forward to that for sure.”

Q: You’ve always had fun on the football field, are you having even more fun out there this year?

HARDMAN: “I am actually. I think every year is a great year to be in the league. I think every year you accomplish in this league is a good year and every year you learn something different. You get wiser, you gain more knowledge, and I think just have more fun. That’s kind of how I approach it.”

Q: Have you been trying to help teach JuJu (Smith-Schuster), and Marquez (Valdes-Scantling) the playbook?

HARDMAN: “You know what, I definitely have been trying to give them some tips and stuff like that and just let them learn on their own as well but give them tips in there. You can only tell them so much because you have to go out there and do it. But I think they learn by actually going out there and doing it, but I definitely try to give them tips here and there in different concepts and how we do things.”

S JUAN THORNHHILL

Q: A week ago, Coach Spags (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) was asked about leaders on the team and he mentioned you. In what ways do you feel like you stepped up in that way during training camp?

THORNHILL: “I don’t really feel like I did anything different. Just being more vocal to the guys. Guys come to me, ask questions, and they look to me to give them the right answer if they don’t have the right answer. So that’s the only thing that I have been doing. Just trying to be a leader and lead by example. If they have any questions, just ask me. I’m not doing anything different.”

Q: On him and Justin Reid’s coordination on the back end.

THORNHILL: “I think we’re getting there. We still have a lot of work to do because each and every day you’re always looking to improve but Justin (Reid), he’s picking up on the playbook really well. I think he’s doing a heck of a job and making a lot of plays on the ball. I feel like we got a real good secondary unit this year.”

Q: You told us in OTAs that you were planning to have an All-Pro type of season. What leads you to say that? Is it the fact that you’re more healthy than you’ve been or are there other factors as well?

THORNHILL: “I mean there’s a lot. I feel like the past year, I just wasn’t as confident in my ability because of the fact that I was struggling with the knee. I would say that the knee is healthier, and I have more mental clarity. Like I just feel better, all around. I just feel like I am back to myself, and I am capable of having that All-Pro season. So, I’m definitely here to back up whatever I said and I’m not taking that back.

Q: When did that confidence start to manifest itself to you?

THORNHILL: “Honestly, it started to come back a little bit at the end of last season. But this past offseason it was just something that I knew that I had to work hard at. Not just on the field but just building myself mentally and that’s just one of things that I did. I was reading books and things like that. I just knew that I was going to be put into that ‘leadership’ role so that was just the main thing that I wanted to focus on.”

CB TRENT MCDUFFIE

Q: Coach Reid talked about how he loved the competition that he saw out there today, just talk about that competition not only today but the past couple of days, how the defense is feeling and how you guys are feeling.

MCDUFFIE: “Yeah, I think the competition, especially in the defense is just overall, as a team, has been huge. Going against guys like Patrick Mahomes and Offensive Coordinator (Eric Bieniemy) where this offense is a high scoring, high down the field, stretch offense. And as DBs especially, that gives us something to prove because we go out there every day knowing that we are going to compete against the best receivers, against the best quarterback and make plays so it just adds to the confidence and competition to everyday at practice.”

Q: How are you feeling with the defense and learning everything? How is that coming along for you?

MCDUFFIE: “Yeah, I mean we started obviously with our bumps and bruises over springtime and over summer, but I think right now just reptations has given us so much more confidence. I feel like (when) we’re out there on these long drive drills and we’re tired and it feels like nothing’s going our way, to be able to come together in the huddle and kind of form as a group, form as a bond and understand that we’re in this together and that we can go out there right now against the offense, that adds a lot to our confidence and a lot to our defense.”

Q: What have you learned the most about Bryan Cook?

MCDUFFIE: “Bryan Cook? What have I learned the most about? He’s a high energy guy. I’m roommates with him, I was roommates with him during OTA’s so getting that bond together. He comes from a great DB program, I come from a great DB program so picking each other’s brains, learning about his aspect at safety and how it translates to how I can help in that corner, it’s been pretty special to have somebody back there on the safety side helping me back there as a rookie.”