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          2025 Kansas City Chiefs training camp: Latest intel, updates

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          Can Travis Kelce still be Chiefs' No. 1 option? (1:09)

          Mike Tannenbaum explains how the Chiefs can still win even if Travis Kelce has a reduced role in the offense. (1:09)

          • Nate TaylorJul 28, 2025, 03:45 PM ET

          Training camps have kicked off around the NFL, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Kansas City Chiefs' camp is taking place in St. Joseph, Missouri and Chiefs reporter Nate Taylor has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and of course the quarterback room.

          What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at camp. We will update this file often with the latest updates. How will the offense, particularly the offensive line, look after the team's Super Bowl LIX struggles? Who are the breakouts to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?

          Let's get into it all, and be sure to keep checking back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins on August 7.

          Camp updates for all 32 teams

          Latest news from Chiefs camp

          Monday, July 28

          Throughout the first week of training camp, the Chiefs' best cornerback, by a wide margin, has been Trent McDuffie, the two-time All-Pro. Entering his fourth season, McDuffie has spent almost all his repetitions in camp on the perimeter. He could move to the nickel, next best position, sometime next week when cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee) is cleared to participate alongside his teammates.

          "Every year is a new year and you want to prove that you still have it," McDuffie said, following Monday's practice. "Even in the nickel, I feel I have something to prove. On the outside, I have something to prove."

          In Friday's practice, McDuffie was the first cornerback to intercept Patrick Mahomes during a 7-on-7 period. In Monday's on-field work, McDuffie didn't allow many receptions when he covered receivers Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown.

          Earlier this month, the Chiefs signed right guard Trey Smith and defensive end George Karlaftis to contract extensions, ensuring they remain core members of the roster. The Chiefs hope to sign McDuffie to a similar extension before the season starts.

          Such a deal for McDuffie, though, would likely be a record-setting one similar to Smith's contract, which made him the highest-paid interior lineman in NFL history.

          The New York Jets signed cornerback Sauce Gardner, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, to a record-setting four-year, $120.4 million extension. A two-time All-Pro, Gardner's deal included $85.653 million guaranteed. For the Chiefs to sign McDuffie to an extension, the deal would likely have to exceed the terms of Gardner's contract.

          "When it comes to contract stuff, my relationship with my agent is the [best] I've ever had," McDuffie said of Patrick Collins, his agent. "With that, I've allowed him to really focus on contract stuff. For me, I really just want to focus on ball. I love being a Chief. I know the contract stuff will come."

          One person who sat and observed McDuffie during his news conference was Clark Hunt, the Chiefs' owner. A few minutes later, Hunt gave his perspective on the Chiefs' possible contract negotiations with McDuffie.

          "We were excited to get the guys done that we did this offseason," Hunt said of Smith and Karlaftis. He added of McDuffie: "One of the themes you saw was rewarding players we had drafted. I'm a big believer that you build teams through the draft. I don't want to speak specifically about any one player, but it is a priority for us to keep the nucleus of the team together."

          Sunday, July 27

          Patrick Mahomes has been excellent in the first week of training camp. Sunday's on-field work was the Chiefs' first day in full pads, so consider just how excited the starting defensive players were to go against Mahomes and the first-team offense.

          Mahomes responded with sharp passes, precision with his accuracy that has become perhaps the biggest takeaway from his repetitions. Whether he threw the ball deep or short, Mahomes' accuracy was exceptional, ensuring that the linebackers or secondary didn't have a chance to make a highlight-worthy interception.

          "It's always 10 times harder going your actual defense in practice," speedy receiver Xavier Worthy said of Mahomes. "You see these guys every day. With Pat, we (as receivers) call it a long handoff. It's the normal thing with Pat, man."

          If Sunday was a glimpse of the upcoming season, Mahomes demonstrated how balanced the Chiefs' passing attack can be. The first repetition of one team period finished with Mahomes finding receiver Rashee Rice in the middle of the field for an easy completion. Mahomes completed multiple passes to receivers Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton and rookie Jalen Royals, most of the completions in the field's intermediate area.

          Once in the red zone, Mahomes spent most of his time targeting tight end Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.

          • For the Chiefs' first day in full pads, the first defensive lineman to be on the field before Sunday's practice was rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, the team's second-round pick. Coach Andy Reid, as expected, let the defensive players tackle the ball carrier to the turf, especially during the nine-on-seven period that features the running backs.

          "It's great hearing those pads pop, being able to thud and wrap up," defensive end Mike Danna said Sunday. "The nine-on-seven was tough, but when those pads come on you really see who's about it. We were competing."

          • The tempo of practice was a bit faster and more physical than Norman-Lott expected. He tweaked his left ankle. The rookie sustained his minor injury on the first repetition of the opening team period. The training staff evaluated Norman-Lott, but he did return and finish the practice with the second-team defense.

          "He's explosive, man," Danna said of the rookie. "His get-off is amazing. If he just keeps working, and outworking his potential, he's going to be great, man."

          Much of Sunday's practice for the Chiefs, who had their first full days in pads, was about the performance of rookie left tackle Josh Simmons.

          Each member of the Chiefs' coaching, personnel and training staff had their eyes focused on Simmons, the first-round pick who has recovered from a torn patellar injury in October that prematurely ended his final season at Ohio State. Once again, Simmons took all of the first-team repetitions and did well in his first full action against the Chiefs' collection of veteran pass rushers, such as George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna.

          "He's a hell of an athlete, man," Danna said of Simmons. "He has a bright future. He's physical, athletic and it's great to see him working with the ones. He's a tough competitor."

          On the opening repetition of the first team period, Simmons made a smooth transition, as he noticed that Omenihu, who lined up across from him, dropped into the coverage after the ball was snapped. Simmons switched to Danna and was effective with his pass-protection techniques, allowing quarterback Patrick Mahomes plenty of space in the pocket to deliver a pass in the middle of the field to receiver Rashee Rice.

          In the one-on-one drill, Simmons demonstrated his strength against bull rushes from Omenihu and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the rookie looking every bit the part the Chiefs he can be.

          Friday, July 25

          Omarr Norman-Lott has been one of the most impressive rookies at the Chiefs' training camp. Longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has given Norman-Lott, the second-round defensive tackle, plenty of repetitions this week with the first-team defense.

          "I mean, it's an honor," Norman-Lott said Friday. "I just got to use (the repetitions) the right way. I'm working on not messing up and just playing hard. This is a job now. It's a different tempo and intensity."

          Norman-Lott was in the middle of multiple repetitions Friday where he was in position to make contact with running back Isiah Pacheco. Norman-Lott has already received his first welcome to the NFL moment through All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.

          "Humphrey is a brick wall," Norman-Lott said with a blank expression. "Seriously. These are some of the best guys in this league, so it's helping me take my level to the next step. We had a rep (Thursday) and he was running an outside zone play. I was trying to move with (Humphrey) and I was, mid-rep, like, 'Damn, this dude is a brick wall.' He's a great athlete."

          Throughout practices this week, Norman-Lott has lined up next to Chris Jones, the All-Pro pass rusher who the Chiefs selected in the 2016 draft with a second-round pick. Jones has been eager to mentor Norman-Lott, too.

          "He's young, but he has a lot of raw talent," Jones said Wednesday of Norman-Lott. "He's going to be a great asset for the D-line -- he can rush the passer, he's quick out of his stance and he's got to work on his techniques."

          Thursday, July 24

          Thursday's highlights included multiple connections between quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, starting with a short completion on the sideline during the 7-on-7 period.

          Later on a one-on-one matchup with safety Jaden Hicks, Kelce did his signature hesitation and wiggle moves to evade Hicks for additional yards. And a few minutes after that, Kelce ran a slick seam route before leaping in the air to catch a pass between linebacker Nick Bolton and safety Bryan Cook.

          "He's svelte right now. He looks like he's 20," coach Andy Reid said of Kelce while grinning. "He's doing a good job and he's in great shape. I'm not sure he didn't come in first on the whole conditioning thing. He was right up front. You can see he's been working out. He's worked hard to get to this spot."

          One trait that Reid noticed from Kelce is his reinvigorated burst. In Wednesday's practice, Kelce flashed his acceleration while sprinting along the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown.

          Wednesday, July 23

          Another rookie for the Chiefs had an emerging performance for the second day of training camp. Receiver Jalen Royals, the fourth-round pick, was elevated on the depth chart Wednesday, as he took most of his repetitions with the first-team offense. The increase in usage wasn't an issue for Royals, either. He performed well running routes alongside fellow receivers Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown.

          The first repetition for quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the seven-on-seven period was him finding Royals open in the middle of the field for an intermediate completion against the defense's zone coverage. Royals' best repetition was during the team period, when his assignment was running a slant. The impressive part for Royals was that his timing with Mahomes was perfect, their connection leading to an easy completion that allowed the rookie to maintain his speed after he caught the ball.

          Oftentimes, Royals was on the field with three-year receiver Rashee Rice was on the sideline, which was quite telling.

          The Chiefs could use Royals in the role held by Rice in September. Rice is expected to be suspended by the NFL before the start of the regular season. If such occurs, Rice will be suspended for violating the league's personal conduct policy, the punishment after he and another speeding driver caused a chain-reaction crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway last year."

          In the middle of Steve Spagnuolo's news conference Wednesday, one of his favorite players, pass rusher Chris Jones, began watching him alongside the group of reporters. Spagnuolo, the Chiefs' longtime defensive coordinator, responded by asking Jones a question, even though he was answering a reporter's question about the Chiefs' deep-passing attack.

          "What was that week that we chased [quarterback] Patrick [Mahomes] and [you] pulled your groin?" Spagnuolo said.

          Jones immediately knew the answer: the 2019 AFC Championship Game. In the days leading up to that game, which the Chiefs won on their journey to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, Jones broke the protocol for all pass rushers in an NFL practice: He wanted to touch Mahomes.

          "I didn't know he was just going to come out here and tell all of my business," Jones said of Spagnuolo while laughing. "You know, Patrick does some crazy stuff behind the line of scrimmage at times. It gets very competitive out there. We were in a battle and I had to show Pat I can really catch you. I ended up pulling my groin. Spags had a one-on-one with me."

          The Chiefs beat the Titans and Jones played well despite his minor groin and calf injuries. Since then, Jones has honored Spagnuolo's new rule. Once he beats an offensive lineman -- or two of them -- he cannot chase Mahomes.

          "Patrick out here makes us play the whole down," Spagnuolo said of Mahomes' scrambling ability. "For what he does and what we do offensively, I think that makes us be prepared for a lot of things during the year. There aren't very many quarterbacks in the league that aren't athletic, dynamic and extends-the-down. Patrick does this every snap here. That makes us better.

          "I'm always yelling at Chris because he's not pass-rushing the whole down, but I tell him not to chase (Mahomes) too much.""

          Tuesday, July 22

          The biggest winner from the Chiefs' opening practice of training camp was Rashee Rice, who was the most-targeted receiver for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

          A three-year player, Rice is projected to retain his role as the Chiefs' No. 1 receiver. He demonstrated as much in Tuesday's 68-minute practice. In the opening seven-on-seven period, Mahomes completed multiple passes to Rice, who showed his speed, quickness and route-running ability in the middle of the field. In the red zone period of seven-on-seven, Rice and Mahomes were in perfect sync for a 12-yard touchdown. Rice ran a smooth whip route to create separation against nickel cornerback Chamarri Conner.

          "He attacked the rehab process and has come back ready to go," Mahomes said of Rice. "He had a good first day and we'll continue to work and get better and better. He'll evolve his game to be even better than he was at the beginning last year."

          Training camp for the Chiefs began the way it always does under coach Andy Reid -- a quick tempo of repetitions, a 68-minute practice and quarterback Patrick Mahomes' first pass against the defense being a deep completion to receiver Xavier Worthy. The practice's biggest takeaway, though, was along the offensive line. Rookie Josh Simmons, the Chiefs' first-round pick, began his NFL career as the left tackle with the first-team offense.

          "He did some good things," coach Andy Reid said. "He did a nice job. He's got things he's got to work on, but he'll keep doing that."

          Simmons was a full participant Tuesday, a significant and positive step for the Chiefs since the rookie has recovered from a torn patellar injury in October that prematurely ended his final season at Ohio State. The Chiefs are hopeful Simmons can be the player who finally solves their long-standing problem at left tackle.

          "I think he's done a great job," Mahomes said of Simmons. "You see the talent, obviously, the physical ability. I've got to see him work through the rest of his rehab process and then working on the field. He's done a great job with that. He's getting tested every day with (longtime defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo). I'm excited for the future that he has."

          A week ago, Chiefs right guard Trey Smith became the highest-paid interior lineman in NFL history. Smith signed a record-setting four-year, $94 million contract extension with the Chiefs, a deal that was agreed by both parties just hours before the deadline for franchised players to agree to long-term contracts.

          Smith entered the league in 2021 to help the Chiefs overhaul their offensive line for the first time in the Mahomes era. Although Smith was a second-team All-American in his final season at Tennessee, he was selected in the sixth round (226th overall) because teams were concerned about his medical history. He was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs in February 2018. The issue reappeared eight months later, too. But since joining the Chiefs, Smith has been one of their most dependable players.

          Following Tuesday's practice, Smith, in his first news conference since signing his extension, revealed how monumental the day was for him and his family. Before sharing his emotional answer, Smith paused for 11 seconds, the tears in his eyes welling up.

          "I lost my Mom (Dorsetta Smith) when I was 15," Smith said. "I made two promises to her: That I would get my degree (in recreation and sports management) and play in the NFL. I didn't promise her I'd be the highest-paid (guard), but I made a promise, man. My parents sacrificed so much for me to be here and to have that moment with them is special. It's something I won't take for granted. It was an amazing time to spend with my dad and sister."

          A few minutes later, Smith also shared that he was informed that the Chiefs agreed to the deal last week when he was at a Kansas City barber shop, Purple Label, while receiving a haircut.

          "Let's just say I was in and out really fast," Smith said, smiling.