Thirty-seven players took the field at Missouri Western State University on Wednesday as the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off a three-day "pre-camp" for quarterbacks, rookies and select veterans who are rehabbing from injuries.
The idea behind these early practices is to provide a quick refresher for the Chiefs' youngest players before full practices begin on Sunday, but despite the limited nature of these "pre-camp" practices, the intensity was noticeable on Wednesday.
"I feel like there's no time to ease in, it's all go. Once you're here, you're here," said wide receiver and first-round pick Xavier Worthy. "Just to build that connection with [quarterback Patrick Mahomes] will be key here."
Worthy was responsible for the play of the day when he hauled in a pass deep down the sideline during 7-on-7 drills. He later added an impressive, shoe-string catch during a 7-on-7 red zone period that showed off his short-area quickness.
It was an exciting showing for Worthy, who missed nearly all of the Chiefs' offseason practices with a hamstring injury.
"I feel good. I worked my way back in today, and it felt good just to be back out there with the guys and play football again," Worthy said. "[My hamstring] is getting better as I go, and it will continue to get better. I just wanted to be out there with the guys and keep working."
A few other players who stood out on Wednesday were tight ends Jared Wiley and Gerrit Prince, who each made strong catches over the middle. Defensively, safety Trey Dean made a notable play when he successfully broke up a short pass during red zone drills.
With all of that in mind, here's a quick look at who all participated in Wednesday's practice (listed numerically).
QB (4): Ian Book, Carson Wentz, Chris Oladokun, Patrick Mahomes
RB (3): Louis Rees-Zammit, Emani Bailey, Carson Steele
WR (4): Xavier Worthy, Kyle Sheets, Phillip Brooks, Jaaron Hayek
TE (3): Jared Wiley, Baylor Cupp, Gerrit Prince
OL (8): Hunter Nourzad, C.J. Hanson, Griffin McDowell, McKade Mettauer, Chukwuebuka Godrick, Ethan Driskell, Kingsley Suamataia, Nick Torres
DL (3): Truman Jones, Alex Gubner, Fabien Lovett
LB (4): Curtis Jacobs, Luquay Washington, Leo Chenal, Swayze Bozeman
DB (7): Nazeeh Johnson, Kamal Hadden, Jaden Hicks, Chris Roland-Wallace, D.J. Miller, Trey Dean, Miles Battle
P (1): Matt Araiza
In terms of roster moves, the Chiefs also made a handful of transactions on Wednesday. As Head Coach Andy Reid indicated the day prior, four players were placed on the "PUP," or "Physically Unable to Perform" List: cornerback Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and offensive guard Joe Thuney.
Additionally, defensive end BJ Thompson, who suffered a medical emergency prior to practice last month, was placed on the "NFI," or "Non-Football Illness/Injury" List.
Lastly, Kansas City signed rookie wide receiver Kyle Sheets to the roster prior to Wednesday's practice. Sheets, who stands at 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, caught 76 passes for 1,186 yards and 17 touchdowns at Slippery Rock University (a Division II school in Pennsylvania) last season.
The Chiefs will take the field for another "pre-camp" practice on Thursday as the rookies, quarterbacks and select veterans prepare for the rest of the team to arrive in just a few days.
