The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the sixth practice of training camp on Saturday morning as the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions continued their preparation for the upcoming season.
Here's a quick rundown of what took place during Saturday's practice, and for reference, all previous practice reports are available below:
1. We live-streamed portions of Saturday's practice.
We went live from camp on Saturday for the second time this summer. The broadcast included shots from practice in addition to some commentary along the way.
We're tentatively set to air additional Training Camp Live segments on July 31 and August 5.
2. The Chiefs took the field in pads for the second day in a row.
A day after taking the field in pads for the first time all offseason, the Chiefs were back in pads for Saturday's practice. The lone difference between the two sessions was that Saturday's practice was about 15 minutes longer than Friday's as the team continued to ramp up to a full workload.
The padded practices differ significantly from the non-padded sessions in that the Chiefs can actually make contact with one another during various drills and plays. For example, Friday's practice included 1-on-1 drills between the offensive and defensive linemen that simply couldn't take place earlier in the offseason.
Another area that was emphasized over the last two days was the running game, which can really only be fine-tuned while wearing pads.
3. The Chiefs took part in some 9-on-7 work during Saturday's session.
One segment of practice that's designed to work on the running game specifically is called "9-on-7," which essentially takes the receivers and cornerbacks out of the equation. The drill, which took place on Saturday, featured nine offensive players and seven defenders as both sides worked on the ground game.
At the same time, the cornerbacks and receivers were on the other field competing in 1-on-1 drills. A few standouts from the period were wide receivers Kadarius Toney, Nikko Remigio and Phillip Brooks, who each hauled in impressive catches.
Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy also tallied an acrobatic, one-handed catch deep down the sideline during the period, and while the league official nearby determined that Worthy didn't get both feet down in-bounds, it was still a remarkable play worth noting.
In terms of offensive standouts during the 11-on-11 periods, wide receiver Hollywood Brown continued to impress with another strong day. His top play took place early in the practice when he made a leaping grab downfield just inside the hash marks.
4. Tight end Irv Smith made a handful of impressive catches.
Another area the Chiefs worked on during an 11-on-11 segment of Saturday's practice was short-yardage, including near the goal line. A standout from the period was veteran tight end Irv Smith, who hauled in two touchdown catches on quick throws from quarterback Carson Wentz.
The first grab, in particular, was a physical catch over the middle of the field following what appeared to be a no-look toss from Wentz.
In terms of other focus areas on Saturday, the Chiefs also worked on a "backed up punt" scenario, which tasked punter Matt Araiza with a situation in which he needed to punt the ball while standing in his own end zone.
On the topic of special teams, Assistant Head Coach / Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub revealed following practice that wide receivers Xavier Worthy, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman, Hollywood Brown and Nikko Remigio were all in the mix as potential punt returners in 2024.
Toub also added that kicker Harrison Butker will handle the bulk of Kansas City's kickoffs this year. Toub acknowledged that safety Justin Reid and running back Louis Rees-Zammit – who each worked as kickoff specialists during the offseason training program – remain possible options depending on the situation, but Butker will be the primary guy on kickoffs.
5. Here's a look at Saturday's injury report.
The Chiefs were without wide receiver Justin Watson (foot) for the second-straight practice on Saturday after Watson originally left Wednesday's session early. In some good news, however, Watson was spotted catching footballs from the jugs machine following practice.
Additionally, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson left Saturday's practice early with a hamstring injury.
As for the players who have yet to practice in St. Joseph, safety Justin Reid (quad) and defensive end BJ Thompson (who suffered a medical emergency last month) remain on the "Non-Football Injury/Illness" list.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson, defensive end Charles Omenihu, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and offensive guard Joe Thuney are still on the "Physically Unable to Perform," or "PUP," list and also didn't take the field on Saturday.
Next up, the Chiefs will take the field on Sunday for the seventh practice of training camp. The practice will be open to the general public, but even though most days are free to attend, tickets must be reserved online ahead of time.
For a look at the training camp schedule or for more information on how to reserve tickets, click here.
