The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the second official practice of training camp on Thursday in preparation for the upcoming season.
Here's a quick rundown of what took place during Thursday's practice, and for reference, every previous practice report can be accessed through the links below.
1. Thursday marked the first practice that was fully open to the general public.
Fans were invited to observe practice on Thursday, marking the first day of camp that was completely open to the general public. Fans were in attendance for Wednesday's practice, but it was limited to Season Ticket Members.
There will be 14 more open practices over the next three weeks. Tickets are required, but the majority of practice days are free. For a full schedule, click here.
2. There were no additions to the injury report.
The best post-practice news is when there are no new injuries to report, and fortunately, that was the case on Thursday. There were no new injuries noted following practice, and defensive end Frank Clark – who missed the early portion of Wednesday's practice with an illness – participated on Thursday.
Three players (cornerback Rashad Fenton, offensive tackle Lucas Niang and offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho) remained on the "Physically Unable to Perform" list.
3. JuJu Smith-Schuster made the play of the day once again.
A day after making numerous plays on Wednesday, Smith-Schuster kept it up on Thursday with another strong practice. In fact, Smith-Schuster – who made a diving catch on Wednesday – was once again responsible for the top highlight of the morning with a great basket catch deep down the middle of the field.
The play, which took place during team drills, was impressive in part because Smith-Schuster made the catch despite good coverage. The defender was in position to prevent the completion and even made contact with the ball, but Smith-Schuster stuck with the play, hauled in the grab and remained on his feet for a touchdown.
It was simply a tremendous grab and a continuation of what has been a great start to camp for Smith-Schuster. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw the pass, met Smith-Schuster in the end zone to celebrate.
4. Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in an impressive catch during 7-on-7 drills.
Prior to Smith-Shuster's touchdown grab, the play of the day belonged to Valdes-Scantling.
The play – a red-zone touchdown – took place during 7-on-7 drills, which essentially removes the linemen and provides for a cleaner battle between the receivers and defensive backs. In this instance, Valdes-Scantling evaded good coverage near the sideline in the end zone, turned to catch the pass and got both feet down while contorting his body to remain in-bounds and avoid the defender.
It was a really difficult play that demonstrated Valdes-Scantling's athleticism and length.
5. Elijah Lee forced a fumble with a punch out during 7-on-7.
The coaching staff continually emphasizes that the players give every snap their all until the whistle blows, and despite a perceived "win" for the offense during a 7-on-7 period, linebacker Elijah Lee flipped the narrative with a forced fumble early in practice.
Lee – a Kansas City native who signed with the Chiefs during the offseason – remained with the play and punched the ball free from the ball-carrier following a quick competition over the middle, turning an offensive gain into a near takeaway for the defense. The offense recovered the fumble, but the punch out was certainly a highlight of the practice.
The Chiefs will return to practice on Friday. For more information on training camp or for a schedule of practices, click here.
