QB PATRICK MAHOMES
Q:What have you learned from the couple weeks at practice so far?
MAHOMES:"I've really just been diving into the playbook, getting up to speed, trying to catch up to where these guys are and really just going through the motions. I'm learning from mistakes and getting better every rep."
Q:How far away are you from being game ready?
MAHOMES:"I don't know if I'm that far away, it's more about me continuing to work and keep getting better. These veterans are guys that have been in the league, been around and have been very successful. In order to be like them, I've got to go as hard as they do and catch up to them."
Q:What did you learn from your first two-minute drill in practice?
MAHOMES:"If I'm going to throw the ball away, just throw it way out of bounds. You've got to learn from those mistakes. They happen, but you've got to eliminate them and not let them happen again."
Q:How do you tune out the noise and the national media talking about you?
MAHOMES:"I really just try to worry about everything that's inside here and the guys here. I come to work every single day and work hard. For me, it's all about getting better every single rep, every single play."
Q:What were you working on with regards to the footwork during post-practice with the coaches?
MAHOMES:"Just trying to tighten everything up. I want to be a little tighter and quicker so I can get the ball out faster. Those windows close faster so really just working on anything I can work on to get better."
Q:So you felt your steps were slowing you down from getting the ball out?
MAHOMES:"Yeah. You see Tom Brady, you see Alex Smith and you see all those guys in the pocket and how quick they are with their footwork and how they get the ball out fast. I have to get like that and do whatever I can to get there."
Q:What's the biggest difference you've seen from the college offense to this offense in Kansas City?
MAHOMES:"You have an answer for everything here. No matter what's open or what happens, you have an answer through your play. In college sometimes, you would just make it work. Here, there's an answer for everything. You just have to know those things. That's really the biggest thing that I've learned here and it's awesome."
Q:What can you tell us about the robbery that happened back home?
MAHOMES:"It was a thing where I'm just glad the police got the guy. Everybody was safe and I'm just glad the police did their job really well."
Q:Did you feel like you were targeted?
MAHOMES:"I have no idea. It just sort of happened. I'm just glad the police got the guy."
Q:You did what the robber told you. Is that the lesson for the next guy -- to just do what they ask for?
MAHOMES:"I don't know. Hopefully this never happens again. I'm just glad the police got the guy so I don't have to worry about that anymore."
Q:How do you balance trying to learn this offense while also going out and having fun?
MAHOMES:"For me, it's always fun. You're playing football and living out your dream. You work hard and do those things but you have fun doing it at the same time."
Q:What was it like out in San Diego coaching kids?
MAHOMES:"Yeah it was awesome to get out and meet with the kids and coach them up. They're trying to live their dream. They're high schoolers and young kids trying to get to the next level. To give them advice in any way possible was awesome."
Q:Were they pretty excited to meet someone who was a real NFL quarterback?
MAHOMES:"I don't know. Maybe. For me, it was about getting out there, having fun with them and I feel like they had a great time."
Q:What's the biggest advice Alex Smith and any other veterans have given you in your first OTAs?
MAHOMES:"Really just to get out there and get those mental reps as well as those game reps. You sit there, you watch Alex Smith, you watch Tyler Bray and you have to really see what they're doing and understand why they're doing it. I feel like that's the biggest thing they've taught me as I've went."
DL TANOH KPASSAGNON
Q:How have the first couple weeks of practice gone?
KPASSAGNON:"They're good. We got a taste of it during rookie camp, so I'm pretty used to it."
Q:Has the game slowed down at all?
KPASSAGNON:"The game -- yeah a little bit. I'm starting to pick up on the playbook a lot more, so it's slowed down a little bit."
Q:What's the biggest difference between the NFL, the playbook and what you previously went through at the college level?
KPASSAGNON:"There's just a lot more to begin with, a lot more to learn and we do a lot more reading of the offense. Right before the play, we're trying to see what they're going to run and we try to predict it. We try to make an educated guess on how we can play it.
Q:How do practices compare to college?
KPASSAGNON:"They're pretty similar. We did a similar type of practice."
Q:What's the best advice you've gotten from some of the veterans during OTAs?
KPASSAGNON:"Just to take it one day at a time. That's what Chris Jones was telling me. The whole D- line has been real helpful. They just said to take it one day at a time, don't try to look at the whole thing all at once because it might overwhelm you. That's what I've been doing."
RB KAREEM HUNT
Q:Do you feel like your skills are what the Chiefs are looking for in a running back?
HUNT:"Yeah I do. I feel like I'm learning pretty quickly, I'm coming along and I'm getting better each and every day."
Q:What is it about your skills that you feel fits in well here?
HUNT:"I feel like I can do a lot of things. I can catch the ball out of the backfield, I can run the ball and I can stay in there and help with the pass protection."
Q:Your receiving efforts went up your senior year at Toledo. Was that an effort you wanted to showcase?
HUNT:"Yeah it was one of the things I worked hard during the offseason to get to. I talked to my coaches at Toledo and told them I could get more involved in the receiving game. I felt I could get open and make people miss in open space."
Q:Is that part of your personality? You're able to approach coaches with that suggestion?
HUNT:"A little bit. It was more of an 'I like the ball in space.' I see running backs catching the ball out in the backfield and I thought, 'Why can't we get some of that at Toledo?' Our coaches did a great job at installing more opportunities in the backfield for the running backs and it helped me out a lot."
Q:Do you feel comfortable lining up in all different kinds of places with this offense? HUNT:"Yeah, I do. I feel comfortable with that. We did that a lot at Toledo as well."
