Chiefs Gear Up for Another Dominant Season
The Kansas City Chiefs have secured their second straight Super Bowl victory in 2023, and they aren't slowing down. As the new season looms, the team is addressing past inconsistencies and refining their game with renewed focus and energy.
At the center of this preparation is Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs' star quarterback, who hasn't shied away from discussing the team's struggles. "The end result [last season] was awesome, but I think a lot of us still have a weird feeling in our mouth," Mahomes reflected. "It wasn't fun every single week having to try to just continue to get better and better and the results not paying off the way you wanted to. We have a lot of those same guys back and they know how that felt, so we're going to try to prepare ourselves better this year so that we can play better throughout the season and obviously try to end with the same result."
The Chiefs, fresh off their championship, are gearing up at Missouri Western State University, with quarterbacks and rookies starting their camp preparations on Wednesday. The rest of the team is set to join by Sunday, all in an effort to build on past successes and overcome previous challenges.
Part of this preparation involves bolstering their offensive lineup. The team has added two impressive wide receivers, free agent Marquise Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy. Worthy, who stole the limelight with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, is bouncing back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him during much of the offseason practice sessions.
Mahomes has set clear expectations for the newcomers, emphasizing the competitiveness and rigor of the training camp. "There's no easing [him in]. He's going to have to be ready to go. We got a lot of competition on this offense. He got a lot of mental work in these last few weeks that he had during OTAs and minicamp, but it's time to go now. Y'all saw it with Rashee [Rice] last year and some of the throwing-up days he had. We're going to push you to the limit and prepare yourself to be ready to go for the season. That's not just him. That's everybody and everybody has to have that mentality when they come into camp."
One key aspect Mahomes is particularly excited about is the addition of speed to their lineup. "We added a lot of speed. What's better than going against our defense? It's the best defense in the NFL and we get to go against them every single day and really show where we're at and how we can get better." This level of competition within the team is seen as crucial to the Chiefs' continued dominance.
Mahomes' commitment to the game is matched by his dedication to his family. He and his wife Brittany are expecting their third child, expanding their young family. "It's awesome. I always wanted to have kids young. I got to grow up in the locker room. I think I've talked about it before and it made such an impact in my life and so I wanted to have kids young and we're having our third kid now to join our family. Brittany does a great job of doing that and we still go out and enjoy our life and let our kids see these great things they might not be able to remember what videos of and it is really cool. I spend so much time in the building at football for these seven, eight months and whenever I'm with my family, I want to enjoy those moments," Mahomes shared.
As the Chiefs gather for their training camp, the echoes of last season's success linger, but there is an overpowering drive for improvement and excellence. "We're back at St. Joe. It's time to get better. Every season starts differently. You've got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before, even with a higher intensity and even though we won the Super Bowl last year, we felt like we didn't play our best football, especially offensively. So it's our goal to be better that way and coming in with that mentality every single day." Mahomes' words capture the essence of a team not resting on its laurels but striving for even greater heights.
With a clear game plan, invigorated roster, and the leadership of Mahomes, the Chiefs are set on a path that could see them clinching yet another Super Bowl, further solidifying their dynasty in the NFL.