By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
After an exciting offseason that saw Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce trotting around the globe, he's now back with the Chiefs seeking to make history.
Kelce says that it hasn't been much of a transition to get back to work at training camp, and calls St. Joseph his "sanctuary"
"St. Joe, year 12, that means I've spent just about an entire year of my life up here in the dorms," Kelce tells reporter's post-practice. "Everybody may see that as pretty grueling, but I enjoy it man, there's something about this place that gets you ready every single year and I'm not going to lie I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling."
Kelce says the biggest challenge this offseason was getting his body ready after the toll taken on it last season.
There is a lot of excitement this Chiefs Training Camp about new faces that promise to make an already dynamic team even more competitive.
Kelce says he's excited about a lot of those new pieces.
"We got new chess pieces, guys that have different traits and we're just trying to blend that all together to make the best team possible, both on offense and defense and obviously special teams," Kelce says. "It's just the ultimate grind session of working together."
"We have to be more together right now then even, well I don't want to say during the season, but right now this is where you really build that togetherness, that chemistry, that ability to lean on each other and fight for each other."
While there are a lot of new faces on this year's Chiefs team stepping into new roles, it's the same story for one not so new face on the defense.
The Chiefs lost linebacker Willie Gay to free agency this offseason, and now it's expected that third year linebacker Leo Chenal will have his role expanded to fill that gap.
Chenal says right now he's just doing whatever coaches ask him to do.
"I have certain strengths to my game, whether it's getting on the line or addressing blockers, so it's really just doing whatever Spags asks me to do," Chenal explains. "Lining up in the A gap, on the edge, off the ball, I'm getting more and more comfortable with the things I didn't do in college and hopefully it will get me more time on the field, and I can help the team out as best I can."
Chenal says it's been good to learn all these different formations and says he's been working with guys like George Karlaftis, Chris Jones, and defensive line coach Terry Bradden on ways to line up and defensive line moves.
The Chiefs held their second practice in full pads and practiced for nearly two hours today. They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 at Missouri Western State University.
The Chiefs know whose kicking, but who could be returning kicks?
Kansas City Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub knows who's going to be kicking off this season, but as for punt and kick returns that's still being determined.
Toub says every practice he has at least 19 guys working out at punt and kick return, but realistically in his mind there are five or six that could take the job.
"(Xavier) Worthy no question, (Kadarius) Toney is in there, Mecole, Hollywood he's exciting to think that he can do it," Toub says. "And the guy that's done a really good job is Nikko Remigio."
Toub says he's already tabbed Harrison Butker as the guy who will be kicking off this season, under new kickoff rules, which Toub says he's both excited and nervous about.
"We've been working on it a lot, we'll work on it again tomorrow in practice, you work on it in walkthroughs almost every time," Toub explains. "But there's a lot of unknowns with it, how are teams going to attack you, what are they going to do and what are the kickers going to do, what's going to be the philosophy, and how are they going to officiate it too."
Toub says it's going to be an ongoing learning process and stresses the importance of this year's preseason games.
Injury Report
Chiefs' receiver Justin Watson was again not in pads for practice today. Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said on Friday that he's day to day with an ankle injury.
Watson was spotted after practice getting some work in taking passes off the jugs machine kneeling on one knee. There was no boot, no noticeable wrap, no noticeable limp before he headed back to the training complex.
Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson again left practice early following cornerback and wide receiver drills. He did walk off the field on his own power and seemed to want to return to practice before leaving for the training complex.
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