By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas City Chiefs had their first full day of training camp Sunday, and it was the public’s first chance to watch camp as well.
Lines were long and the stands were well packed at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph on a clear and mild morning.
Temperatures were in the mid 70s at the start of camp, as the Chiefs spent about an hour-and-a-half in helmets, jerseys and shorts.
The biggest absence was that of defensive tackle Chris Jones, who did not report to camp as he waits on a contract extension.
Head coach Andy Reid says they’re in talks with Jones, but he wouldn't divulge the nature of those conversations.
"As far as Chris goes, we'll see how things go here down the road," Reid said. "There had been communication. We'll see where it goes from here."
Jones is in the final year of a four-year contract. Jones and the Chiefs are reportedly "far apart" on an agreement, per a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter. Per NFL rules, Jones could be fined up to $50,000 for every day of camp that he misses.
Injuries
Receiver Kadarius Toney was limited Sunday. He tweaked his knee during a punt return drill before Sunday’s practice really even got going.
Reid says the team "will see how it goes" in terms of recovery.
Rookie offensive lineman Wanya Morris (hamstring) was present, but did not work Sunday. Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (knee) is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Observations
Several receivers had some big moments Sunday, particularly Richie James. James signed with the Chiefs back in April. He spent three years in San Francisco and spent 2022 with the New York Giants.
While he mostly worked in second team offense Sunday, James had some nice grabs and made some great juke moves out in space. Receiver Justyn Ross also had a big day, as he rotated in with the first-team offense.
Ross signed with the Chiefs last May as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson. He was placed on injured reserve last year after surgery needed to repair a foot injury. Ross also had congenital fusion in his spine during college, but he looked fully healthy on Sunday and was very active.
Another offensive player who shined was rookie running back Deneric Prince, who showed the ability to catch passes out of the backfield and hit the hole hard after the catch.
It's early, and there's solid competition at running back, but the rookie out of Tulsa had a great first day. All told, Reid was pleased with both sides of the football.
"Offense had good snaps, defense had good snaps," Reid said. "It went back and forth. Great energy. For this type of a camp without pads on, it's a great thing. It's also great to get the new guys, let them feel the energy here with our fans."
Home sweet St. Joe
The Chiefs are back in St. Joseph for training camp for the 13th time this summer. Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, who also spoke with reporters Sunday, was quite complimentary of the job Missouri Western staff do to keep camp running smoothly.
"The University and staff do a fantastic job of welcoming us up here and taking care of all of our needs," Hunt said.
Chiefs safety Justin Reid says the fans’ presence at camp makes a huge difference.
"They bring energy to the guys and make this a lot of fun," Reid said. "Otherwise, Andy Reid's camps are no joke. (The fans) make it a lot more bearable to come out here."
This is the first time that the Chiefs have held camp in St. Joseph coming off of a Super Bowl victory. When the Chiefs won Super Bowl 54 in 2020, camp was confined to Kansas City.
Hunt says there’s certainly a palpable energy at camp coming off of that world championship.
"I think we're expecting record (training camp) crowds this year," he said. "Certainly with good justification coming off of the Super Bowl win. So, it's great to be here and be able to share this with our amazing fan base."
The Chiefs are one of just a handful of NFL teams that still travel outside of their home city for training camp. Reid has always enjoyed the idea of going up to Missouri Western, which is less than an hour away, and having players get to know one another better. Basically, a near month-long retreat.
"You're up here and you room with somebody, you eat with them, you meet with them. This takes a lot of time when you're up at camp and you're always busy doing something and you're doing it with your teammates."
Arrowhead Stadium future
Chiefs president Mark Donovan was asked on Friday what the future of Arrowhead Stadium holds with the Kansas City Royals in active talks about building a new stadium away from the Truman Sports Complex.
Hunt reiterated Sunday that the three options are to renovate the current stadium, build a new one at the current site or build a new stadium at a new site.
Donovan said Friday that the preference is to renovate the current stadium, but both he and Hunt have said that all three options are still on the table, as they wait and see what the Royals end up doing.
Hunt said Sunday that renovating the current stadium could "extend its lifespan by about 25 years."
Training camp resumes on Monday at 9:15 a.m. The crowd will be limited to season ticket holders only.
Video report
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