When Andy Reid needed a quality QB back in 2017, he made a call to Buffalo for a trade in draft picks. This call shaped the league’s narrative for years to come. The Chiefs came into the draft with a 10th overall pick and acquired one of the best of this generation, Patrick Mahomes. And the rest is history. They won 3 of the last 5 Super Bowls they’ve played. One call in the offseason was enough to start a dynasty. And ahead of the Chiefs’ training camp, they’ve made many calls.
With the way the Chiefs have moved in the offseason, it appears that Andy Reid has prepared for battle. And as players come back from a well-rested summer, it’s now time for the start of the Chiefs’ training camps. The Chiefs took to Instagram to announce the start of their training camps on July 21st. Patrick Mahomes stood in a classic monochrome picture. No face, no expression, just a silhouette. But you can tell he’s not messing around. A fiery “You know what this means,” reads the caption. Mahomes’s activity in the training camp will reveal much of what we can expect in the 2025 season. With the new players coming in, how effective can he be with this new offense?
With first-round pick Josh Simmons and veteran Jaylon Moore competing for the left tackle position, it will be the training camp that decides who is better at protecting Mahomes’s blindside. Andy Reid had a few things to say about Josh Simmons, “I think he’s good in the run and the pass game. But obviously, you’re looking for guys that can anchor down in the pass game. That becomes important, especially on the left side with a right-handed quarterback.” Clearly, the concern is Mahomes’s protection.
When discussing the protection the Chiefs are gaining with Simmons and Moore, it’s important to acknowledge the protection they lost in Joe Thuney. Arguably one of the best guards in recent years, his absence will be felt, and training camp will show just how much.
With Reid sliding Kingsley Suamataia from left tackle to guard, his performance in camp will also hint at the offensive line’s potential. Thuney left a massive gap in the lineup, and filling it will require something special. If the Chiefs still haven’t secured the protection Mahomes needs, what happens when the season stretches even longer?
Rob Parker on Patrick Mahomes’ comments
When reporters asked Patrick Mahomes about the NFL potentially shifting to an 18-game season, he kept things diplomatic. He acknowledged the added risk that comes with more football. “It’s a little bit more taxing on the guys that play the game,” Mahomes told CNBC’s Alex Sherman. While he didn’t shoot down the idea completely, he made it clear he shares the concerns most players have about a longer season. “You want to have the best players playing in the biggest games,” he added. More games mean more injuries—and at high-impact positions like quarterback, durability becomes a real issue.
Mahomes may have delivered a polished, PR-safe response—but not everyone was buying it. Sports anchor Rob Parker lit into the three-time Super Bowl champ. “Here’s my issue… Players, especially Patrick Mahomes, shouldn’t be speaking on this,” Parker ranted on Fox Sports Radio. “This should come from leadership from the Players Association. One voice. Not putting this out about him… I’m not a fan of it.” While the NFLPA has echoed similar concerns, Parker made it clear: Mahomes needs to let union reps handle union business.
“It’s going to happen… when it comes to big money, which is what these owners want,” Parker continued. In his view, the 18-game schedule isn’t a matter of if—it’s when. With media rights deals potentially topping $110 billion, expansion feels inevitable. Players might grumble, but at the end of the day, the league’s real shot-callers—the owners and media giants—aren’t losing sleep over it.
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