After the Chiefs finished last season 6-11 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2014, the club made several coaching changes, headlined by the return of Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator.
Bieniemy previously served in the same role from 2018-2022, winning a pair of Super Bowls with the club.
Now that Bieniemy is back, quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters on Thursday that the coach has had a tangible effect in the building.
“There’s a standard that you have to practice with, and you have to play with,” Mahomes said of Bieniemy’s return. “He’s going to hold you to that standard, no matter who you are. From the first guy to the 90th guy right now, he’s going to hold you to that standard. I think that’s something — it’s hard to replicate, I think that’s the best way to say it.
“He has brought in a lot of concepts and a lot of things that I’ve really liked that we’ve added in now. It’s good to have him back in the building and having that energy back. A lot of these guys haven’t had an EB. They understand it and honestly, I think it’s been cool. They’re really receptive of it. Even though it’s hard, there’s hard days. They know why we’re doing it. You can see the guys, and they want to be great, and they want to be better than we were last year.”
Even as Bieniemy is crafting a standard, Mahomes acknowledged some of his younger teammates haven’t seen the coach completely go off quite yet.
“I’m not going to say he’s taking it easy — he’s pushing the guys, but he holds them to a standard,” Mahomes said. “They haven’t had those days — it’s usually training camp when guys get tired, and they lose that will to finish and do all the exact right things, and that’s when EB’s going to hold you to that standard. We haven’t gotten there yet, but as long as you keep having good practices, we can prolong that as long as possible.
“I love it, man, I truly do. I think you can feel it in the meeting rooms. The way he carries himself, with the confidence that he carries himself with, it really focuses you in on what you’re learning and the little details of things. It’s been exciting to me, that first meeting had me wanting to run through a brick wall, it had me ready to go.”
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in December.
Perhaps surprisingly to some, Mahomes is already doing 7-on-7 work in Kansas City’s OTAs. Mahomes wants to be ready for Week 1, and there is a chance he’ll be able to do so.
“That’s always going to be the goal,” Mahomes said in a Thursday press conference. “I don’t want to miss games. I mean, as a competitor, as a football player, I want to be there. I know it’s still a long ways away. I can’t predict the future. So, all I can do is be great today and then continue to be great tomorrow. But I’ve gotten to where I’ve gotten to because of that mindset. The goal at the end — the very far end — is to be ready and to able to go out there and play with the guys Week 1 at Arrowhead. But I’ve got to take it day by day.”
Head coach Andy Reid said that the Chiefs are going to keep Mahomes out of team drills until the quarterback receives further medical clearance. But the head coach also noted how hard Mahoems has worked just to get to this point.
“I like what I’ve seen,” Reid said. “This is good for him, getting out there and throwing — it’s good rehab, continued rehab, so he keeps a feel with the receivers. He’s doing partial practice. But it’s important. It’s important to keep his timing up.
“He’s busted his tail to put himself in this position. Most guys wouldn’t be able to do this. But he’s put himself in that position. I know we’ve had good communication with the doctors, and they keep a close eye on it — what’s real and what’s not real. And then we listen to them.”
Mahomes is wearing a brace on his knee to help protect him as he’s on the field. He said that’s not entirely unfamiliar to him, because it’s something he previously wore in college.
“[I]t’s just kind of getting adjusted to it,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, I’m not running and cutting and doing all of that stuff in it yet. That’ll be another adjustment period at some point. But it’s good to get these reps now, so I can kind of speed that adjustment period along.”
But running and cutting consistently will be Mahomes’ next steps, he said.
“I’ve started that stuff,” Mahomes said. “But, until I’m able to protect myself and go out there and be there they’re going to keep me safe and not let me have the opportunity — as much as I want to be out there. But I think if I can continue to do the stuff the right way, that’s the hope, for me at least. All I can do is execute this next checkpoint of getting that cutting, being able to protect myself. … Then they’ll let me go out there and be a part of the team drills. And that’ll progress into games.”
Still, Mahomes has made enough progress that playing Week 1 doesn’t seem far-fetched. That may surprise some, but it doesn’t surprise him.
“Yeah, I mean, I wanted to play,” Mahomes said when asked if he thought he’d be this far in his rehab at this point. “I don’t want to miss games as much as possible. I know it’s not in my control. It’s in God’s control at some point. But I’m going to give myself a chance by the way I work to be the best I can be.
“And so, I’m in a good spot now compared to where some people thought [I might be]. But I thought I was going to be here. So, it’s just doing what I’m supposed to be doing every single day. And hopefully, that gives me the chance to be out there with the guys whenever we start the season.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since wide receiver Rashee Rice was ordered to spend 30 days in jail last week.
The jail term was part of Rice’s sentence for his involvement in a 2024 car crash and he was ordered to serve it now after violating his probation for testing positive for THC. The wideout will miss the rest of the team’s offseason program as a result of the sentence.
Rice was also suspended for six games last season following his plea deal and Reid said that the team has been in touch with the league. He also said that Rice needs to treat this moment as a learning experience for the future.
“As far as Rashee goes, we’re aware of the situation, the league’s aware of it, we’ve talked to the league, we get it,” Reid said. “As far as any further ado to that, there’s been no talk about anything further. We’re moving forward, just normal as we go here. When he gets back, we’ve got to get him caught up and doing what he needs to do. And then, make sure he gets it. It’s not an easy thing he’s going through. Life lessons are important, but we’re all given chances to learn, and so he’s in that position now.”
Reid answered a followup question about conversations with the league to say that the Chiefs “don’t know” if there will be any further discipline for the wideout.
Rice also had his knee operated on recently and Reid said they think the wideout will be ready to go when training camp gets underway this summer. They’d like to have Rice on the field the rest of the way as well, but his history makes that less than a sure thing.
The rash of 2024 burglaries targeting NFL players (including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce) has resulted in more arrests.
Via ESPN, authorities in Argentina recently apprehended three Chilean citizens in connection with the crimes: Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and Pablo Zuniga Cartes.
The men are currently in Chile, awaiting extradition to the United States.
The crime ring also is tied to the 2024 burglary at the home of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
The burglaries allegedly included tracking the travel of athletes, along with technology that bypassed alarm systems and jammed WiFi networks. The group allegedly stole millions in cash, jewelry, and other property.
The three men arrested in Argentina are among seven who were charged in February 2025, in connection with the burglaries. Three others are awaiting trial for the Burrow burglary. Another pleaded guilty in March 2026 to interstate transportation of stolen property.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce made a courtside appearance to watch the Cavaliers lose a game in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals and he’ll be taking on a different role with another one of his hometown teams.
Kelce is purchasing a minority stake in Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians. Kelce grew up playing baseball and thought for a time that would be his path to becoming a professional athlete, but “the football thing chose me at the end of the day.” Now he’ll return to the game in a new capacity.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a front-row seat to good ownership in my career, and I know the best teams prioritize culture,” Kelce said, via Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. “Everyone is there to play their role, and right now, I’m here to observe and learn and really to support the team and the city when and where I can.”
Kelce’s move makes him a divisional rival of longtime teammate Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback is a minority owner of the Kansas City Royals and Kelce said “there will be some bragging rights on the line when we play our division games.”
Less than five and a half months after suffering a torn ACL, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was back on the practice field.
The Chiefs posted video of Mahomes taking part in the team’s OTA session on Tuesday. He was wearing a large brace on his left leg.
Mahomes reposted the video with a clock emoji. And, to no surprise, he’s currently beating the clock in his effort to return by Week 1.
No one should doubt him. Beyond the fact that he’s a professional athlete with an extreme skillset, Mahomes is determined. He’s highly motivated. He won’t reside in his fears. He will be ready to go when Week 1 rolls around.
It all gets started on the first Monday night of the season, with a visit from the Broncos. Even though both teams will be very different by Week 18, the outcome of that game could be the thing that breaks the tie for the AFC West title — and possibly for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Free agent defensive lineman Janarius Robinson visited with another team as he continues to look for a place to play in 2026.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Robinson worked out for the Browns on Monday. Robinson worked out for the Patriots earlier this month as well.
Robinson spent last season with the Chiefs and had a sack in the preseason before landing on injured reserve with a foot injury that cost him the entire season.
Robinson had had 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 16 games for the Raiders in 2023 and 2024. He has also spent time with the Vikings and Eagles.
Last year, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice agreed to accept a six-game suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy after pleading guilty to multiple charges arising from a street-racing incident in March 2024. Now that Rice has landed behind bars for 30 days after violating the terms of his probation, the question becomes whether the league will take further action against him.
It becomes a legal question. And the answer could come from multiple relevant documents.
First, the Personal Conduct Policy possibly applies to Rice’s probation violation. The list of prohibited conduct contained in the Personal Conduct Policy includes "[i]llegal possession, use, or distribution of alcohol or drugs.”
The question becomes whether a probation violation arising from a positive THC test amounts to the “illegal use of drugs.” One on hand, Rice didn’t commit a fresh violation of the law. He did something he was told not to do during his five years of probation. (It’s very common for probation arrangements to mandate avoidance of alcohol or drugs.) On the other hand, his use of marijuana triggered an incarceration.
The Personal Conduct Policy also includes a broad catch-all provision prohibiting “conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL personnel.” It would be a reach, in our view, to dub a basic probation violation based on a positive THC test as conduct that undermines the integrity of the NFL.
That doesn’t stop the league from trying to discipline Rice under the Personal Conduct Policy. Judge Sue L. Robinson has final say only as to the fact-finding portion of the process, and the facts of this one are undisputed. The league would have the right to appeal the final decision of Judge Robinson to the Commissioner, which gives the Commissioner ultimate control over the interpretation and application of the Personal Conduct Policy in cases of probation violations.
Second, the agreement between the NFL and Rice that resulted in Rice accepting his initial six-game suspension possibly includes language regarding the potential consequences of a probation violation. Without seeing the agreement, there’s no way of knowing whether it does or doesn’t. (If Rice’s agreement lacks such language, the Rice case could result in the league adding a term to similar agreements in the future.)
Third, the NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy has a provision that applies to violations of the law regarding “substances of abuse” (which includes marijuana). It allows the Commissioner to suspend the player for up to four games. But it does not mention a violation of law arising from a probation violation; the list consists only of a violation resulting in a conviction, an admission, “a diversionary program, deferred adjudication, disposition of supervision, or similar arrangement including but not limited to nolo contendere.”
The league could try to argue that a probation violation based on marijuana use falls into one of those categories. Unlike appeals under the Personal Conduct Policy, appeals under the Substance Abuse Policy are resolved by an arbitrator jointly hired and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
The threshold question is whether the league wants to take action against Rice. If it decides to do so, there are multiple potential avenues for doing so.
Maybe the NFL will decide that 30 days in jail is enough. Rice will miss the most important part of the offseason program. He’ll miss the mandatory minicamp, and likely be fined upwards of $100,000. He won’t be able to rehab his recent knee surgery. Or maybe the league will decide that Rice caught a break with his original suspension, given the behavior that caused it.
Regardless, the league has the same kind of broad discretion that a prosecutor does when it comes to deciding whether to charge or not to charge someone with a crime. If the NFL wants to target Rice, it can try. And, if the effort lands under the Personal Conduct Policy, the Commissioner will have the final say as to whether the suggested discipline will stick.
For now, the league is saying nothing. In time, it will become clear whether the league does, or doesn’t, plan to sideline Rice to start the 2026 season.
June 1 is eight days away. An A.J. Brown trade is as little as nine days away.
As of June 2, the Eagles can trade Brown and spread the dead-money charge over two years. Most believe it’s just a matter of time before the trade happens. Most believe Brown will be traded to the Patriots.
Watch the video attached to this post. Patriots safety Kevin Byard and receiver Romeo Doubs recently spoke openly about the arrival of Brown as if it’s a done deal.
It’s entirely possible that the deal is unofficially done. Trade terms agreed to, and both teams keeping their mouths shut until Brown passes a physical and both teams communicate the terms of the transaction to the league office.
The Maxx Crosby fiasco from March was a lesson to all teams about not letting the cart get in front of the horse. Say nothing until the deal is official.
Could another team swoop in with a better offer? If the Patriots and Eagles have unofficially worked out a deal, and if both sides honor a transaction that remains unofficial until it becomes official, it’s too late for that.
Some are still suggesting the Rams could make a run at Brown. That ship sailed in March, when the Rams decided not to proceed based on the available medical information — and when the Rams allowed $24 million in 2026 compensation for receiver Davante Adams to become fully guaranteed.
If the Rams had done the deal, they would have traded Adams. It’s not impossible for someone else to enter the A.J. fray, especially if the Chiefs are suddenly having misgivings about whether Rashee Rice can be trusted after his recent probation violation.
For now, all signs are still pointing to Brown becoming a Patriot as soon as June 2.
One more member of the Chiefs’ 2026 draft class has put pen to paper.
According to the league’s daily transaction wire, second-round pick R Mason Thomas signed his rookie contract on Thursday.
Thomas, who was selected at No. 40 overall in April, played his college ball at Oklahoma. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2025, having registered 6.5 sacks with 9.5 tackles for loss in 10 games.
In all, Thomas registered 25.5 tackles for loss with 17.0 sacks in his college career.
Recently, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce called Thomas a “freak of nature,” adding he can’t wait to see how Thomas gets after quarterbacks as a pro.
