BREAKING: Reid Lauds Gritty OTAs, Vows Chiefs Will Roar Back After Super Bowl LIX Heartbreak

For the first time since February’s 40‑22 gut‑punch against Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stepped to the podium at the Truman Sports Complex this week sounding more energized than wounded. “It’s been a good turnout,” he told reporters after Thursday’s practice. “Guys are working hard. I appreciate the improvement they’re making.”

Those seven words—guys are working hard—were repeated often enough to feel like a mantra. It was exactly the tone a city still aching from the Eagles’ ambush wanted to hear. Kansas City’s bid for a historic three‑peat had been derailed four months earlier when Jalen Hurts and a relentless Philadelphia defense opened the game with 34 unanswered points and never looked back.

Attendance at voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs) has been strong, with Patrick Mahomes effortlessly orchestrating seven‑on‑seven periods while newly signed wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and a fully cleared Rashee Rice sprint through route trees at full speed. Rice’s looming legal saga hangs over the season, but league insiders insist he will not face a 2025 suspension—allowing Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to plan as if their 2023 breakout star will be in the lineup Week 1.

Reid revealed that practice scripts have leaned heavily on intermediate timing routes, a subtle admission that the Chiefs’ once‑fearsome vertical attack stalled at times last year. “We’re just making sure the little details—depth, leverage, footwork—are nailed down now so we’re not chasing them in August,” he explained. Linemen ran gassers between series, and Reid insisted the added cardio is “not punishment, but preparation.”

One minor storm cloud: starting right guard Trey Smith continued to stay away while his representatives negotiate an extension. Reid wouldn’t bite on how long the standoff might last, but he called Smith “a big part of what we do” and said he expects the mauler back for mandatory minicamp later this month.

Smith’s absence has accelerated the on‑boarding of first‑round pick Josh Simmons, whose explosive footwork dazzled offensive line coach Andy Heck on cut‑ups. “He’s super quick in everything he does,” Heck said, prompting Reid to devote additional reps to the rookie at both tackle spots. “The more he can do, the better our depth looks in December,” Reid added.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has spent OTAs spotlighting situational football—especially third‑down disguises—after Hurts shredded Kansas City’s fire‑zone looks on the game’s opening drive in February. The coaching staff says second‑year edge rusher George Karlaftis has reported leaner, with a noticeable first‑step burst, and veteran safety Mike Edwards has impressed enough to earn first‑team reps while Bryan Cook recovers from ankle surgery.

The Chiefs believe the organizational fabric that carried them to four straight AFC titles remains intact. Mahomes is 29, Travis Kelce turns 36 in October but looked springy running drag routes Wednesday, and a fresh layer of speed threatens to push coordinator Dave Toub’s special‑teams unit back into top‑five territory.

Off the field, the Missouri legislature’s decision yesterday to pledge up to 50 percent funding for stadium upgrades removed the lingering specter of relocation and infused even more optimism inside the building. “It’s one less distraction,” Reid said, emphasizing how noise reduction allows him to “coach the details that win championships.”

Kansas City’s mandatory minicamp opens June 24. Training camp in St. Joseph follows in late July, with preseason action beginning August 8 at Cleveland. The regular‑season schedule, released last month, hands the Chiefs brutal back‑to‑back prime‑time dates against Buffalo and Cincinnati in Weeks 12 and 13—a gauntlet that many pundits already predict will decide AFC seeding.

Inside the locker room, there is little talk of revenge and less of regret. “We flushed that tape,” Mahomes said earlier in the week. “All that matters is fixing our mistakes, then letting February take care of itself.” That theme echoes through every drill. Wide receivers coach Connor Embree screamed “Finish!” as rookies worked toe‑tap drills; veteran backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, newly arrived, stayed an extra forty minutes Thursday throwing red‑zone fades to practice‑squad hopefuls.

Reid’s grin said the process itself is the payoff. “Look, nobody wanted to walk off that Super Bowl field like we did. But every championship run we’ve had here started with OTAs that felt like this—high energy, high accountability,” he said. Asked point‑blank if he believes the Chiefs can return to the mountain top next February in Levi’s Stadium, the 66‑year‑old coach hardly paused: “Absolutely. If we keep stacking these good days, we’ll be right back where we belong. And we plan to finish the job this time.”

With the scars of New Orleans serving as fuel, Kansas City’s quest for redemption has officially begun—not with bombast, but with sweat, crisp footwork and a head coach who still sounds hungry. As Reid left the podium, he flashed a quick thumbs‑up toward the practice fields behind him, where a dozen rookies kept running sprints long after the whistle. The message was unmistakable: the Chiefs are moving on—and they’re doing it at full speed.