News Chiefs Team Notes

Kareem Hunt has unfinished business with the Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs Media Availability

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Back for 2025, the veteran running back is focused on winning a Super Bowl with Kansas City.

When running back Kareem Hunt returned to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024, the season didn’t end quite the way he wanted. Reaching (and winning) a Super Bowl was a big part of why he wanted to come back; he wanted another crack at bringing the whole thing home.

Now he’ll get another chance, as the team has re-signed the 29-year-old to a one-year contract last week. Despite the championship loss, Hunt still loves playing for the Chiefs.

“The culture is just great,” he told reporters on Thursday. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to. But we’ve got a lot of work to do — and I feel like we’ve got another good shot at it.”

Hunt played an integral role in the team’s 2024 offense, filling in when running back Isiah Pacheco went down with an injury. His 200 carries (in only 13 games) were the most he’d had in a single season since he was a Kansas City rookie in 2017.

Hunt’s role for the 2025 season isn’t yet known. While former teammate Samaje Perine has returned to the Cincinnati Bengals, Pacheco is fully healthy — and the team has signed former San Francisco 49ers’ running back Elijah Mitchell, too. But Hunt appears unconcerned.

“I’m just doing whatever Coach Reid and those guys ask me to do, man,” he insisted. “I’ll just play my role — go out there [to] do whatever [I can] to help the team win.”

Although Hunt will be 30 before the season starts, he doesn’t foresee his age will be an issue. After all, he managed his 2024 workload without the benefit of an offseason program or training camp.

“I am just taking care of my body, working every day and eating right,” he explained. “I feel like it’ll help me in the long run. So my body feels great. I’m excited to have an actual training camp — and be there when everything gets running.”

Hunt said that the Super Bowl loss put a fire in him to get back and finish what he started.

“You never want to go to the Super Bowl and lose,” he noted, “but I’m just grateful I got to experience that. I definitely want to get back there and see how it is on the other side.”

Hunt knows that to reach the goal he’s set for himself, it will take everything he has. That will require fully committing himself to the task at hand, which he says is his mindset for this season.

“I just wanna focus on finishing the job,” he said, “finding a way to win that last game.”

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...-kareem-hunt-has-unfinished-business-for-2025
 
How the Chiefs could evolve into the Lions’ style of offense with their own personnel

Kansas City Chiefs v Atlanta Falcons

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Could Kansas City evolve into the kind of offensive scheme with which Detroit has been so successful?

Every three or four years, NFL personnel, schemes and coaching staffs change — so teams must be able to adapt to how football is now being played around the league.

We’ve seen this with the Kansas City Chiefs. When quarterback Patrick Mahomes took over in 2018, the team built its offense around speed at wide receiver — and Mahomes’ ability to throw downfield. The Chiefs were consistently getting five players out on routes while offensive tackles were on islands, focused on pass protection.

So when defenses began running more two-high safety coverages to limit explosive plays, Kansas City evolved by becoming less dependent on its speedy receivers, investing more into the offensive line and playing more 12 and 13 personnel to mix in the running game. In 2022 — when that scheme worked best — it largely depended on the play of tight end Travis Kelce.

After the team’s loss in Super Bowl LIX, another evolution could be coming. Kelce is now exiting his prime; he just isn’t as viable as the engine of the passing offense. Younger wide receivers like Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are now being featured.

How might Kansas City adapt this time?

It occurs to me that the Chiefs might consider becoming more like the Detroit Lions’ offense, which has arguably been the league’s best over the last two years. With their current personnel, I think the Chiefs could run that kind of an offense.

Let’s consider how the Lions do it.

What is the Lions’ offensive scheme?


Detroit’s offense starts and ends with its running game and offensive line. While the Lions mostly play 11 personnel, they still get great run looks, using an athletic, physical offensive line that can run any rushing scheme. Their linemen can easily toggle between approaches, depending on how the opposing defense is playing them. Running back David Montgomery runs between the tackles, while Jahmyr Gibbs is used in space on pitch plays or outside zone runs.

The passing game’s concepts are built from the running game. Detroit calls plenty of under-center play-action that targets the middle of the field, where wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is used on crossers or dig routes from the slot. Wideout Jameson Williams is the burner who wins downfield. Tight end Sam LaPorta runs underneath in the flats and on short drag routes.

Every passing concept uses some vertical stretch, an intermediate route and someone leaking late underneath to give defenses a three-level look. The Lions also use motion to get advantageous matchups and free releases for their receivers.

On third down, Detroit spreads their formations more, using motion and formational stacks to get the same advantages they have on early downs.

How does this match the Chiefs’ personnel?


I first had this idea when thinking about player comparisons for Rice — and St. Brown came to mind. When the Kansas City wide receiver was healthy in 2024, he was dominating on short crossing routes and dig routes from the slot — just like St. Brown does. Rice has showed enough that he could handle being the primary weapon in this kind of offense.

Worthy isn’t a perfect one-to-one match with Williams, but both can operate as burners on downfield post routes. While Worthy might provide more underneath — while Williams is better downfield — I think they could do similar things.

Kelce’s role, however, would need to be adjusted. LaPorta often chips before releasing into underneath zones as a late outlet. While Kelce could do that, he’d have to be more committed to chipping and blocking. If he was, he wouldn’t have to win in the middle of the field. Instead, he could let the scheme — and the timing of his routes — release him underneath. This would give Kelce a lower average depth, but he’d be much more efficient.

In the running game, Kansas City doesn’t have Detroit’s offensive line — but I still think the Chiefs could replicate some of the Lions’ running schemes. If Kinglsey Suamataia is the left guard, Kansas City will have a very athletic, physical trio of interior offensive linemen. Even though Joe Thuney’s pass protection was still very good, his skills as a run blocker decreased as he aged. Suamataia is bigger (and more athletic) than the 2024 Thuney. If he develops, he could absolutely thrive in an outside zone scheme — just like the one the Chiefs’ new left tackle Jaylon Moore played while with the San Francisco 49ers.

What else would the Chiefs need?


Running back

The Lions’ style of offense requires a top-notch running back who can establish a threat with explosive runs — something Gibbs can do because he has the speed to take a well-blocked 5-yard run and turn it into to 25 yards. The Chiefs just don’t have anyone who can do that; they barely even have a starting running back. Getting a dynamic back would be a top priority to make this kind of offense work in Kansas City.

An X wide receiver

After the Super Bowl, I wrote that the Chiefs need a one-on-one receiver who could win while isolated and against man coverage. But after considering it further, that may have been an exaggeration — especially if they adopt this kind of attack. Rice can be the featured player in a passing offense — and Worthy can do more.

Kansas City would still need an X receiver — someone who can block, catch slant routes and backside digs and be a solid third option in the offense. The Lions have used Josh Reynolds and Tim Patrick in this role. This player would not have to be a star, but could be counted upon for 400-600 yards each season. The Chiefs could find that kind of player in the draft’s third or fourth round.

Tackles who do more in the running game

This is one area where Kansas City would need real help. Their tackles cannot do the work that Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker do for the Lions — and in the short term, it’s probably impossible for the Chiefs to acquire that kind of player. While I believe the interior of the offensive line could do well in this kind of offense, it would need more physical run-blocking tackles. Moore could provide some of that, but I’d worry about Jawaan Taylor’s ability in this kind of scheme. If the Chiefs wanted to evolve into this style of offense over the next 3-4 years, they would need to draft a right tackle who could be effective in it — even if it doesn’t have immediate benefits this season.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...lions-offensive-style-using-current-personnel
 
Can you guess this Chiefs wide receiver in today’s in-5 trivia game?

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Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Saturday, March 22, 2025
Friday, March 21, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
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Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/23/24392124/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Chiefs get a defensive tackle in new USA Today mock draft

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 09 Georgia at Ole Miss

Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In his latest mock, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz sends Ole Miss prospect Walter Nolen to Kansas City.

On Monday, USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz published his second mock draft, which sent a defensive tackle to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 31st pick of the first round.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi

Further investment in the offensive line can’t be entirely ruled out here, but trading Joe Thuney to the Bears and ponying up big for Jaylon Moore might wrap up the team’s offseason plan of drastic action for its biggest vulnerability. Dropping Nolen in next to Chris Jones would ensure opponents will have their hands full with the Chiefs’ interior line for some time.

In his first mock a couple of weeks ago, Middlehurst-Schwartz had the Chiefs taking Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka.

This time — even though Egbuka is still on the board when the Chiefs go on the clock — he sends Nolen to Kansas City with the 31st pick.

When I chided ESPN’s Mel Kiper for picking offensive tackle Kelvin Banks for the Chiefs last week, I noted that for Kansas City, “it’s almost universally understood that now, its biggest priority is along the defensive line.”

Since then, the Chiefs have re-signed defensive end Charles Omenihu and defensive tackle Mike Pennel — while also adding cornerback Robert Rochell. In my mind, these moves have put Kansas City into a position where it really can focus on the best player available with each of its picks. Nolen could be that player — as could Banks, for that matter. (I simply disagree with Kiper that Banks will be available at 31).

As we expected, other analysts are starting to get this message. When we last examined the data six days ago, 49% of the mock drafts since January 1 had gone with offensive linemen to Kansas City, compared to 34% with defensive linemen. But when we consider only the 20 mocks we’ve covered since March 15, (as shown below), it’s 45% to 40%. It might turn out that it will be very difficult to predict the position the Chiefs will cover with the 31st pick — much less who it will be.

Also note: starting with this article, we are listing guards and tackles separately in these tables, rather than combining them into an “OL” category.

National Mock Draft Positions
March 15-24

[td]
Position​
[/td]​
[td]
Pct​
[/td]​
[td]
Tackle​
[/td]​
[td]
30%​
[/td]​
[td]
Defensive tackle​
[/td]​
[td]
25%​
[/td]​
[td]
Guard​
[/td]​
[td]
15%​
[/td]​
[td]
Edge rusher​
[/td]​
[td]
15%​
[/td]​
[td]
Defensive back​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
Wide receiver​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
Tight end​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​

National Mock Draft Picks
March 15-24

[td]
Pos​
[/td]​
[td]
Name​
[/td]​
[td]
School​
[/td]​
[td]
Pct​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Josh Simmons​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
15%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Walter Nolen​
[/td]​
[td]
Mississippi​
[/td]​
[td]
15%​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Kelvin Banks Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
Texas​
[/td]​
[td]
10%​
[/td]​
[td]
EDGE​
[/td]​
[td]
James Pearce Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
Tennessee​
[/td]​
[td]
10%​
[/td]​
[td]
G​
[/td]​
[td]
Grey Zabel​
[/td]​
[td]
N. Dakota St.​
[/td]​
[td]
10%​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Aireontae Ersery​
[/td]​
[td]
Minnesota​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Derrick Harmon​
[/td]​
[td]
Oregon​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Tyleik Williams​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
G​
[/td]​
[td]
Tyler Booker​
[/td]​
[td]
Alabama​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
DE​
[/td]​
[td]
JT Tuimoloau​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
CB​
[/td]​
[td]
Shavon Revel Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
East Carolina​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
WR​
[/td]​
[td]
Matthew Golden​
[/td]​
[td]
Texas​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
TE​
[/td]​
[td]
Colston Loveland​
[/td]​
[td]
Michigan​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...ds-mississippi-dt-walter-nolen-to-kansas-city
 
Chiefs announce they have brought back Mike Pennel

NFL: Super Bowl LVIII-San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“The Beast” is returning for the 2025 NFL season.

On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs announced the return of defensive tackle Mike Pennel via their official X account.


We like Mike.

Welcome back, @TheBeastPennel! pic.twitter.com/gJo1IlQ5No

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) March 24, 2025

Pennel, 33, entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of CSU Pueblo following the conclusion of the 2014 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle was a key addition for the Chiefs midway through the 2019 season as the team defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

Pennel left the club in 2021 to join the Chicago Bears, and he bounced from the Bears to the Atlanta Falcons and back to the Bears before landing with the Chiefs for his second stint in October of 2023. In Kansas City’s four playoff games, Pennel recorded 12 tackles, including six in the team’s Super Bowl LVIII win over the 49ers.

The run-stuffer appeared in all 17 games for the Chiefs in 2024, playing 30% of the snaps. Pennel rounds out a Kansas City defensive line room that recently added defensive tackle Jerry Tillery and brought back defensive lineman Charles Omenihu.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/24/24392985/chiefs-announce-they-have-brought-back-mike-pennel
 
Trey Smith: ‘I love Kansas City; it’s my home’

Kansas City Chiefs v Cleveland Browns

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

The Chiefs’ franchise-tagged guard spoke with host Kay Adams on Monday.

With the legwork of free agency largely completed for the Kansas City Chiefs, the most pressing roster issue remaining is the status of star right guard Trey Smith. The Chiefs opened the offseason by unexpectedly giving Smith the franchise tag (at a one-year salary of $23.4 million). Smith officially signed the offer on March 10.

Smith joined host Kay Adams on Monday’s episode of “The Up and Adams Show” on FanDuel Sports Network. Speaking from a workout in Frisco, Texas, Smith seemed more concerned about hosting an upcoming youth football camp in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee, as well as attending this weekend’s NCAA basketball tournament match between his alma mater, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Kentucky Wildcats, than on his contract negotiations.

The fan favorite did reiterate his desire to remain with the Chiefs, who selected him in the sixth round of 2021’s NFL Draft.

“Ultimately,” Smith declared, “I can only focus on just working out and training. I love Kansas City — it’s my home. I love the Chiefs. The fans in Kansas City are some of the best people I’ve ever been around. Ultimately, I would love to stay there. That’s my plan.”

Smith and the Chiefs have until July 15 to agree to a long-term contract, or he will play the 2025 season on the franchise tag. Either scenario will likely make him the NFL’s highest-paid guard. No one could have predicted such an outcome as Smith fell deep into the third day of his draft class due to missing part of his sophomore season at Tennessee in 2018 after suffering blood clots in his lungs.

Smith shared with Adams advice he would give to other players who were disappointed with their draft positions.

Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
“For me, I leaned on my faith in God delivering me out of a lot of bad situations,” he began. “I think the biggest thing is just keeping your head down and working. No matter how bleak a situation looks, no matter how bad it looks, not matter what the outlook is that someone gives you — you’ve just got to work. You’ve got to work every single day because someone’s out there trying to replace you.

“Understand that even though it’s bad now, if you keep working, there’s going to be light at the end of the tunnel. There’s going to be a success. There’s going to be a breakthrough. At the end of the day, you’ve got to put your daily deposits in. You’ve got to have swag. It’s not going to just happen. You’ve got to go earn it.”

The guard is utilizing that same mindset as the Chiefs try to move on from a devastating 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

“It’s painful,” Smith admitted. “It’s definitely something that you don’t want to experience — getting that close, working that hard, and coming up short. At the end of the day, we’ll use that as fuel and motivation for next season. I’ll speak personally for myself; I know that wasn’t my best performance.

“For me, I’m hungry to show back up next season an even better player — a new player — and put my first step forward in a positive manner to make sure that I’m doing everything I can for my team for us to be successful. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal and objective. We all want to win that Lombardi Trophy and lift it up at the end of the season.

“We realize we got everybody’s best shot last season. At the end of the day, we’ve got to be on our A-game week in and week out. I use it as fuel and motivation for next season, for sure.”
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Smith blocks for the face of the sport in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has also repeatedly owned up to a disappointing Super Bowl performance. He is not surprised to have seen his famous teammate take responsibility as the team moves forward.

“It just shows how great of a leader Patrick is at all moments,” Smith noted. “Him taking the blame in situations, him taking accountability and credit — I know without a doubt there’s no one I trust more than Patrick Mahomes to lead a football team and get guys in the right direction. He knows that we’re backing him 100 percent every step up of the way.

“Whatever he needs, he knows he has his teammates. I would just say he’s the ultimate leader. A lot of people duck a lot of the accountability. A lot of people don’t take up for the bad times. They only take up for the good and only take credit for the great times.

“For him to step up in that situation, I’m not shocked at all. It’s a testament to his character. I know I’m riding with 15 all the way.”

Although he is coming off of his best season, which saw him named to his first Pro Bowl, Smith remained humble while discussing his individual goal for 2025 with Adams.

“I think for me, the main thing is just to be consistent,” he revealed. “Be great — but be great consistently. That’s sort of the mission I’m trying to be on. I’m trying to not just be the best I can be but just do it week in and week out and be that same great player every single week.”

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/25/24393322/trey-smith-i-love-kansas-city-its-my-home
 
Can you guess this Chiefs defensive lineman in today’s in-5 trivia game?

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Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Monday, March 24, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/26/24394321/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5
 
AP Premier: Chiefs’ quotes that stood out among the rest

032625_APPHub.0.jpg


What is Arrowhead Pride Premier? Arrowhead Pride Premier is our tri-weekly newsletter, one that provides analysis and exclusive insights directly from Arrowhead Stadium, delivered straight to your inbox. Below is a preview of the latest edition. Click here for the last preview.


Hearing from the players


By Pete Sweeney

Now that the initial waves of free agency have passed, we are beginning to better understand the offseason vision of Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.

Before free agency began, our tracker listed 35 returning players under contract, but that dropped to 34 after Veach traded left guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. Kansas City has 15 new reserve/future contracts and 24 new contracts for 2025. Currently, the Chiefs have four remaining free agents on the market.

With details of the new contracts continuing to trickle out, below, our Jared Sapp evaluates where the team’s salary cap for 2025 currently stands.

Last week, the Chiefs made many of their newly signed players available to the media. Here are five standout quotes:

Right guard Trey Smith: An honest and open interview with FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams

Smith recently spoke candidly with Adams for about 10 minutes, discussing his offseason and contract situation. As it stands, Smith has signed his franchise tag and is set to play on a one-year, $23.4 million deal unless the two sides come to a new agreement by July 15.

Smith has always been thoughtful with what he says to the media, even going as far as complimenting Kingsley Suamataia immediately after an early-season game in which he had to be replaced. With Adams, he openly shared his desire to stay in a Chiefs uniform both now and for the foreseeable future.

“I can only focus on just working out and training,” said Smith. “I love Kansas City — it’s my home. I love the Chiefs. The fans in Kansas City are some of the best people I’ve ever been around. Ultimately, I would love to stay there. That’s my plan.”

Regarding pass blocking in 2024, Smith played in nine games when he allowed one or fewer pressures. But he also had some outings he may have wanted back, allowing three or more pressures in four games (including the Divisional Round and Super Bowl).

Even as Smith is set to make quadruple the money in 2025 that he has made in his entire four-year career, he is taking that element as a true challenge to overcome.

“I think for me, the main thing is just to be consistent,” he said. “Be great — but be great consistently. That’s sort of the mission I’m trying to be on. I’m trying to not just be the best I can be but just do it week in and week out and be that same great player every single week.”


What else is in this edition?

  • Pete highlights four more Chiefs’ quotes from last week that matter.
  • Our Jared Sapp evaluates where the cap stands heading into NFL Draft month.
  • A link to the full hour-long episode of the “Editors Show” (preview below).

The Editors Show


Here is a preview of this week’s Editors Show featuring Pete Sweeney and John Dixon.


What else is included in a subscription?


During the offseason, we provide a weekly update on Wednesday, with additional coverage on major events, such as free agency and the NFL Draft. During the season, You can expect 3 weekly newsletters, as outlined below:

  • In our game preview newsletter on Thursdays, Pete shares his three thoughts heading into the game, Rocky Magaña highlights a pivotal matchup to watch — and John Dixon shares some background on one of the upcoming game’s biggest storylines.
  • In our post-game newsletter, Pete shares his three thoughts stemming from each performance, Ron Kopp delivers his very first look at the film — and Jared Sapp captures everything being said about the turning point of the game.
  • Brandon Kiley is our in-season Arrowhead Pride Premier Tuesday columnist.

How to sign up for Arrowhead Pride Premier


Subscribe today through this link for even more Chiefs coverage this season — and right now, we have a coupon code to give you 25% off for the entire year.

Enter coupon code PODCAST25 to receive 25% off your annual subscription.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...r-chiefs-quotes-that-stood-out-among-the-rest
 
Can you guess this Chiefs quarterback in today’s in-5 trivia game?

ap_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/27/24395052/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5
 
New ESPN 7-round mock draft sends Chiefs an EDGE with 31st pick

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 31 AFLAC Kickoff Game - Clemson vs Georgia

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In a new full mock, ESPN’s Matt Miller sends Georgia pass rusher Mykel Williams to Kansas City.

On Monday, ESPN’s Matt Miller published a seven-round mock draft that sent a pass rusher to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 31st pick of the first round.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia

The Chiefs took care of their most glaring roster need in free agency by signing left tackle Jaylon Moore, so they should use this pick as a step toward building the overall talent and depth on their roster. Williams has moments of greatness — he combined for four sacks in two games against Texas in 2024 — but also tends to disappear. He was slowed this season by an ankle injury, yet he showed toughness and glimpses of his ceiling.

Working alongside Chris Jones and George Karlaftis would give Williams one-on-one matchups with offensive linemen as he develops his game. His rare physical tools could make him a special 4-3 defensive end — if he puts everything together. Williams’ pass rush is based mostly on physical ability and lacks technique, but the Chiefs have a good track record of developing defensive talent.

As we come to the end of March, I finally bring you a mock draft that brings a pass rusher to the Chiefs’ defensive line — perhaps one that you haven’t considered. In Miller’s draft, Williams is the fifth EDGE to come off the board, following Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart with the 29th pick.

Then Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College goes to the Philadelphia Eagles with the very next selection, while Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. lasts until the 49th pick and Texas A&M’s Nick Scourton goes off the board with the 60th pick.

Defensive tackles Ken Grant (39th), Tyliek Williams (42nd), Walter Nolen (43rd) and Alfred Collins (46th) all last into the second round — as does offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (38th).

Here’s how Miller sees Kansas City using the rest of its picks:

63. Tackle Charles Grant, William & Mary
66. Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer,
Florida State
95. Cornerback Nohl Williams, California
133. Running back Bhayshul Tuten,
Virginia Tech
226. Safety Kitan Crawford, Nevada
251. Wide receiver Daniel Jackson, Minnesota
257. Defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia


National Mock Draft Positions

[td]
Position​
[/td]​
[td]
Pct​
[/td]​
[td]
Tackle​
[/td]​
[td]
38%​
[/td]​
[td]
Defensive tackle​
[/td]​
[td]
20%​
[/td]​
[td]
Guard​
[/td]​
[td]
12%​
[/td]​
[td]
Edge rusher​
[/td]​
[td]
12%​
[/td]​
[td]
Defensive back​
[/td]​
[td]
8%​
[/td]​
[td]
Wide receiver​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
Tight end​
[/td]​
[td]
4%​
[/td]​

National Mock Draft Picks

[td]
Pos​
[/td]​
[td]
Name​
[/td]​
[td]
School​
[/td]​
[td]
Pct​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Josh Simmons​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
16%​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Josh Conerly Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
Oregon​
[/td]​
[td]
14%​
[/td]​
[td]
G​
[/td]​
[td]
Donovan Jackson​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
7%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Walter Nolen​
[/td]​
[td]
Mississippi​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Derrick Harmon​
[/td]​
[td]
Oregon​
[/td]​
[td]
5%​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Aireontae Ersery​
[/td]​
[td]
Minnesota​
[/td]​
[td]
4%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Tyleik Williams​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
4%​
[/td]​
[td]
EDGE​
[/td]​
[td]
James Pearce Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
Tennessee​
[/td]​
[td]
4%​
[/td]​
[td]
CB​
[/td]​
[td]
Shavon Revel Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
East Carolina​
[/td]​
[td]
4%​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Kelvin Banks Jr.​
[/td]​
[td]
Texas​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Kenneth Grant​
[/td]​
[td]
Michigan​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
DT​
[/td]​
[td]
Darius Alexander​
[/td]​
[td]
Toledo​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
G​
[/td]​
[td]
Grey Zabel​
[/td]​
[td]
N. Dakota St.​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
EDGE​
[/td]​
[td]
Nic Scourton​
[/td]​
[td]
Texas A&M​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
WR​
[/td]​
[td]
Matthew Golden​
[/td]​
[td]
Texas​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
WR​
[/td]​
[td]
Emeka Egbuka​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
TE​
[/td]​
[td]
Colston Loveland​
[/td]​
[td]
Michigan​
[/td]​
[td]
3%​
[/td]​
[td]
T​
[/td]​
[td]
Cameron Williams​
[/td]​
[td]
Texas​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
G​
[/td]​
[td]
Tyler Booker​
[/td]​
[td]
Alabama​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
DE​
[/td]​
[td]
JT Tuimoloau​
[/td]​
[td]
Ohio State​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
G​
[/td]​
[td]
Marcus Mbow​
[/td]​
[td]
Purdue​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
EDGE​
[/td]​
[td]
Mike Green​
[/td]​
[td]
Marshall​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
EDGE​
[/td]​
[td]
Jared Ivey​
[/td]​
[td]
Mississippi​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
EDGE​
[/td]​
[td]
Mykel Williams​
[/td]​
[td]
Georgia​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
CB​
[/td]​
[td]
Azareye’h Thomas​
[/td]​
[td]
Florida State​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
CB​
[/td]​
[td]
Maxwell Hairston​
[/td]​
[td]
Kentucky​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
S​
[/td]​
[td]
Nick Emmanwori​
[/td]​
[td]
South Carolina​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​
[td]
TE​
[/td]​
[td]
Mason Taylor​
[/td]​
[td]
LSU​
[/td]​
[td]
1%​
[/td]​

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...mock-sends-edge-mykel-williams-to-kansas-city
 
Can you guess this Chiefs running back in today’s in-5 trivia game?

ap_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Thursday, March 27, 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/28/24395790/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Will the Chiefs go heavier on offense or defense in 2025 NFL Draft?

NFL: APR 25 2024 Draft

Photo by John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Which side of the ball will Kansas City focus upon?

The NFL Draft is just under a month away — and as it draws near, how the Kansas City Chiefs will utilize their draft assets is still a bit of a mystery.

Kansas City’s offensive tackles were victimized by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, so the team could focus on the offensive line — especially at left tackle, where former Kansas City guard Joe Thuney had to pitch in to help.

Bu left tackle is just one of 22 positions on the football field — and the Chiefs now have eight picks in the draft: selections 31, 63, 66, 95, 133, 226, 251 and 257

But if history holds, the Chiefs might not make selections at all of these spots. They might trade picks away to move up — or gain additional picks by trading back.

In 2024, the Chiefs traded up to select Xavier Worthy 28th overall, exchanging a package of picks with the Buffalo Bill.


The picks:
-- No. 28, 133, 248 to KC
-- No. 32, 95 and 221 to BUF

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2024

But in 2022, the Chiefs traded back in the second round, taking wide receiver Skyy Moore with the 54th pick.


The Chiefs trade: Pick 50

The Patriots trade: Pick 54, 158

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 30, 2022

Later, the Chiefs gave that 158th pick (and a seventh-rounder) to the Seattle Seahawks, moving up to draft offensive tackle Darian Kinnard.


The Seahawks trade: Pick 145

The Chiefs trade: Pick 158, 233

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 30, 2022

Could Kansas City make similar moves this year — and if so, for whom?

Since March 15, the Chiefs have signed (or re-signed) four free agents — all of them on defense:


In all, a dozen of Kansas City’s free agency moves have been on defense, while 10 have been for offensive players. Could this mean the team will depend on its free-agency moves for its defensive needs?

Then there’s this: according to CBS Sports, of the Chiefs' eight confirmed top-30 visits, seven have been with offensive linemen.


There are two ways to look at this.

Except for Ersery, none of these players will probably be selected in the top 100 picks. Some of them — such as Vavao and Etienne — might end up as undrafted free agents (UDFAs) after the draft.

Are the Chiefs simply doing their due diligence — making backup plans for the event they don’t get their guy — or could this be a sign they are not prioritizing offensive tackle in the first round?

Or should we believe that Kansas City is bringing in all of these guys as a smoke screen to conceal its true intentions?

In a recent “Monday Morning Quarterback” column, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote that in a perfect scenario, the Chiefs would land an offensive tackle like Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. or Ohio State’s Josh Simmons.

If [the Chiefs] had their druthers, an offensive tackle — maybe a guy such as Conerly or Simmons — slips to them, and now they throw him in the mix with incoming left tackle Jaylon Moore and up-and-down veteran right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

While we know for a fact that the Chiefs met with Conerly at the NFL Scouting Combine, I also wouldn’t put it past Kansas City general manager Brett Veach to leak this information to an NFL insider to cover his tracks as he narrows in on his true target.

Breer goes on to state that since the draft’s strongest positions are on the defense, the Chiefs might be happy with a defensive lineman — especially an interior pass rusher like Walter Nolen Jr. of Ole Miss or Kenneth Grant of Michigan.

We’re left with this: outside of quarterback, none of the moves Kansas City has made should keep the team from taking the best player available on its board at any point of the draft.

There is, in fact, an argument that this is exactly what Veach has been doing: plugging the roster so that he can select the players he has identified as the greatest impact players available to Kansas City in 2025.

So what will those positions be?

Based upon the current roster, where the Chiefs are picking and the relative strength of the position groups in this draft class, I think Kansas City’s draft class will include two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, two defensive backs, a running back and a wide receiver.

That’s right: a 50/50 split between offense and defense.

Here’s how I would prioritize them:

  • Round 1 (31): Offensive tackle, defensive tackle or and unexpected blue chip player
  • Round 2 (63): The position left from Round 1
  • Round 3 (66, 95): The position left from Rounds 1-2 — a running back or a run-stuffing defensive lineman
  • Round 4 (133): A wide receiver, tight end or best player available
  • Round 7 (226, 251, 257): Best player available


What do you think? How do you think the Chiefs will approach the draft?

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...team-go-heavier-on-offense-or-defense-in-2025
 
Arrowheadlines: ESPN to release original series about the Chiefs

NFL: AFC Wild Card Playoffs-Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs headlines for Saturday, March 29

The latest


ESPN, Disney+ and Skydance Sports Announce New ESPN Original Series on the Kansas City Chiefs | The Mothership

ESPN, Disney+, and Skydance Sports today announced the development of an upcoming ESPN Original Series on the Kansas City Chiefs. Produced by Words + Pictures in association with Skydance Sports, NFL Films, 2PM Productions, and Foolish Club Studios, the six-episode docuseries is expected to premiere later this year on ESPN and Disney+ and will explore the franchise’s indelible and distinctive place in the NFL’s landscape for over more than six decades of history while offering an exclusive, revealing chronicle of the team’s extraordinary 2024 season. The docuseries is directed by Kristen Lappas of Words + Pictures (“Giannis: The Marvelous Journey,” Full Court Press, “Dream On”) and produced by much of the team behind “The Last Dance” (including executive producers Connor Schell, Jason Hehir, Libby Geist and Aaron Cohen, and showrunner Matt Maxson).

“ESPN and Disney+ know that sports fans are interested in stories that take them beyond the X’s and O’s, and this series will explore the legacy of the Chiefs franchise while also showcasing the emotional highs and lows of building a championship-winning team,” said Burke Magnus, president of content, ESPN. “From the brilliance of Patrick Mahomes to the leadership of Andy Reid and the passion of Chiefs Kingdom, this project will showcase the drama, intensity, and heart that make this team a global phenomenon.”

2025 NFL Draft: Early- and late-round options for every team’s biggest need | PFF

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: INTERIOR DEFENDER

Day 1 option:
Darius Alexander, Toledo

Day 3 option: Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech

Preparing for the post–Chris Jones era should be at the forefront of the Chiefs’ draft plans in 2025. Alexander earned a 90.1 PFF grade last season, ranking third among all interior defensive linemen in the class.

Peebles is another strong option as a disruptive B-gap penetrator who posted a 92.1 pass-rushing grade in 2024.

2025 NFL mock draft: Shedeur Sanders falls to playoff contender, plus two AFC teams trade up | CBS Sports

Round 1 - Pick 31

Kenneth Grant DL

Michigan • Jr • 6’4” / 331 lbs

Tershawn Wharton is gone and Chris Jones isn’t getting any younger, so the Chiefs must address the interior of their defensive line. It was a major bummer that a hamstring strain kept Kenneth Grant from working out at the NFL combine, but he’s still a massive, super athletic interior defensive lineman with a ton of room to grow.

Eric Edholm 2025 NFL mock draft 2.0: Browns snag Abdul Carter AND Shedeur Sanders; RB to Cowboys | NFL.com

26 - Derrick Harmon

Oregon · DL · Junior (RS)

PROJECTED TRADE WITH LOS ANGELES RAMS

From 2016 through 2019, the Chiefs drafted six interior defensive linemen, five in the top 85 overall; since then, they’ve drafted one DT (Keondre Coburn, a sixth-rounder in 2023). Hence the desire to trade up ahead of some DL-needy teams for Harmon, who could be an eventual replacement for Chris Jones with his length and athletic twitch.

Patrick Mahomes unleashes his inner beast: NFL on high alert after chiefs’ Super Bowl setback | Marca

Mahomes’ personal trainer, Bobby Stroupe, has often shed light on the star quarterback’s rigorous workout routines. However, a new video shared on social media reveals just how intensely the Chiefs’ signal-caller is gearing up for the 2025 NFL season.

Inside Mahomes’ training regimen

Stroupe, who has worked with Mahomes for years, posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), describing it as the three-time Super Bowl champion’s spring training. The Daily Chiefs account added fuel to the buzz by reposting the clip with a striking comment: ”We’re about to see a whole new Mahomes, aren’t we?”

In the footage, Mahomes offers a glimpse of his off-season routine. It features mobility exercises, soft tissue work, explosive movements, medicine ball drills, and intense barbell deadlifts.

Around the NFL


Ravens, John Harbaugh agree to 3-year extension through 2028 | ESPN

The new deal keeps Harbaugh under contract with the team through the 2028 season.

Harbaugh, 62, was entering the final year of a contract that he signed in March 2022. The Ravens have never let him start a regular season on the final year of his contract since he was hired in 2008.

He is the team’s all-time winningest head coach with a 185-115 record over 17 seasons. Harbaugh guided the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2012, and his 12 playoff berths are the second most in the league behind Andy Reid (14) since he arrived in Baltimore.

Competition Committee’s position on team proposals will be finalized on Sunday | NBC Sports

On Sunday afternoon, the Competition Committee will meet to finalize its stance on the team proposals.

The most significant team proposal comes from the Packers, who have proposed new language that would impact, but not eliminate, the “tush push.” The Lions have proposed an overhaul of the playoff seeding system to remove the guaranteed home game for division winners. The Lions also want to eliminate the automatic first down for defensive holding and illegal contact.

Also, the Eagles have proposed that regular-season overtime match postseason overtime, with both teams getting a guaranteed possession — and with the time expanded from 10 minutes to 15.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride


Chiefs Draft: Will team go heavier on offense or defense in 2025?

Then there’s this: according to CBS Sports, of the Chiefs’ eight confirmed top-30 visits, seven have been with offensive linemen.

OT Anthony Belton (N.C. State)

OL Mose Vavao (Fresno State)

OL Esa Pole (Washington State)

OL Bryce Cabeldue (Kansas)

OT Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan (Oregon State)

OT Caleb Etienne (BYU)

OT Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota)

CB Melvin Smith Jr. (Southern Arkansas)

There are two ways to look at this.

Except for Ersery, none of these players will probably be selected in the top 100 picks. Some of them — such as Vavao and Etienne — might end up as undrafted free agents (UDFAs) after the draft.

Are the Chiefs simply doing their due diligence — making backup plans for the event they don’t get their guy — or could this be a sign they are not prioritizing offensive tackle in the first round?

Social media to make you think


Spring break ‘25 pic.twitter.com/oql8te8YmV

— Bobby Stroupe (@bobbystroupe) March 21, 2025

Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media


Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...n-to-release-original-series-about-the-chiefs
 
Can you guess this Chiefs defensive lineman in today’s in-5 trivia game?

ap_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Friday, March 28, 2025
Thursday, March 27, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/29/24396467/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Can you guess this Chiefs wide receiver in today’s in-5 trivia game?

ap_social.0.png


Think you can figure out which Chiefs player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Arrowhead Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Arrowhead Pride in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Saturday, March 29, 2025
Friday, March 28, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Arrowhead Pride in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Chiefs player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025/3/30/24397067/sb-nation-chiefs-daily-trivia-in-5
 
LOOK: Hawaiian Andy again among the NFL’s coaches at March meeting in Florida

Annual NFL League Meeting

Photo by B51/Mark Brown/Getty Images

Kansas City’s head coach is always easy to spot at the league’s meetings.

Over the weekend, the NFL’s March meetings began at The Breakers, a historic hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

A number of important topics will be on the agenda. These include moving the league to an 18-game season, eliminating the “tush push” play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles and making last season’s adjusted kickoffs (which were a one-year experiment in 2024) a permanent part of the game after moving the end zone touchback from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line.

But first, there’s the matter of the annual group photo of the league’s head coaches. Seated in the middle of the front row, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid is hard to miss in one of his trademark Hawaiian shirts.


NFL head coaches just took their annual group photo at the league meetings in Florida.

( @NFLprguy) pic.twitter.com/hPGrnYKJhW

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 30, 2025

As you can see, just 31 of the 32 head coaches are present. Atlanta Falcons boss Raheem Morris is the only one who missed the photo.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...among-nfl-coaches-at-march-meeting-in-florida
 
For Texas Tech TE Jalin Conyers, his best football may yet lie ahead

West Virginia v Texas Tech

Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images

Kansas City is reportedly showing interest in a big pass-catcher from Patrick Mahomes’ alma mater.

Last week, Justin Melo of The Draft Network reported that Texas Tech tight end Jalin Conyers was “drawing interest” from the Kansas City Chiefs, among other teams.


.@TexasTechFB TE Jalin Conyers at the NFL Combine: 1st in three-cone (6.94) & shuttle (4.27). Top-5 in Vert (35.45") + Broad (10'1").

ATHLETE.

Drawing interest #Cowboys, #49ers, #Chiefs, #Texans, #Saints, #Lions.@TheRealJConyers x @TheDraftNetworkhttps://t.co/1sdQmYpYcq

— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 28, 2025

Here is what to know about Conyers.

Background


Hailing from the tiny Texas panhandle town of Gruver, Conyers committed to Oklahoma as a four-star recruit in 2020, but never appeared in a Sooners game. He entered the transfer portal twice, attending Arizona State from 2021 to 2023 before landing at Texas Tech last season.

When I spoke to Conyers at this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl, he was proud of his small-town roots. He described Gruver as a “put your hand in the dirt, get dirty and go make plays” football program.


Jalin Conyers is a TE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.20 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 98 out of 1218 TE from 1987 to 2025.

Pro day pending for remaining tests.https://t.co/pqRIa3qyoL pic.twitter.com/XJ8b2U4rrx

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 11, 2025

At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Conyers recorded excellent numbers in both jumping categories, along with the shuttle and three-cone drills. While his 4.74 40-yard dash time wasn’t eye-popping, it represented more than sufficient game speed for Conyers’ 260-pound frame. Measured at just under 6 feet 4, Conyers’ height is a minor concern, given that being a reliable end-zone target will have much to do with his chance to succeed in the NFL.

Conyers also shined during the Combine’s on-field workouts.


#TexasTech TE Jalin Conyers dropped as many passes in the workout as I did tonight

(spoiler: I was not targeted)

High-volume target with a great pair of hands attached to his nearly 81'' wingspan pic.twitter.com/vAB9c4X7ek

— Fran Duffy (@FDuffyNFL) March 1, 2025

Film evaluation


At the Shrine Bowl, Conyers said he was a well-rounded player.

“I just want to show my diversity,” he said, “and show my IQ as a football player — that I can play all three levels, whether it’s in the backfield, inline, or split out.”

His college film shows highlights in all three areas.


#Chiefs reportedly "showing interest" in Texas Tech tight end Jalin Conyers per @JustinM_NFL. The reasons why the Chiefs would be interested in a 260 pound player who can move like this and catch on the run are obvious pic.twitter.com/gK4BhJulBT

— Jared Sapp (@TrumanChief) March 30, 2025

But most importantly for the Chiefs’ offense, this play shows Conyers is perfectly capable of working as a big slot target and catching on the move.

While moving, Conyers is simply difficult to bring down.


Arizona State TE Jalin Conyers throws Washington State DB Cam Lampkin off of him for a big yardage gain. #CollegeFootball #NFL #Pac12

pic.twitter.com/jJZGFfWL4T

— Justin David Kish • Sports Journalist (@JustinDavidKish) October 29, 2023

In this Arizona State play from 2023, Conyers runs right through a tackle by cornerback Cam Lampkin (now with the Los Angeles Rams ) to stretch the play for another 10 yards.


Morton ➡️ Conyers

Fourth TD pass of the day for Morton

ESPN+ | https://t.co/3JxICoV7Ft pic.twitter.com/eP7KyPkKjl

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 23, 2024

While Conyers falls a bit short of the desired height for the position, his vertical ability shows on high throws; he routinely outjumps defenders for big catches. This should create a realistic path to make a 53-man roster as a red zone target in multiple tight end sets.


TE Jalin Conyers has such an interesting profile as a prospect. Former HS QB, got a bunch of carries at Arizona State and Texas Tech. Really fun mover with the ball in his hands pic.twitter.com/qU3OSyvp95

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) March 19, 2025

Under head coach Andy Reid, Conyers’ trick-play ability would be fun to watch. While the Chiefs regularly experiment with Wildcat formations in which tight ends take direct snaps, players like Blake Bell haven’t represented nearly the threat that Conyers would bring.

Nor is he just a running threat.


If the Chiefs are considering drafting Conyers, the trick play potential would be a big plus in his favor. The former high school quarterback's alone make him a true direct snap threat. Here he stops on a dime what appears to be a designed run and unleashes a 20-yard TD throw pic.twitter.com/NfuszGdll1

— Jared Sapp (@TrumanChief) March 30, 2025

On this play against Baylor, Conyers takes a handoff out of the backfield. But halfway to the line of scrimmage, he comes to a sudden stop — and the former high school quarterback throws a 20-yard touchdown pass to stun the Bear defense.

Conyers also shows potential as a bulldozing run blocker. Texas Tech teammate Tahj Brooks is likely to hear his name called earlier on draft weekend, but many of the running back’s highlights show Conyers opening up running lanes.


Tahj Brooks for the lead in Ames‼️ ⌚

ESPN | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/P8CH4cgCvw

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 2, 2024

Here, Conyers essentially uses Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter (an expected top-100 selection you can learn about here) as a blocking sled as Brooks takes a direct snap and easily finds the end zone.


The mystery of Conyers is how a player that tantalizing goes through 3 programs never reaching 40 catches or 500 receiving yards. Drops were not a major concern in college, but his hand placement on this dropped TD is concerning and could raise some red flags for evaluators. pic.twitter.com/aTOA4t9uTC

— Jared Sapp (@TrumanChief) March 30, 2025

The downside to Conyers is that while his highlights shine, his long college career has lacked volume. Even when playing full seasons over the last four years, he never reached 40 catches — and exceeded 400 receiving yards just once. By itself, this inability to carve out a bigger role is concerning — especially from a player with so much mismatch potential. Conyers will also turn 24 during his first training camp.

While drops were not a major issue in his somewhat limited action, Conyers’ inability to bring in this wide-open touchdown against West Virginia last season has raised some concern due to his bad hand placement. If scouts frequently see this clapping motion as Conyers brings in passes, the potential for a bigger drop issue will be on the table.

The bottom line


Although the Chiefs have boasted Hall of Fame tight end play for all but five seasons dating back to 1997, “Who is going to replace Travis Kelce?” is not a good question to ask. Soon, the Chiefs will need to take a more normal approach to the position — which generally means building a room of high-floor contributors, rather than one unstoppable player.

Kansas City would be wise to continue using Day 3 selections on athletic tight ends. Yes... the team drafted Jared Wiley — a tight end similar to Conyers — last year. But unfortunately, Wiley’s return timeline after a midseason ACL tear will probably remain unknown as the Chiefs enter draft weekend.

Conyers would be a good candidate to come on in three tight end sets — just like Wiley before he was hurt. Conyers’ athleticism would give him a chance to build on that limited role for future seasons.

With his ability for trick plays (and possible usage as a short-yardage quarterback), he would be a fun player to add on Day 3. If he can build on his game — carving out a bigger role than he saw in college — Conyers could eventually be seen as a late-round steal.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...-te-jalin-conyers-best-football-may-lie-ahead
 
Andy Reid isn’t giving up on RB Isiah Pacheco in 2025

Kansas City Chiefs v Cleveland Browns

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Kansas City is likely to have a crowded running back room this season, but the head coach still believes in his starter.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ starting running back Isiah Pacheco missed nine games of the 2024 season with a fractured fibula, allowing the team to bring Kareem Hunt back for the first time since his 2018 release.

Pacheco ended up gaining just 310 yards (and a touchdown) on 83 attempts over six regular-season games — a career-low 3.7 yards per attempt.

Hunt has been re-signed for 2025. The team has also brought in former San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Johnson — and is widely considered to be prioritizing acquiring another one from the NFL Draft’s deep class of running backs.

But head coach Andy Reid is still standing behind Pacheco.

“I think he’ll be even better this year,” Reid told reporters on Monday morning at the league’s meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, per The Kansas City Star. “He was forcing that thing coming back.”

Reid wasn’t suggesting that Pacheco wasn’t ready to return. Instead, he was saying that after re-watching last season’s games, he can now see that Pacheco wasn't playing up to his usual standard.

“He was physically OK to go,” insisted Reid. “But when you’re looking at [the film], it’s minute stuff — just maybe that ability to cut as quick as he did before. Now it’s still quick, but you’re talking inches here. Was it what he could do before? Well, it wasn’t.”

Reid isn’t surprised his third-year running back worked so hard to get back to the field.

“Most guys probably wouldn’t have come back [from his injury],” he noted, “but if you know him for about a minute, you’ll know that he wasn’t going to be held back.”

Still, Reid believes the film revealed Pacheco was improving after his return — and with a full offseason of preparation, should be good to go for the coming season.

“He was getting better every week,” observed Reid, “and I think you’ll just see him back to what he was before.”

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...ter-andy-reid-isnt-giving-up-on-isiah-pacheco
 
Why the Chiefs are in the best drafting position since 2022

NFL: Combine

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The case for why Kansas City is sitting especially pretty this year heading into the NFL Draft.

The goal of any NFL team is to build a sustained contender that gives you the most chances to win a Super Bowl championship (or multiple championships). Teams build their rosters with the intention of prolonging their windows, and with enough chances, you eventually will have the right bounces to get over the top.

However, the NFL builds competitive balance checks to ensure that keeping a window open is as difficult as possible. Mechanisms like the salary cap and reverse draft ordering limit teams’ abilities to keep their windows open for as long as they would desire.

Reverse draft ordering is the most effective way of achieving competitive balance. History tells us that with the NFL Draft, the talent pool starts to drop off after pick 15 to 20 (on average). This means that contenders typically struggle to get in range to take blue-chip players at premium positions.

The Chiefs have encountered this issue since 2018, when their contending window first started. By being one of the last four teams remaining annually, they’ve rarely been in good enough draft position to get in the range to select a blue-chip prospect.

The last two drafts are good examples of this.

The 2024 NFL Draft


Going into the draft, the consensus need for the Chiefs was left tackle. It was an incredibly strong tackle class with Joe Alt, J.C. Latham, Tailese Fuaga, Troy Fautanu, Amarius Mims and Olu Fashanu as first-round picks. The problem? All were gone by pick 20. With the Chiefs at No. 32, they would’ve had to surrender significant draft capital to trade up. The Chiefs were selecting from a limited talent pool after the first round, which led to Kingsley Suamataia. He has not shown to be a solution at left tackle.

The 2023 NFL Draft


2023’s roster didn’t have as many precise needs, but players that would’ve been good fits were unavailable. Wide receivers such as Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers and Jaxon Smith-Njigba went 20-23. Offensive tackle Anton Harrison went 27. By the end of the first round, the Chiefs were left looking at defensive end as the best convergence of need and talent. They took Felix Anudike-Uzomah at No. 31, which hasn’t worked so far. To add insult to injury, Nolan Smith — a better prospect — went a single selection earlier.

The 2022 NFL Draft


The counterexample to 2023 and 2024 is the 2022 draft. The Chiefs used the draft capital from the Tyreek Hill trade to move up for cornerback Trent McDuffie, who was one of the best prospects in the class at a position of need. By wielding a large bag of picks, paying a premium to move up and get a blue-chip player was justifiable.

Unfortunately, that’s not a reality Kansas City can rely on. They can’t go into every year with 10-plus picks and five to six top-100 picks. They either have to make aggressive trade-ups that sacrifice depth and generally don’t work out, or they have to wait for the talent pool to dissipate around them. From a drafting standpoint, these are not ideal circumstances.

The 2025 NFL Draft


This year, I have come away feeling optimistic about the Chiefs' draft positioning as it relates to both the first round and top-100 as a whole. As of today, I would consider the three biggest needs on the Chiefs to be tackle, running back and defensive tackle in some order.

At all three positions, I think the Chiefs are in a great spot:

Offensive tackle


Of the three positions I listed, tackle isn’t as good a spot for me. That said, I do think there are six players that the Chiefs could draft in the first round at offensive tackle:

  • Will Campbell, LSU
  • Armand Membou, Missouri
  • Josh Simmons, Ohio State
  • Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
  • Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
  • Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

If the Chiefs drafted any of these players or made slight trade-ups for them, they would earn an “A” grade from me. With the Chiefs having Tennessee’s third-round pick at 66, they have some extra ammunition to trade up.

My worry is that all six may be gone by the point where the Chiefs trade up. We saw this last year; tackles are premium positions that teams won’t wait on. I’m more optimistic that one of these guys falls in the mid-20s just because I find this class to be worse, but it’s worth noting that.

I’m pessimistic about a single tackle past Round 1 being a starter, so if they feel they need one, they will have to hope one falls.

Running back


If the Chiefs strike out at tackle, I think they are in great positions at running back and defensive tackle. With running back, this class is incredibly deep across the board.

If we’re talking first round, the only player I’d consider is North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton (assuming Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is selected). At pick 31, that’s not excellent positioning. However, the Chiefs could take another position and get a good start running back later, filling multiple needs and getting value.

Here are my favorite running backs for Day 2:

Round 2/Round 3 (Pick 66 via TEN):

  • Damien Martinez, Miami
  • Treyveon Henderson, Ohio State
  • Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
  • Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

Round 3 (Pick 95):

  • Devin Neal, Kansas
  • D.J. Giddens, Kansas State
  • R.J. Harvey, UCF

Defensive tackle


If you made me bet today what the Chiefs take at 31 or in a slight trade-up, it would be a defensive tackle. Like running back, it’s a position that is filled with elite talent across the top 100. The Chiefs are so thin in their defensive tackle room that they can afford to take any body type as well and go for the best option.

Here are my favorite options for the first two days of the draft:

Round 1

  • Derrick Harmon, Oregon
  • Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
  • Tyleik Williams, Ohio State

Round 2/Round 3 (Pick 66 via TEN):

  • T.J. Sanders, South Carolina
  • Shemar Turner, Texas A&M
  • Deone Walker, Kentucky

Round 3 (Pick 95)

  • Darius Alexander, Toledo
  • Alfred Collins, Texas
  • Joshua Farmer, Florida State

The bottom line


Other than tackle, I think the Chiefs are in a great spot to mix the order of their positions based on selection. If they want a running back at 31, they can find a defensive tackle or tight end later (and vice versa). This is ideal for drafting.

The flexibility that general manager Brett Veach has will allow the Chiefs to have a stronger draft. The needs for the Chiefs align almost perfectly with the strengths of the 2025 class.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...-are-in-the-best-drafting-position-since-2022
 
Ole Miss pass rusher could be one of the biggest sleepers in the NFL Draft

NCAA Football: Mississippi at Arkansas

Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss pass rusher is flying under the radar heading into April.

With the NFL Draft less than a month away, the Kansas City Chiefs will have a chance to replenish their roster and add talent and depth. The defensive line is a position the Chiefs could be looking to stock up on, and a player they could have an eye on is former Ole Miss defensive lineman Jared Ivy.

Ivey combines a blend of outside and inside pass rush capabilities while providing prototypical size for a defensive end in Steve Spagnuolo’s front. He won’t be a Day 1 pick, but Ivey could be an under-the-radar player worth watching during the second draft day.

Player profile


Ivey won’t blow teams away with his athletic profile, and he could fall in the draft due to below-average athlete testing numbers.


Jared Ivey is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 2.00 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1610 out of 2012 DE from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/08TqpLlWbb pic.twitter.com/AI47lL4p7P

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2025

Ivey has been listed as a defensive end, meaning his athletic testing numbers will be put up with all players who rush along the outside, even the far more athletic outside linebacker types and pass rush specialists off the edge.

This couldn't be further from who Ivey is as a player, and given his versatility, made me curious how his testing would look if he were tested in the defensive tackle category.

The results were much better and painted a more accurate portrayal of who Ivey is as a player.


Just for fun, I recalculated Jared Ivey's RAS in the defensive tackle category. Not quite as bad, especially with the jumps. pic.twitter.com/lMU5GvEFCA

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 1, 2025

Outside of the weight and bench press categories, this shift has improved his score from that of a below-average athlete to that of an average athlete.

The areas that saw the best improvement were his vertical and broad jumping numbers, which are key in testing initial explosive movement.

Testing numbers can be a great indicator of athletic potential as well as confirming prior information, but the true test of a prospect will be the film that he can put out on a week-in and week-out basis.

Pass rush


Ivey is a classic “tweener” pass rusher who split time between the outside and inside while at Ole Miss. On the outside, he used his length and active hands to beat offensive tackles, and decent bend for his size to finish plays.


Ivy is working outside against the RT. He uses a jump chop to to bend the arc, and is able to knock the ball out of the quarterback's hands. pic.twitter.com/iQTCJqcMaq

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) March 26, 2025

On the snap, Ivey uses a good first step to get the jump on the right tackle and uses a jump chop to get around him. Showing off good flexibility, he begins to bend the arc and heads toward the quarterback. It looks like the quarterback might be about to step up in the pocket, but Ivey uses his 33.5” arms to reach out and knock the ball free.

The play nearly ends in a turnover, allowing Ivey to showcase his awareness and general pass rush plan.

Ivey is a fine outside rusher, but he made his largest impact as a player rushing from the interior. With a superior first step and length, he made quick work of many guards in the SEC.


Ivy going to work on the RG. He does a good job of using a hand swipe and swim move to beat the RG through the A-gap, and he does a nice job of bringing down the quarterback. pic.twitter.com/wCdP3TfSQV

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) March 26, 2025

Lined up in the A-gap, Ivey has a one-on-one against the right guard. Ivey takes a quick initial first step toward the guard, who prepares to start to mirror him in protection. This is a good setup from Ivey and draws the guard in closer. As the guard starts to initiate contact, Ivey uses a big hand swipe to knock down the would-be blocker's hands, and then uses a swim move to blow through the A-gap.

At this point, he is home free and brings down the quarterback for a sack.

This is where Ivey’s value as a player is found, and what will get him drafted into the NFL. Teams will turn over every stone to find legitimate pass rush help, and Ivey will be able to compete inside on pass rush downs very quickly in his career.

Active hands


Ivey is an active player, and he uses his long arms well. With a high football IQ, he made an impact in games with his ability to swat down passes and blow up plays before they could get going.


Great job by Ivy here to read the screen and get his hands up to knock the pass down. High IQ player with tremendous versatility. pic.twitter.com/YwbIMaBwC5

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) March 26, 2025

The Ole Miss defensive front was loaded, and on some plays, Ivey would work his way back to the middle of the defensive line and patrol the middle of the field, much like a big man in basketball.


Ivy loops around, but once he knows he won't have time to get to the QB he stays and the LOS and reads the QB's eyes. As the pass is thrown, Ivy times it perfectly and tips it. The pass ends up behind the WR and in the hands of the defense. pic.twitter.com/zJmDVlkhmW

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) March 26, 2025

Once Ivey works back to the inside, he knows he won’t have a chance to rush the passer, so he drops a little and follows the quarterback's eyes. He times it up perfectly, and as the ball is thrown, he gets a hand on it, knocking it off its trajectory and into the hands of his teammate.

This kind of disruption can be overlooked when examining numbers and athletic testing, but it shows an instinctual player with a good understanding of situational football.

Run defense


Ivey is solid as a run defender along the outside and often uses his size to set the edge and work through blocks from offensive tackles and tight ends.


Ivy crashes down on the tight end and continues to work his way inside against the run. Good work to recognize the run, get away from the block, and work his way all the way down the LOS to make the play. pic.twitter.com/h8S9xx9S0D

— Caleb James (@CJScoobs) March 26, 2025

There are instances where he could afford to be more disciplined when playing gaps, and his run defense along the defensive interior could use an overall upgrade, but along the outside, he can provide quality snaps.

The bottom line


Ivey is projected to be a situational pass rusher in the NFL and could be an every-down player at some point during his career. He would be a good third or fourth-round selection for a team like the Chiefs, as he could come in and learn the game from a veteran-heavy defensive line and eventually work his way into being a starter.

His size and versatility make him a great fit for Spagnuolo’s defensive front, and he could make up for the pass rush snaps that the team is losing from a player like Tershawn Wharton.

Ivey may never be a star in the league, but finding ways to bring down quarterbacks could keep him employed for a long time.

Source: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2025...-ole-miss-jared-ivey-sleeper-pick-kansas-city
 
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