Ticket sales for the Kansas City Chiefs’ home opener in Week 1 must have just gotten a huge boost thanks to Andy Reid.
The Chiefs head coach spoke to reporters on Friday as the team prepares for the start of training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. Reid did not shy away from addressing Mahomes’ recovery progress from the torn ACL he suffered last December.
Reid’s openness may have been partly because he had nothing but positive things to say. Reid revealed that Mahomes has received clearance to “participate fully” in every period of Kansas City’s camp, which runs from July 28 to August 20.
Asked about the possibility of Mahomes taking the field in Week 1, Reid didn’t even try to play coy with the media anymore.
“I’m optimistic, and I know he is extremely optimistic,” Reid said, via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “But I think you’ve got to see how things go here. Let’s just see where we’re at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day by day and see where it goes.”
Reid did clarify that the team still has “plenty of eyes” on Mahomes daily to ensure his recovery goes smoothly.
It’s rare to hear a coach like Reid be that candid when it comes to his star player’s timeline for returning from a serious injury. Most coaches wouldn’t want to put any added pressure on the athlete to abide by a target date, since recovery isn’t always linear and setbacks can happen at any moment.
Mahomes’ recovery must be going exceptionally well for Reid to put it out into the world that Mahomes looks likely to play in as early as Week 1. Reid and the Chiefs may need to send Zach Ertz a gift basket for his contributions to the cause.
