Chiefs News: Chiefs climb back to top of triplet rankings

The latest

Patrick Mahomes: We won the Super Bowl, but didn’t play how we wanted offensively all year long -|NBC Sports

So as Kansas City prepares to once again defend a championship, those struggles from 2023 are part of the motivation for 2024, according to quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“You’ve got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before — even a higher intensity,” Mahomes said at his Tuesday press conference upon arriving for training camp. “And even though we won the Super Bowl last year, we felt like we didn’t play our best football — especially offensively. So, it’s our goal to be better that way. And come in with that mentality every single day.”

Mahomes added that the team has a lot of returning players on offense who understand what needs to be improved.

Patrick Mahomes Brought TV to Chiefs Training Camp to Play EA College Football 25 | Bleacher Report

Training camp has always been a time to focus on football for Patrick Mahomes, but sometimes drastic measures need to be taken when history is made.

History, of course, being the first time EA Sports has released a college football game in more than a decade.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback revealed he brought a television to training camp for the first time in his career this year so he could play EA Sports College Football 25 and watch the Olympics:

2024 NFL ‘Triplets,’ rankings, Part II: Packers, Texans make huge leaps; Chiefs reclaim the top spot | CBS Sports

1. Kansas City Chiefs (Avg: 2.3, High: 1, Low: 4)

Last year: 2nd

QB: Patrick Mahomes RB: Isiah Pacheco TE: Travis Kelce

The Chiefs are back where they belong, right at No. 1. Mahomes is the best player in the world. Pacheco is clearly a quality back. And Kelce, even if he has his reps managed during the regular season, remains an absolute stone-cold killer of a receiver when it matters.

49ers’ Fred Warner Compared to ‘Elite’ QB by NFL Coach; No 1 in Off-Ball LB Rankings | Bleacher Report

The top five is rounded out by two players who made a huge leap from last year’s list. Patrick Queen went from honorable mention to No. 4 after recording a career-high 133 tackles with the Ravens last season.

However, Queen won’t patrol the field alongside Smith any longer, as he signed a three-year deal with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency.

Nick Bolton of the Kansas City Chiefs jumped up from No. 8 to No. 5, and one anonymous NFL defensive coach called him “the closest thing to Fred Warner.”

While Bolton missed nine regular-season games in 2023 with a wrist injury, he was healthy for the playoffs, racking up 40 tackles in four postseason games, as the Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl.

Andy Reid addresses retirement, 3-peat talk and the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift attention | The Athletic

“I’m OK with it … as long as they’re ready to go,” Reid said. “And so training camp is kind of that proving ground. If you’re not ready to go, it’s going to be obvious quickly. Just from the whether it’s a conditioning test or the long drive drills that we do. Those things that are, you’re going to find out who’s in and who’s not in and who’s put their time.”

Reid thinks there is no one better able to handle the fame of dating a megastar like Swift than his star tight end.

“I think it’s great for him,” Reid told Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel. “He can handle it. Matter of fact, I think he probably loves it. To a point. I think there’s a great escape for him. I said that about Taylor, too. I mean, she comes to the game, she can kind of escape having to be the show. And Travis can do that. And when he goes to her concerts, she’s a star. And he can be hanging out there and be the support or the waterboy.”

PFF50: The 50 best players in the NFL ahead of the 2024 season | PFF

36. CB TRENT MCDUFFIE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Consistently underrated, Trent McDuffie has been one of the best in the game in his brief NFL career. Given difficult assignments by the Chiefs from the outset, McDuffie has played in the slot as well as out wide, allowing 10.7 yards per catch last season and posting an 82.9 PFF overall grade. The loss of L’Jarius Sneed will force him into an even greater role within the Chiefs defense in 2024, where he might get the recognition he deserves.

Around the NFL

Brandon Aiyuk requests trade from 49ers as WR seeks new contract | NFL.com

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has requested a trade, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday.

Aiyuk’s request comes after an offseason filled with unsuccessful attempts to reach an agreement on an extension with the 49ers, who have been unwilling to engage in negotiations since May, per Garafolo.

A 2020 NFL Draft first-round pick who is set to earn 14.124 million in the final year of his rookie contract, decided to ask for a trade after a recent meeting failed to produce any movement, Garafolo added.

Predicting last-place team in each NFL division for 2024: Giants, Browns among potential bottom dwellers | CBS Sports

AFC West: Denver Broncos

2023 season finish: 8-9 (second place, no postseason)

The Denver Broncos quarterback room consists of 2024 NFL Draft 12th overall pick quarterback Bo Nix, Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham after cutting Russell Wilson loose this offseason.

On the bright side, Nix does fit the mold of what Payton liked about Drew Brees when he was putting up video game numbers in Payton’s offense: a quarterback willing to make short, quick passes. To be clear, this is not saying Nix will be the next Brees.

Quinn Meinerz agrees to four-year extension with Broncos | NBC Sports

According to multiple reports, Meinerz has agreed to terms with the club on a four-year extension that will make him one of the highest-paid guards in the league.

Initial reports indicate the deal is worth $80 million with $45 million guaranteed.

Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze agree with Bears on rookie contracts | USA Today

Quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze became among the league’s final first-round draft picks of 2024 to sign their initial NFL contracts. This year’s No. 1 overall pick out of USC, Williams gets a four-year pact worth a fully guaranteed $39.5 million ($25.5 million of it earmarked as a signing bonus) by slotting at the the top of the board. Widely projected as a generational prospect, he joins a roster much stronger than most top selections enjoy and could immediately restore Chicago to contending status.

Odunze, a University of Washington product chosen ninth overall, is expected to be one of Williams’ top targets well into the future – though he may have to take a backseat to the likes of veteran wideouts DJ Moore and Keenan Allen and established tight end Cole Kmet in 2024. Odunze is guaranteed $22.7 million over the next four seasons.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs News: Xavier Worthy is ready to go for training camp

But according to head coach Andy Reid, Worthy’s time is coming.

“We’ll ease him in,” he told reporters as his rookies and quarterbacks reported to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph on Tuesday. “You know, we’re not going to just give him every rep.”

But Mahomes didn’t sound like he was planning to cut Worthy much slack.

“There’s no ‘easing,’” he declared to reporters. “He’s going to be ready to go. We’ve got a lot of competition on this offense; Brett Veach and coach did a great job bringing a lot of competition in. Xavier got a lot of mental work in these last few weeks that he had during OTAs and minicamp — but it’s time to go now.”

Mahomes reminded his listeners that a year ago, rookie wideout Rashee Rice was worked over pretty relentlessly during the three rookie practices that opened training camp.

“Y’all saw it with Rashee last year,” he noted, “[with] some of the ‘throwing-up days’ he had. We’re going to push you to the limit, [so you can] prepare yourself to be ready to go for the season.”