The Kansas City Chiefs took one step closer to the 2026 campaign this week as the team kicked off “Phase 3” of the offseason training program.
“Phase 3” is headlined by the beginning of Organized Team Activities, or OTAs, which include offensive vs. defensive drills for the first time since last season ended. The players aren’t in pads and there’s still no “live” hitting permitted, but with the dawn of a new season just three months away, the onset of OTAs marks a significant benchmark as the Chiefs prepare for 2026.
“This is a voluntary camp, but we’ve had great success with people showing up. Everybody’s been here somewhere along the line doing their thing,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “We look forward to just keep getting better within the rules that we’re given. There’s no contact, but you still get a lot of work done.”
The voluntary, nine-week offseason program began with strength and conditioning activities in mid-April before advancing to positional drills over the last three weeks, ultimately giving way to this week’s OTA practices.
“There are hard days, but they know why we’re doing it. The guys want to be great,” said quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “We’ve had a good start to these OTAs, and we just need to keep pushing through it.”
With all of that in mind, here are some quick notes from Thursday’s practice, which was open to members of the media:
- The red zone and third down were clearly areas of emphasis on Thursday.
- Patrick Mahomes, who competed in 7-on-7 drills on Thursday, found wide receiver Xavier Worthy with a great throw in the back of the end zone for a score.
- Tailback Ken Walker logged a one-handed catch on a screen pass during 11-on-11 drills.
- Defensive back Jadon Canady knocked down a pass in the corner of the end zone during a team red zone period.
- Wide receiver Jalen Royals made a strong catch over the middle of the field during a 7-on-7 period. Royals plucked the ball out of the sky immediately out of his break for a significant gain.
- Cornerback Mansoor Delane knocked down a pass during 11-on-11 drills.
- Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier connected with rookie wide receiver Xavier Loyd for a touchdown with an impressive all-around play during a 7-on-7 red zone segment.
- Tight end Tre Watson made one of the plays of the day with a leaping, full-extension catch during 7-on-7 drills.
- Defensive back Chris Roland-Wallace batted down a pass near the line of scrimmage during a team segment.
- Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong had a noteworthy day with multiple receptions.
- The special teams unit received significant attention on Thursday. The Chiefs worked through a kickoff coverage period and a field goal period, the latter of which challenged kicker Harrison Butker with various distances and hashmark placements. Butker completed the field goal segment with a successful 59-yard kick.
The Chiefs will continue their preparation for the 2026 season with another round of OTA practices next week. The next session open to the media is scheduled for June 3.
