When the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay decided to punt the preseason years ago, sitting all of his starters and most key backups, many other head coaches followed. More than half of NFL teams sat 20 players or more last week.
And the coach who keeps winning Super Bowls couldn't care less about that trend.
Andy Reid sees value in the preseason. His Kansas City Chiefs get playing time in August. While teams like the Rams won't dream of playing a QB2 in preseason games, two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes will be out there. He might even throw some behind-the-back
Reid pulled back for Thursday's preseason finale. Mahomes, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 120 yards this preseason, did not play in Kansas City's 34-21 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday. Kansas City sat most of its starters, as Reid gave his main players a rest. Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams didn't play either.
The Chiefs didn't need to see any more before the regular season starts.
The reason teams don't play starters in the preseason is obvious, and it's to avoid injuries. The Chiefs didn't get out of August unscathed.
Receiver Marquise Brown suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation in Kansas City's preseason opener, and he could miss the start of the regular season. Brown was expected to be a big upgrade for the Chiefs, who struggled to find consistency across their receiver corps last season. Given the reported four-to-six week recovery time, Brown should be back early this season.
The good news is the preseason gave everyone a good look at first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy and what he can do. His speed is evident and the Chiefs seem intent on using him a lot. He looks dangerous in the Chiefs' offense.
The other good news for the Chiefs this preseason was that receiver Rashee Rice still hasn't heard from the NFL about a suspension. Rice was arrested on multiple charges due to his involvement in a multi-car accident that involved high speeds in Dallas this offseason.
The Brown injury wasn't great for the Chiefs, but it's hard to get out of August with no injuries, whether you use your starters in the preseason or not. Everything else looked good for the defending champs. They even signed center Creed Humphrey to a new deal that makes him the highest-paid center in the NFL on Thursday night. Good vibes all around.
Some players might have been fighting for roster spots Thursday night, or just playing time once the season starts. Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore were among the receivers to play. Toney had two catches, while Hardman returned one kick for 43 yards and Moore also had a solid kick return of 30 yards. Deneric Prince, a second-year running back, also played as he tries to solidify a role, though he had just three caries for -1 yards and one catch for 3 yards. Fourth-round safety Jaden Hicks, who might play a big role on some other teams but not on the deep Chiefs, also was playing Thursday trying to make an impression. He collected four tackles and a pass breakup.
The Chiefs are just trying to figure out the final few players on the roster and perhaps a couple of depth chart decisions. Most of the team that won last season's Super Bowl is back. The Chiefs have continuity on both sides of the ball and should be in midseason form for the Week 1 opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Some reps in the preseason didn't hurt that either.
The Chiefs' preseason ended early for most of the team's key players. Now they can focus on their march toward history.
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