The Kansas City Chiefs have officially concluded their first of two weeks of OTAs on Thursday, May 28. The team will reconvene on Monday, June 1, for their second week of OTAs before a five-day break between OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

What did Chiefs HC Andy Reid learn about his football team in the earliest of practice sessions with the full 90-man roster able to participate? He spoke to media members after practice on Thursday to provide some information on OTAs so far.

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Jalen Royals is getting work with the first-team offense in place of Rashee Rice

Last season, everyone expected Jalen Royals to be the natural replacement for Rashee Rice during Rice’s suspension. Knee tendinitis put a stop to that, but right now he’s taking advantage of the fact that Rashee Rice is not at OTAs.

“Yeah, so they’re rotating in with the first group,” Reid said. “And Rashee (Rice) is not here. It gives Jalen (Royals) some great reps with the wide receiver position. Strong, he looks strong out there and running well, and that whole deal. So, it’s great for him. It’s great for him and for the quarterbacks to see what he’s all about on repeated reps.”

A fourth-round pick out of Utah State in 2025, Royals caught two passes on three targets for four yards during his rookie season. This year, it seems like he’ll have an opportunity to secure a larger role in the offense. He needs to stay healthy regarding his knee. But it feels especially true if he continues to take advantage of these early offseason practice days and builds on them going forward.

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Andy Reid explains prevalence of yellow non-contact jerseys at Chiefs practice

Several players out at Chiefs practice this week are wearing yellow non-contact jerseys. Xavier Worthy was one of them, and today we learned that third-year S Jaden Hicks was another. Andy Reid didn’t get into any injury details, but he explained their process for assigning non-contact jerseys.

“Yeah, you know, I normally don’t do injuries during (OTAs),” Reid explained. “But if they’ve had a procedure done, we keep them where their doctors want them, you know, non-contact.”

Other injury notes from practice: DT Omarr Norman-Lott (ACL), UDFA TE John Michael Gyllenborg (unknown), and UDFA LB Wesley Bissainthe (unknown) were on the sidelines without helmets during the portion of practice open to media members.

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Andy Reid likes where QB Patrick Mahomes is at as he continues to work back from his knee injury

Patrick Mahomes is participating in practice, but only in a limited capacity. Coach Reid doesn’t like to use the “ahead of schedule” phrasing. However, it’s clear that Pat is making tremendous progress as he returns from a season-ending knee injury.

“I like what I’ve seen,” Reid said of Mahomes. “He’s working hard. This is good for him, I mean, getting out there and throwing it’s good rehab, is he continued rehab, so he keeps a feel with the with the receivers, where he’s doing partial practice, and, and, but it’s important, it’s important to keep his timing up, and he’s busted his tail to put himself in this position, most guys wouldn’t even be able to do this, but he’s put himself in that position, and I know we’ve got good communication with the doctors, and they’re, you know, they keep a close eye on it, and what’s real and what’s not real, so and then we just, we listen to them.”

Mahomes participated in 7-on-7 team drills, but he’s not cleared to participate in 11-on-11 yet. That’s not so much about his ability to run or cut as it is to protect him from incidental contact. Reid says it’s to avoid plays with any fly or sweep motion that could lead to a collision in the backfield.

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Eric Bieniemy, DeMarco Murray, and Chad O’Shea are bringing some juice back to Chiefs’ practices

The Chiefs made some changes to the offensive coaching staff ahead of the season. Reid was asked about what he’s seen from OC Eric Bieniemy, RBs Coach DeMarco Murray, and WRs Coach Chad O’Shea so far. His answer made it clear that this team is getting exactly what it needs from its new group of offensive coaches.

“I like the old coaches, so I don’t want to slight them,” Reid began. “But it’s good to have these guys in there. They’ve got some experience at their spots, and they’re challenging the guys with fundamentals and techniques, the thing they can get done now. In (RBs Coach) DeMarco (Murray)’s case, he’s been there as a player. He’s got a good relationship with (Eric Bieniemy). EB also knows that spot like the back of his hand. Then as far as (WRs Coach) Chad (O’Shea) goes, Chad has got 24 years in this league, so he’s got a lot of experience and coached a lot of really good players. And so, it’s good to have him in that spot, in that room. And then (Eric Bieniemy) brings great energy. I mean, he knows everything, he’s got it all down, and he can coach any spot, and he does a great job.”

O’Shea, in particular, has popped up in practice videos with vocal and direct instruction for the WRs.

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The Chiefs have put 2025 in the past where it belongs

The 2025 NFL season was not just the worst of the Patrick Mahomes era, but also the worst record of Andy Reid’s tenure in Kansas City. While players are amped to be back at practice, Reid doesn’t believe it has anything to do with the way last season ended.

“I think when they come back, they’re always a little bit juiced up for Phase 3,” Reid said. “Beginning of Phase 3, I’ve liked the turnout we’ve had, probably one of the better turnouts we’ve had. So that’s important, and you know, I like that energy. I don’t know if it’s — I don’t harp on last year and all that; that’s passed. We’re moving forward. You learn from it, and you go. One great thing about the NFL, man, is every year is a little bit different, and you better approach it that way and maximize yourself for that year.”

The energy seems less about the 2025 NFL season and more about moving forward in the right way. They’re looking to get back to their motto of making incremental improvement each and every day to give you the best chance to compete when the 2026 NFL season arrives.