The Kansas City Chiefs closed their preseason with a 9-9 tie against the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night, ending a run of preseason losses, and Andy Reid isn't changing his coaching approach just because the Kansas City Chiefs have some of the biggest names in the NFL.

Speaking with Jason Garrett on Coach2Coach, the Chiefs head coach explained how he pushes his stars, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones.

“I’ll go after Pat Mahomes. You’re the best quarterback in football, you know? I know you can. I mean, I’ve seen you do it," head coach Andy Reid said on 27 August. "And that’s an example to the other guys that as great as he is, Chris Jones, as great as you are, Travis Kelce, as great as you are, there’s always room to be better.”

The Chiefs went 6-11 last season, their worst record during Reid's tenure, and are now preparing for another attempt to get back to the top of the AFC West. Reid wants that standard to spread through the locker room.

“And to be great as a team, we’ve got to be able to do these things. And if you can do them, surely these other guys can that are trying to become as great as you can,” Reid said on the Coach2Coach podcast on 27 August.

Mahomes is also returning from torn ACL and LCL ligaments. He wanted to play in the preseason loss to Tampa Bay, but Reid chose to keep him out.

Mahomes remains on track to potentially return for Week 1 against Denver on Sept. 14, with the final call belonging to the coaching staff.

“I’m not a belittler. I’m going to coach everybody. I’m going to try to give them things that help them become greater than they are. So, it’s not belittling them because I think they’re trying to be great,” Reid added.

While Reid now faces tough decisions about who makes the roster, his approach to coaching remains the same for everyone, from the final-roster hopeful to his biggest stars.

Who will survive the Chiefs' cuts?

Now comes the difficult part for Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach, as the team prepares to cut its roster from 90 players to 53.

“This is like the hardest time of the year for coaches and personnel guys and players for that matter, because you got to make these cuts coming up,” Andy Reid said, according to the Chiefs Wire.

The Chiefs have until 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 30, to finalize their regular-season roster.

“These guys, I thought this group challenged each other and really made some decisions here. They're going to be tough for Brett (Veach) and his guys to make as we go in the next couple of days here,” Reid said.

Reid also pointed to the effort required from players during camp, from working through the heat and humidity to living in dorms and taking the field for preseason games.

Not everyone will make the Chiefs' 53-man roster, but Reid believes the preseason reps can still open another door.

“The one positive out of that for all of them is they were able to get reps, and once you're on that tape, you can be evaluated, and it gives you at least a chance to make another squad,” Reid added.

For some players, Friday's game may have been their last in a Chiefs uniform. Now, Veach and his staff have a busy weekend of decisions ahead.

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit

Edited by

Debanjali Rakshit