Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 7/27

Andy Reid Provides Update on Justin Houston from Chiefs.com

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston will not participate at all during training camp, head coach Andy Reid confirmed Tuesday.

"I'll tell you, he's not going to work here," Reid said during his first media opportunity in St. Joseph. "He'll be here. He's just not going to be able to do the football stuff. He'll rehab and continue on with his rehab."

Andy Reid on Eric Berry: "He's a Huge Part of This Football Team" from Chiefs.com

"First of all, we love Eric Berry," Reid explained. "He's a huge part of this football team. Whether he's here or not, I can't answer that. I know there's a report out there that he's not going to be here. I've always said, ‘We'll coach the guys who are here.'

"My standpoint and the organization's standpoint is that he's a huge part of this. I'm hoping that he's here, and if he's not, I understand that too. I've been doing this for a few years. I know how things go and it'll all work out one way or another.

"He's going to continue to be a heck of a football player for us, so we look forward to getting him back in here and rolling with him."

Sweat Equity, the Lombardi Trophy and More from Chiefs Coach Andy Reid from Chiefs.com

The optimism is high and the goals have never seemed more attainable.

It's time for the 2016 version of Kansas City Chiefs training camp, and for head coach Andy Reid, who is entering into his fourth camp leading the Chiefs, moving everybody an hour north to St. Joseph, Missouri, for camp is key in building this football team.

"I think the one advantage is that you've got everybody housed here," Reid explained of his team going to the campus of Missouri Western State University for training camp. "You're away from distractions and you can focus in on football. It's where you come together as a team."

It's the sweat equity these players earn together over the next three weeks at camp that, according to Reid, makes all the difference.

Backup Quarterback Competition is "Wide Open" from Chiefs.com

It was one of the more lighthearted moments of Andy Reid's 12-minute opening day press conference, but the weight the words hold are no laughing matter.

A reporter asked Reid about just how "wide open" the backup quarterback battle is.

With a smile on his face, Reid answered, "It's open, yeah; it's wide open. If you want to come out, come on!"

For the first time in four years, Chase Daniel didn't report to training camp in St. Joseph with the rest of the Chiefs quarterbacks on Tuesday after joining the Doug Pederson-coached Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.

A Fan's Guide to Training Camp Part 3: What Are Some Items To Bring That I'm Not Thinking Of? from Chiefs.com

Jessica: "You should bring a blanket to sit on in the grass and bring extra Sharpe markers if you are wanting signatures. Sometimes, they can dry up when you are waiting for a player to make it down the line to sign your item."

Lee: "There's a couple that come in handy—an umbrella to help shade you from the heat and misting bottles that have the powered fans attached."

Billy: "Some of the things you might want to bring kind of depends on what experience you want to have. If you want to get autographs from your favorite players you would want to bring (or purchase at the on-site Pro Shop) things like white Chiefs regular or mini footballs, pictures and memorabilia. Be sure and have a few sharpies in your favorite color!

"If you want to sit back and just enjoy watching Chiefs practice-€”a blanket to sit on, a good pair of sunglasses and throw on a Chiefs hat to have some shade for your eyes."

Eric Berry's status to start Chiefs training camp is uncertain from The Kansas City Star

NFL Network reported Tuesday that Berry is not planning to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates. Doing so would be a way for the Pro Bowl safety to show his displeasure with team's inability to reach a long-term contract agreement with him this summer.

Chiefs' Andy Reid uncertain if Eric Berry will report for training camp from Chiefs Digest

By not having a long-term deal in place with Berry, the Chiefs will need to wait until the end of the season to negotiate a multiyear contract with Berry's agent.

Should Berry choose to hold out of training camp, the Chiefs can't fine him because he hasn't signed the tender. Berry can choose to report and sign the tender after camp and earn the full $10.8 million tender, provided it occurs before the start of the regular season.

The last time the Chiefs had a franchise player hold out of training camp occurred in 2012 with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who eventually signed his one-year tender after training camp.

Source: Chiefs not expecting tagged Eric Berry when camp opens from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs are not expecting Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry to join his teammates for the start of training camp this weekend, a source said.

Veterans are to report to camp Friday and the Chiefs' first full-squad practice is Saturday.

Coach Andy Reid said he has been in contact recently with Berry, the Chiefs' unsigned franchise-tag player, but was unaware whether Berry would report Friday.

Mellinger Minutes: Royals at the trade deadline, Chiefs at training camp, Big 12 expansion and more from The Kansas City Star

We're all just assuming Jamaal Charles, who turns 30 in December and is coming off a second major knee surgery, is going to be the same player he was before, huh?

The following is the complete list of players who've rushed for 1,000 yards in the year of their 30th birthday in the last 10 seasons:

Adrian Peterson (2015), Frank Gore (2013), Willis McGahee (2011), Thomas Jones (2008), and Fred Taylor (2006).

That's five players. Compare that to 11 who rushed for 1,000 yards at 29, and 21 who did it at 28.

Jamaal Charles not a top-five fantasy RB? Let's bust that myth from ESPN

Since the start of the 2010 season, there have been five "flex players" (running backs, wide receivers and tight ends) who have scored more than 14 fantasy points per game. Three of them are surefire first-round picks and one was unsigned until the middle of July. The fifth is possibly the most underrated player in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts this season: Jamaal Charles...

...Yet Charles was ranked 12th, and is being drafted outside of the first round. Which seems a bit odd, right?

Let's do some mythbusting to dismiss a couple of your likely concerns about the Kansas City back.

Justin Houston unlikely to participate in Chiefs training camp practices from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs have depth behind Houston with Tamba Hali, third-year pro Dee Ford, Frank Zombo and Dezman Moses.

Ford, in particular, started five games in place of Houston in 2015 and will get the first shot in the starting lineup opposite Hali for as long as Houston is out.

Underwater training in Hawaii was part of Alex Smith's vacation routine from ESPN

Smith arrived at training camp on Tuesday, a day before the Chiefs begin a three-day minicamp for quarterbacks and rookies. He said the underwater training isn't anything new for him.

"I've done forms of that probably the last five years," he said. "This is probably the most consistent I've done something like that. I was doing it pretty regularly over the whole month of July. It's just something fun. We do get out to Hawaii for a few weeks and it's fun to kind of incorporate being outside and not just in the gym."

Chiefs backup quarterbacks eager for camp battle from Chiefs Digest

When Alex Smith lines up with the offense Wednesday once rookies and select players hit the practice field, three quarterbacks will stand keenly observing the situation.

All three will be imagining they are calling the play, scanning the defense and dropping back in the pocket. It may be Smith's turn to take practice repetitions, but the snaps may be even more important for the backups.

The Chiefs bring three young and inexperienced signal callers to camp, each battling to emerge as Smith's primary backup, a position left vacant by the departure of Chase Daniel, and potential heir apparent.

Chiefs' Travis Kelce gives dating advice during stop on the ‘Today Show' from The Kansas City Star

Tight end Travis Kelce soon will be in training camp in St. Joseph, Mo., but he spent part of Tuesday in New York.

Kelce is getting the word out about his dating show "Catching Kelce," which debut in October on the E! Network. He stopped by the "Today Show" and chatted with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford. Kelce shared a few clips from his new TV show and went on the street to give dating tips.

And, yes, he expects to catch grief from his teammates about the show and his love life.

Today Show Video: NFL star Travis Kelce: I'm looking for love on ‘Catching Kelce'

Training camp preview: Chiefs hope cohesion pays off from NFL.com

Way-too-early season prediction: The Chiefs are the safest pick to take the AFC West this year, although there is a lot to like about the Oakland Raiders. There's certainly a way this team can win 10 or 11 games, even if the variables -- Charles and Houston -- don't perform.

Eric Berry doesn't plan to show up for start of Chiefs camp from ProFootballTalk

Even though negotiations on a long-term deal can no longer take place, Berry might want to negotiate something more than the $10.806 million guaranteed salary that comes with the franchise tag. For instance, Berry could be trying to negotiate an agreement from the Chiefs not to franchise him again next year.

Or Berry might just not want to go to training camp.

Eric Berry receives Pat Summitt Ignite Greatness Award from WBIR [video included]

The former Vol and current Kansas City Chiefs safety missed most of the 2014 season when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer.

Berry continued to work out while he was receiving cancer treatments and returned to the field in 2015. He had an outstanding season and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Berry's acceptance speech was focused on the award's namesake, saying it was an honor "just to be mentioned with Coach Pat Summitt."

He also told a couple of stories about the late Summitt's influence on her players.

Chiefs' backup QBs Murray, Bray and Hogan are set to compete from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

Tyler Bray and Kevin Hogan strolled side-by-side toward Scanlon Hall, their home for the next few weeks of training camp, almost as if they had already formed some sort of alliance.

Maybe they intend to vote Aaron Murray off in the Chiefs' version of "Quarterback Survivor."

All three of them arrived at Missouri Western on Tuesday, along with rookies and some other select veterans, to begin the true audition to be Alex Smith's backup. Murray may enter the race as the slight favorite, but all of them will have an opportunity to get on the field.

Andy Reid, "We weren't good enough, we didn't come back with the Lombardi Trophy." from WIBW

The question now is can the Chiefs build on their AFC Divisional round loss to the New England Patriots?

"Well the carry-over is the guys that are coming back had a taste. So they understand the level that you've got to play at to get where you got last year and potentially beyond that," said Reid. "We weren't good enough, we didn't come back with the Lombardi Trophy. So you've got to take it up another notch. They don't give that away, you've got to work for that. You've got to earn it."

Agent's Take: Here are the 16 AFC players with everything to prove in 2016 from CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs: Jamaal Charles

Surprisingly, the Chiefs won 11 straight games, including the playoffs, with Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West operating in Charles' place after he suffered the second ACL tear of his career five games into the 2015 season.

Ware and West signing identical three-year, $4.2 million deals (worth a maximum of $8.2 million with salary escalators) suggests that the Chiefs have a succession plan in place at running back. 2016 will likely be the last season in Kansas City for Charles, who turns 30 in December, if he doesn't return to form with two reconstructed knees.

Media Circus: What's next for Tom Jackson, ESPN NFL studio shows from Sports Illustrated

Jackson will be missed. The word that always came to mind about his work is thoughtful. As a viewer, I respected him even when I disagreed with him. I think most viewers did too. In recent years Jackson was particularly compelling speaking out on Kasandra Perkins, who was murdered by former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher before he took his own life. He most famously offered a measured take after Rush Limbaugh resigned from NFL Countdown in 2003 following comments he made that Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because of the media's and NFL's interest in seeing a black passer do well. (Given how often McNabb was crushed by the media during his career, such comments have proven silly over time.)