Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 8/11

Five Observations from Wednesday's Practice from Chiefs.com

2. Padded practice is beginning to get a little chippy.

Wednesday was the seventh practice the Chiefs have gone up against each other in pads, so by now, they are ready to face members of a different team.

There was a little more post-whistle activity than usual Wednesday, but after practice, Reid said that's natural for this time of year.

"It's hot out, and it's normally the big guys that do it, but they don't do it for long because they get tired," Reid said. "Things are going to happen out here. You just need to have the discipline to not let it happen too often."

What We Learned From Wednesday's Media Availability from Chiefs.com

Q: Do you know how you'll divide playing time for the quarterbacks on Saturday?

REID: "We basically have three groups in full. We'll go first quarter with the ‘ones', second quarter with the ‘twos' and we'll mix up the third, fourth, and fifth quarterbacks in the second half. We'll mix up the lines as we see needed."

Q: After Alex, how do you plan to split the quarterback snaps?

REID: "We'll let Nick [Foles] take the ‘twos' initially and see what he's comfortable with. We know Tyler [Bray] can take over if he's needed at that point."

Q: Then [Aaron] Murray and [Kevin] Hogan? 

REID: "Yes. But don't hold me accountable. I'm going to try to get everyone on the roster into the game."

Chiefs Fanatic Tattoos Travis Kelce's Signature to Forearm from Chiefs.com

"Joel came out of nowhere with a tattoo on his arm of the Chiefs Arrowhead and he looked at me and said, ‘Dude, I want you to sign right here on the elbow,'" Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. "I was like, ‘That's an awkward place to sign. That thing's going to wipe right off. He looked and said, ‘I'm going straight to the parlor after this and getting this thing tattooed.'"

Smith, who is from California but now lives in Kansas City, attended Monday's training camp practice with the goal to ink Kelce's autograph on his forearm right below his already stamped Chiefs tattoo, forever.

Chiefs camp report, Aug. 10: Rod Streater stars, Tyler Bray rises to occasion from The Kansas City Star

▪ Perhaps the catch of the day in 1-on-1s came courtesy of Rod Streater, who tipped a pass from Alex Smith to himself two times before snagging it in the back of the end zone. A terrific display of concentration and hands.

▪ But Streater wasn't done. He later found himself on the receiving end of a gorgeous bomb down the left sideline from Nick Foles. Foles has generally struggled with his accuracy in his six practices as a Chief, but it was one of his best throws — an accurate, tight spiral that went a long way — and an indication that he is working himself into a groove.

Nick Foles still has plenty of work to do as Chiefs' backup quarterback from The Kansas City Star

But rest assured, there will be plenty of eyes on Foles, the man who has quickly vaulted into the Chiefs' No. 2 quarterback position, though Reid cautioned against assuming anything is set in stone entering a pivotal 2016 season for the franchise.

"I just want to get him more reps with this group," Reid said, when asked how Foles vaulted past Bray, Murray and Hogan so quickly. "We have full confidence with Tyler Bray, but he already has experience with this group. We want to get Nick some of those reps as well."

That certainly makes sense. Foles, who stands 6 feet 6 and 243 pounds, has some nice traits, including good arm strength, good size and some familiarity with the offense.

Foles will be No. 2 quarterback versus Seahawks from Chiefs Digest

Foles said his biggest adjustment is knocking off the rust that comes with being away from the field since last season. He skipped offseason activities with the Rams while his status was unclear.

"Just getting the feel of reps, getting my footwork where you're in a pocket -€” that's a different thing when you're just throwing routes on air."

Foles is also getting to know he's teammates, particularly the receivers.

"Once you develop those relationships, those plays, you start getting on the same page, starting to see, ‘Alright, this is how this guy runs this route,' then you can really take it to the next level," Foles explained.

Nick Foles will make Chiefs debut against Seahawks from ESPN

Andy Reid has seen what he wanted to from quarterback Nick Foles in his week of practice with the Kansas City Chiefs. Reid said Foles would play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium.

"We want to get Nick going and get him in the mix and let him get some work," Reid said.

Nick Foles sees improvement, eager for game reps in exhibition opener from ESPN

"That's really the blessing of the preseason," Foles said. "I'm going to go out there and give it everything I have but you get an opportunity before the season starts to ... get a feel for the game. We've been going against our defense and seeing our defense and to get a different look against an opposing team, these reps are priceless. You can't get these any other way.

"I didn't do the offseason. We were trying to figure things out with the Rams so I was on my own. It's been eight or nine months since I had those reps."

Chiefs' GM expects Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles and Tamba Hali to be ready for opener from The Kansas City Star

Safety Eric Berry hasn't appeared at Missouri Western after he and the Chiefs were unable to come to terms on a long-term contract agreement. Running back Jamaal Charles and outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali are recovering from injuries, with Houston's torn ACL the most damaging.

But general manager John Dorsey remained upbeat about all of them. Dorsey believes Berry, Charles and Hali will back in uniform for the season opener against the Chargers on Sept. 11 at Arrowhead Stadium. But not Houston.

Chiefs GM expects Eric Berry to sign, play in season opener from ESPN

"The agent has said ... at some juncture during this course, he'll show up here," Dorsey said from training camp at Missouri Western State University. "I haven't talked to Eric one-on-one about when he's going to show up. Knowing what a prideful professional he is, I think he will show up at the appropriate time.''

Parker Ehinger serves to protect for Chiefs offensive line from Chiefs Digest

Part of Ehinger's hard work in college was pursuing a degree in criminal justice. He served a five-month internship with the Cincinnati Police Department to get a flavor for the job of a big-city officer of the law.

"A lot of people have told me, ‘I wouldn't want to get pulled over by you,' just me being 6-7, 325 pounds," Ehinger said.

"You grow up watching ‘Cops' and all those TV shows, getting a chance to see it first hand, some of that stuff out there is crazy," he explained. "My mom doesn't want me to be a police officer. It's already a dangerous thing I'm already doing. It's fun, it was very fun for me, very interesting. I like that field and background."

Police work may have to wait for Ehinger. The fourth-round draft pick is quickly making an impression with teammates and coaches.

Injury rehabs, youth make Chiefs' defensive backfield a bit of a jumble from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

The Chiefs' cornerback corps took a hit in the offseason when Sean Smith left in free agency for the Oakland Raiders, leaving a starting spot open, with Gaines, Nelson, Marcus Cooper and a trio of rookies looking to earn playing time. None of those seven players has more than three years of experience.

"Real talented group. We've just got to come along," Peters said. "That's what camp is for. As camp goes on, everyone gets a lot more comfortable and the speed of the game slows down and you start making your plays. I love the talent. Everyone's out here competing."

Chiefs' Albert Wilson treats every day like it's his first from The Kansas City Star

Wilson, figures to get more time at slot this season, which would be something of a new look as a pro. A year ago, Wilson ran about 11 percent of his routes from the slot.

But that's how Wilson was mostly used in college, lining up outside in two-wide receiver sets and at slot when a third wide receiver joined the huddle.

"It's back to how I was playing in college for four years," Wilson said. "I'm very comfortable with that role. Whatever's best for this offense I'm down for it."

Chiefs expect Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry for season opener from ESPN

Jamaal Charles and Tamba Hali have yet to practice at training camp, but general manager John Dorsey said the Kansas City Chiefs wouldn't have to wait much longer for either player to return.

"Tamba is making steady strides,'' Dorsey said. "He's begun to do the linebacker movement drills. I would foresee within the next couple of weeks him coming out and participating in practice.

"I would say within the next couple of weeks [Charles], too, will be ready to suit up in pads and position himself [to play].''

Without Justin Houston and Tamba Hali, where will pass rush come from? from ESPN

The last player other than Justin Houston and Tamba Hali to lead the Kansas City Chiefs in sacks was Jared Allen, and he hasn't played for the Chiefs since 2007. Since then, either Houston or Hali has been the team's top pass-rusher. It's been years since the Chiefs have had to get after an opposing quarterback without either player.

But with the first preseason game rapidly approaching, neither player has joined them for a training camp practice. Each is rehabbing from offseason knee surgery, leaving the Chiefs to figure out how to mount a pass rush without them.

Kansas City Chiefs need Dee Ford 'to step forward' from AL.com

Ford demonstrated his capabilities during the Chiefs' 10-3 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Dec. 13. He made seven tackles, including three sacks, and came through with a game-saving pass breakup in the end zone in the closing seconds.

But in his other four starts, he totaled seven tackles and one sack.

"I thought he had a really good offseason in OTAs," Kansas City defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said of Ford. "He registered a very good season where he showed us some really positive things. I've answered the same way to Dee: It's about being consistent. ... He's working really hard, and, obviously, with Justin being injured, that's really a key guy for us, and we need him to step forward."

Chiefs ready to get first game-speed test Saturday from The St Joseph News-Press

For Kansas City Chiefs veterans, playing at Arrowhead Stadium never gets old. Recently signed quarterback Nick Foles is about to experience something entirely new.

When he takes the field in the Chiefs' Saturday meeting with the Seattle Seahawks it will be the first time in his five-year career that he will have played in Kansas City.

"I've heard the environment is pretty insane," Foles said after practice Wednesday. "The crowd's crazy, it's extremely loud.

"I'm excited for my first experience, and I'm excited I'm on this team playing in Arrowhead and not the opposing team."

Chiefs add another well-known KC brand as a sponsor from The Kansas City Business Journal

The Kansas City Chiefs signed another new sponsorship agreement for the coming season, agreeing to a multiyear partnership with CommunityAmerica Credit Union for an undisclosed amount.

CommunityAmerica is the metro area's largest credit union, with more than $2 billion in assets and more than 200,000 memberships.

Travis Kelce's program gives Chiefs fans another reason to cheer for every catch he makes from FOX4KC

If you needed one more reason to cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs, number 87 has a new project that will get you cheering for the Chiefs and Kansas City kids.

Travis Kelce`s 'Catches for Kids' program raises money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City.

"I've been working with the Boys and Girls Club for awhile now, ever since I got to Kansas City, and it's an awesome organization to be a part of," said Kelce.

What we learned: Chargers having eventful camp from NFL.com

The Chargers learned Wednesday evening that wide receiver Stevie Johnson will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his torn meniscus. This is a worst-case scenario for San Diego. We knew about the injury over a week ago, but it was unclear how long Johnson would be out.

San Diego still has solid depth at the skill positions with Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Danny Woodhead, Antonio Gates, and rookie tight end Hunter Henry all giving Philip Rivers intriguing options to throw to.

Bears courting St. Louis NFL fans from The St Louis Post-Dispatch

"Hey listen, we understand where your allegiances are in baseball. We know where your allegiances are in hockey. But you know, there's an opening in football there for you. So, we're right across the border. We've got a lot of fans in downstate Illinois."

The Kansas City Chiefs also are televising their preseason games in St. Louis this year, on KMOV, Channel 4. The Chiefs open Saturday against Seattle in a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium.

According to NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy, both the Chiefs and Bears are being allowed to televise their preseason games in St. Louis on what he called a test basis.

Wayne Larrivee's 2016 NFL preseason power poll from NBC26

10) Kansas City Chiefs. All-Pro safety Eric Berry is holding out, but this is a team that is loaded and gets Jamaal Charles back at running back.  This is a good team that is well coached

Column: If two is none? Then when is one, um, one at Broncos QB? from The Denver Channel

Sanchez has thrown three pick sixes to Lorenzo Doss and Bradley Roby (two). The belief remains -- one I prescribe to -- that Sanchez is the slight leader. Many insist he must lose the job to, um, lose the job. I disagree. He needs to make plays. He can't win the spot with a static performance.

Who does he have to be? Alex Smith. You've heard of him. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. He'd rather eat shards of glass than turn the ball over. His statistics make fantasy league owners weep, but endear him to coaches and teammates. Since landing in Kansas City, Smith has averaged 20 touchdowns the past three seasons. That defines pedestrian. During that same stretch, however, he has thrown 20 interceptions. A 3-to-1 score to pick ratio. The Broncos would take that after they led the league in interceptions last season.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif impresses in Chiefs camp from Le Journal de Montreal [translated from the original French]

NFL training camps are in full swing and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif does not fail to impress on the offensive line of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Quebecer was selected from players who stood out Tuesday on the official website of the Chiefs.