Chiefs’ training camp observations from Monday’s Day 8

Everything that went down during Kansas City’s eighth training camp practice in St. Joseph.

On Monday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to their field at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph for another practice of the team’s 2024 training camp.

This was the eighth of 19 public sessions on the practice field next to MWSU’s Spratt Stadium. 10 of the remaining practices will be open to the public — click here for details and a full schedule — while one more will be open only to the team’s Season Ticket Members.

Chiefs Studios’s editor-in-chief Chiefs Studios was there. Pete posted some observations on social media — starting with the hot weather.

The rising temperatures persisted in St. Joe Monday morning as the team began practice in the low 80s, with it rising to the mid-80s as the workout concluded. That trend will continue with highs set for 91 or above Wednesday to Friday.

The starting left guard was back.

The one key change was the return of left guard Joe Thuney, who comes of the PUP (physically unable to perform) list. Thuney practiced with the first-team unit for the install period but checked out for rookie Hunter Nourzad for the team period.

C Creed Humphrey on Thuney's return: "It's great, getting to have him back, doing some group install stuff, some [individual] stuff.

"It's been good, and obviously, he's a big-time leader for us. He has a ton of experience and he's a heck of a player."

Monday was the lighter, unpadded version of a Chiefs training camp practice.

Monday's practice was a 10-10-10 design, meaning the team cycles through 10 offensive plays, 10 defensive plays and 10 minutes of special teams. The first-team offense is served by the second-team defense and vice versa. It's a glorified walkthrough.

DC Steve Spagnuolo on 10-10-10: "[It's] more mental than anything. I think we went three straight days with pads, and I think coach [Andy] Reid would tell you the same thing: it's a good way to get a lot of work done but take a little bit of the physicality off."

In these 10-10-10s, you can tell more about the team from the rotations than any of the on-field plays, including those that include three laterals before a throw downfield. So let's get into some of that stuff.

The team was back to a rotation at left tackle — but that could easily have been a consequence of the 10-10-10 format.

Along the offensive line, Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris rotated at first-team left tackle, with the rookie getting the first three or four plays before switching out with Morris for a few snaps. Suamataia would check back in before the end of the period.

Some reserve players got some work.

With Thuney still being held out of team work, Nourzad served as the team's starting left guard the entire practice. I noticed Mike Caliendo taking over for C Creed Humphrey on a few snaps. Humphrey was highly complimentary of Suamataia in the tent.

Humphrey on Suamataia: "[He's] asking questions in meetings, staying sharp, staying locked in on meetings, things like that. You can tell he has an instinct for the game — how he needs to play and how he needs to block, things like that. As long as he keeps continuing to refine.

Your Mahomes target report.

Mahomes targets on the day (team work): Travis Kelce (5), Xavier Worthy (3), Mecole Hardman (2), Irv Smith Jr. (2), Kadarius Toney (2), Noah Gray, Skyy Moore, Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice, Justyn Ross, Jared Wiley.

Your run report.

During the run period, Kansas City showed a wide variety of looks, seeing the following offensive players touch the football: Pacheco (2), Rice (2), Worthy (2), Hardman, Deneric Prince, Toney.

Injuries spelled o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y for the former Dallas Cowboys cornerback.

At cornerback (with Nazeeh Johnson and Jaylen Watson still unavailable), the Chiefs' top team saw Trent McDuffie and Kelvin Joseph outside, with Chamarri Conner at the nickel. The second team had Joshua Williams and Keith Taylor outside with Nic Jones at the nickel.

Spagnuolo on the CB battle after McDuffie: "We're going to have to find our next two best players, however that works out. We know [Nazeeh's] dealing with his little injury right now, Josh has been there, Kelvin. There's a lot of guys mixing in there, but somebody's going to.

Chris Jones was among the players who were not participating on the field.

With Jones out of the mix, the starting base defensive line was George Karlaftis, Turk Wharton, Mike Pennel and Mike Danna. I noticed Felix Anudike-Uzomah coming in off the sideline when Danna slit over to defensive tackle. Malik Herring is also in that mix.

Spagnuolo on FAU: "I think Felix has gotten a little bit better every day. There was a couple practices there he struggled a little bit. I think his confidence is better. The last two days, he's been pretty good. Yesterday and today, I thought he did pretty good."

Your special teams skill players for Monday.

Special teams notes

Top kick returner combos (in order of turn): Nikko Remigio and Louis Rees-Zammit, Skyy Moore and Deneric Prince
Top gunner combos (kick return): Keith Taylor and Nic Jones, Montrell Washington and Kamal Hadden
Punt returners (in order of turn): Hardman.

The team will be off on Tuesday. Wednesday’s session will begin at 9:15 a.m. Arrowhead Time. It will be open to the public. As always, we will have live updates after practice begins. After it concludes, head coach Andy Reid will be speaking with reporters.

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