“I’m excited to build that chemistry and get ready for the season,” Patrick Mahomes said earlier this week at training camp. He wasn’t just walking into yet another practice, but instead, carrying the weight of a missed chance last season. After losing the Super Bowl to the Eagles, the Chiefs returned with more questions than answers. Their passing yards per game dropped from 261.4 in 2023 to just 222.4 in 2024; That’s a fall from 6th to 14th in the league. So when Mahomes, HC Andy Reid, and the rest of the team showed up at St. Joseph, Missouri, they were prepared for a tough camp—only, not everything went their way.

The Chiefs’ camps are usually fast, sharp, and tightly run. But this year? Not so much. Reports say it has been messy. For instance, on day 4, Mahomes reportedly made some errant throws and seemed a bit sloppy. It looked like the QB lacked rhythm, as many of his throws missed the mark. To make things worse, the weather didn’t help either…

On July 25, heavy flooding forced the Chiefs to shut down practice to the public and move indoors. Soon they issued a message to the Chiefs fans: “Due to inclement weather, today’s practice has moved indoors and is no longer open to the public. We apologize for the inconvenience.” Understandable. Just weeks earlier, central Texas got hit with record storms that left over 100 dead and dozens missing. But it wasn’t just the rains that caused a problem. Tuesday brought the most brutal session yet due to the heat.

“It was very humid, very hot. You know, if I’m tired and sweaty, then you know the rest of the team is struggling out there. Those guys are warriors, though. And I think it’s important for us to get that confidence in training camp to be able to think when you’re tired,” Harrison Butker shared in a press conference on Tuesday, July 29.

“And like I said, if I’m out there sweating and tired, you know it’s bad for the rest of the team.” Well, Butker isn’t the guy you expect to see sweat-soaked after practice. In the 13 games he played in 2024, Butker recorded 21 for 25 field goals and 29 for 31 extra points, and a total of 92 kicking points. But this Tuesday, the kicker walked into the interviews drenched, and he applauded his team for fighting it out there in the heat.

Temperatures hit 90°F, with the heat index soaring past 100. “I feel like it’s as hot as Florida right now,” rookie running back Brashard Smith said on Tuesday. And he is from Florida. The day was not only hot, but the practice went on for almost two and a half hours—the longest practice of the camp.

In the same press conference as Butker, HC Andy Reid quickly addressed the weather and said, “Nice, warm day, huh?” But he also understands how difficult it is. “It’s hard work. You’re out here in the heat. It’s tough but the guys battled through. I appreciate the tempo they set. And all the energy they gave.”

Patrick Mahomes’s struggles increase with the heated Chiefs’ training camp

Before training camp even started, injuries hit the Chiefs hard and fast. CB Kristian Fulton, RB Jawaan Taylor, and rookie Tre Watson were all sidelined. Two returned. One didn’t. Then TE Jake Briningstool hit the PUP list. And that was just the beginning. Recently, the Chiefs held out three more: rookie LB Jeff Bassa (ankle), S Deon Bush (hamstring), and CB Eric Scott (hamstring). But the worst was yet to come.

During the practice on Tuesday, wide receiver Xavier Worthy failed to bring in a deep ball from Mahomes and hit the ground hard. Trainers rushed in. He eventually returned, but Reid later confirmed that Worthy took a hit to the head. Soon after, WR Hollywood Brown limped off and got carted away.

Reid said it’s an ankle injury, and that’s troubling. Brown already missed almost all of last season due to a clavicle issue. Then Skyy Moore went down. Another cart, another hamstring issue.

The tensions also boiled over in the Chiefs’ training camp. On Tuesday, rookie left tackle Josh Simmons got into a fight with Ashton Gillotte and pushed him. The latter, too, shoved Simmons, who then threw a punch at Gillotte’s helmet. Other teammates were quick to intervene, but HC Andy Reid didn’t think it was a big deal. “Competitive spirit. It’s hot and you get ornery,” he explained.

Training camp has already thrown its fair share of curveballs. But there will be many more that the Chiefs have to take.