By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — After watching his Kansas City Chiefs get dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, general manager Brett Veach identified two specific areas where the three-time reigning AFC champions needed to improve.
One was left tackle, where a rotating cast struggled all season to protect Patrick Mahomes. The other was wide receiver, where injuries prevented the Chiefs from ever having the group that they expected to have on the field.
Now, it appears two positions of weakness in February could be positions of strength by the season opener in September.
On the left side of the offensive line, Veach signed Jaylon Moore in free agency, then drafted Josh Simmons in the first round out of Ohio State. He was widely considered to be the most talented tackle prospect available, but a knee injury that robbed Simmons of most of last season also sent his stock falling, and allowed him to fall right into the Chiefs' lap at No. 32 overall.
Three weeks into training camp, not only has Simmons showed no lingering effects of last year's surgery, but he has routinely punished teammates in 1-on-1 drills, and solidified the starting job ahead of Saturday's preseason opener in Arizona.
“He's very talented, man. Very, very good rookie so far,” right tackle Jawaan Taylor said. "He’s been soaking up all the things we’ve been teaching him — Coach (Andy) Heck, the players, the veterans, and I feel like he’s going to have a great career here.”
The Chiefs need him to have one.
They haven't had a true franchise left tackle since Eric Fisher left after two Pro Bowls following the 2020 season, and that came back to haunt them, especially against the Eagles in February. Mahomes was sacked six times in the 40-22 Super Bowl loss, and he was forced to throw under duress on at least twice that many plays.
In training camp, Simmons has consistently given Mahomes more time to throw, and that has resulted in the kinds of explosive downfield passing plays that have been absent from the Kansas City offense the past few years.
“First of all, he’s getting a lot of reps, which I think is important for a rookie,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He’s been in there and consistently showing up every day and working and not taking plays off or anything like that.
“But he’s a worker,” Reid continued. "I mean, he’s willing to do it. It’s just a matter of keep on going. But he’s done a nice job with what we’ve asked him. He’s working on all the fundamentals and techniques, so that’s a challenge for him.”
At the receiving end of all those downfield throws are not only the wide receivers that Mahomes and Co. expected to have last season but a potentially improved group with the addition of fourth-round pick Jalen Royals.
Rashee Rice has shown no issues after a torn knee ligament cost him most of last season, while the shoulder injury that kept Marquise Brown off the field for months has likewise healed. Throw in a year of growth for Xavier Worthy, their first-round pick last year, and the Chiefs' wide receiver group is deeper, faster and more potent than it has been in a while.
“Not to take anything away from any receivers that we’ve been with here or anywhere else (but) for me, this collective group of wide receivers from top to bottom is extremely competitive and talented,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said.
“I don’t want to take for granted is JuJu Smith-Schuster. Unbelievable right now with what he is doing, as far as a leader in that room,” Nagy added. “Watching guys out here in walkthroughs, he's taking these young guys and using his experience and giving his knowledge to them, and it is exciting because he is a great player. So, from top down we have a lot of speed. The guys have knowledge, they’re smart, they play fast and tough. Now, it is just the timing of Pat.”
That timing has been on point so far, thanks in part to the voluntary passing camps that the two-time MVP has run the past few years at his home in Texas. Most of the receivers on the roster show up for at least some of it, and that typically gives them a big jump on training camp, when they begin facing defenders rather than just air.
“In order for our offense to be great,” Mahomes said, "you have to be able to complete those passes. It opens up everything else. ... If we can do that, I think it is really going to open up the offense and make us a better team in general.”