What’s happening in Chiefs Kingdom?
We heard from some defensive lineman/linebacker prospects who have had meetings with the Chiefs, got a sneak peek at Travis Kelce hosting “Saturday Night Live” and much more.
Let’s look at the most recent and relevant Chiefs stories for the morning of March 2.
Latest in Chiefs news
Top Chiefs stories
- The Chiefs have met with many defensive line and linebacker prospects and will meet with many more. Workouts begin today and K.C. will certainly have a keen eye on these positions with Frank Clark and Chris Jones’ futures with the team up in the air. Even if the Chiefs retain one or both of them, they could still take select someone for their front seven relatively early in the draft.
- Speaking of defensive linemen, Chiefs’ defensive end George Karlaftis met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at The Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece. Karlaftis presented Mitsotakis with a signed Super Bowl jersey.
- Our John Dillon suggested that the Chiefs should look into bringing in Marcus Mariota to be the team’s backup quarterback. Mariota’s athleticism could be fun to see in Andy Reid’s system and Mariota would be one of the more experienced backups in the league. Regardless of who they bring in, third-year quarterback Shane Buechele will also be in the mix.
- Information from a survey sent out by the NFLPA was released on Wednesday. The survey asked NFL players about what areas their team excels in and what areas they could improve on. In what was a shock to most, the Chiefs’ training staff was rated very poorly, largely due to VP of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder. Several players had a negative opinion of Burkholder, citing that they didn’t receive the level of care that they should and that there is a fear of retribution for speaking out about injuries.
- As most of you probably know by now, Travis Kelce is hosting NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday, March 4. SNL released its latest promo for the upcoming episode, with Kelce and cast member Marcello Hernandez doing an Indiana Jones spoof. This episode should be very entertaining and not disappoint.
- Our Ed Easton Jr. is on the ground in Indianapolis, interviewing prospects at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. He spoke with Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton & Rice DE Ikenna Enechukwu with even more defensive line and linebacker interviews coming soon.
In case you missed it
- The Chiefs promoted assistant quarterbacks coach and passing game analyst David Girardi to quarterbacks coach. Girardi could be on the path towards becoming an offensive coordinator one day.
- General manager Brett Veach said that he and Orlando Brown Jr.’s team will try to negotiate a long-term deal, but the franchise tag could be in play for the second consecutive season.
- Veach will also explore the possibility of bringing back Frank Clark, but he admitted that clearing some cap space is also a priority.
Chiefs draft bullets
- NFL Combine workouts begin today for defensive linemen and linebackers.
- Brett Veach discussed a variety of draft topics on Tuesday, including trying to stick to selecting the best player available, what role the Senior Bowl plays in the draft process, and all the different information that goes into picking a specific player.
Around the AFC West
Denver Broncos news
- Broncos general manager George Paton provided an update on running back Javonte Williams, saying that he should be ready for the start of next season. Williams suffered a devastating knee injury back in Week 4, tearing multiple ligaments.
Las Vegas Raiders news
- The Raiders are reportedly not interested in acquiring quarterback Aaron Rodgers should he choose to leave Green Bay. Las Vegas has been linked to Rodgers as a possible destination for some time now, but the feeling amongst the Raiders is that they have too many other holes in their roster to address.
Los Angeles Chargers news
- Two Chargers players were named to Pro Football Focus’ top 101 NFL players from the 2022 season: safety Derwin James and center Corey Linsley.
Around the NFL
- We touched on the NFLPA report cards above. Here are the full reports for all 32 teams.
- Quarterback Derek Carr’s free agent tour is in full swing as he met with the Jets, Panthers and Saints on Tuesday.
- Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who many are ranking the best overall prospect in this year’s draft, was charged with reckless driving and racing on Tuesday. This was in connection with a fatal crash of Carter’s teammate Devin Willock and Georgia staff member Chandler LeCroy.
