The Kansas City Chiefs will begin their preseason games against the Arizona Cardinals, with this being the first step on the road back to the Super Bowl.
At this time of year, it is the ideal opportunity for rookies and players who find themselves on the roster bubble to secure meaningful snaps and impress the coaching staff.
It is also the time of year when most key players and starters will sit out in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary injuries, but it appears that head coach Andy Reid might have other ideas.
Per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Reid says that the plan is to have Patrick Mahomes play in the first quarter against the Cardinals. Meirov also stated that Reid is a believer in giving starters reps in preseason.
That generally isn’t the way to go for most of the league, with the potential for injury a big red flag, but when it comes to the Chiefs and how successful they have been over the past handful of years, whatever Reid does, it usually works out, so he knows what he’s doing.
The flip side, though, is rather terrifying with the thought of Mahomes getting injured in a preseason game that has no meaning, would see the head coach suffer some serious blowback for his decision.
Still, it appears Reid thinks it is best for his starters to get a little live action before the regular season begins, even if that means putting them “sort of” in harm’s way in preseason.