Chiefs headlines for Thursday, July 24
The latest
The 25 Best NFL Games of the Past 25 Years | SI
3. 13 Seconds
Date: Jan. 23, 2022 | AFC divisional round
Final score: Chiefs 42, Bills 36 (OT)
My fiancé isn’t much of a football fan, but I remember how much she enjoyed watching the final minutes of this epic battle between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Maybe that was the moment she realized football isn’t so bad and she can tolerate being around a football writer for the rest of her life. So thank you for that, Chiefs and Bills.
On a different note, she now knows whenever I say there are only two minutes left in a game, that really means there’s another 30-or-so minutes to go. For Bills fans, 13 seconds must feel like a lifetime.
Allen (329 yards) found Gabe Davis (201 yards) for his fourth touchdown and a 36–33 lead with 13 seconds left in regulation. That was enough time for Mahomes to deliver the game-tying drive, which included a 19-yard pass to Tyreek Hill (150 yards, 1 TD) and 25-yard completion to Travis Kelce (96 yards, 1 TD) to set up Harrison Butker for the 49-yard field goal. After winning the overtime coin toss, Mahomes (378 yards, 3 TDs) connected with Kelce for the winning touchdown in overtime.
This game changed the NFL forever, leading to a rule change in which both teams would be guaranteed a possession in overtime of a playoff game, even if the first drive resulted in a touchdown.
Ranking the top 50 NFL offseason signings, trades, draft picks | ESPN
3. Joe Thuney, G: Traded to Chicago Bears
A culture-setter in the offensive line room, Thuney upgrades a critical need for the Bears on the interior of their front. With a pass block win rate of at least 98% over his past three seasons, Thuney is still viewed as one of the top guards in the league after a brief stint at left tackle for the Chiefs last season. And his presence will keep the pocket firm for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.
Kansas City Chiefs · OT
Calling Moore a first-stringer might be a matter of some semantics. But when the Chiefs signed the free agent to a two-year, $30 million deal this offseason, it put him in the top 15 average salaries for NFL left tackles. That’s the position he was signed to play, even though he’s only started 12 career games. But this is a starting LT salary we’re talking about, regardless of Moore’s experience.
Things may have changed when the Chiefs took Josh Simmons in Round 1. There were questions about Simmons’ health and availability for the offseason program prior to the draft, but the Chiefs appear to like what they see from the rookie and plan to let him battle it out with Moore for starting honors.
Moore certainly could beat out the rookie early on. After all, the Chiefs probably regret starting Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle in the first two games of last season before benching him. Now, Suamataia is battling for the left guard spot. Moore also could win a job inside if Simmons impresses at left tackle, but at the very least, Moore’s deal is feeling a little expensive right now.
NFL grades: Training camps open, offseason report cards for each team | USA Today
Kansas City Chiefs: B+
You wouldn’t think a cemented dynasty would have this productive an offseason or this much financial flexibility – and QB Patrick Mahomes deserves more credit on that front given his ongoing willingness to restructure his contract and allocate money elsewhere. And while not everyone will be back, notably Thuney and S Justin Reid, the team managed to extend G Trey Smith and DE George Karlaftis, re-signed LB Nick Bolton, WRs Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster and RB Kareem Hunt.
GM Brett Veach was also able to add OT Jaylon Moore and CB Kristian Fulton. TE Travis Kelce will, at minimum, play out the final year of his contract, and WR Rashee Rice returns after last year’s season-ending knee injury − though he could miss the early part of the season if the NFL hands down a suspension in the aftermath of his legal issues being resolved. The defense was heavily augmented by the draft, but the spotlight will be on first-round OT Josh Simmons who, along with Moore, will be vying to solidify the new-look left side of a line that failed the team during its Super Bowl 59 three-peat bid.
5 Injuries That Will Have Biggest Impact on 2025 NFL Season | Bleacher Report
WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
One key reason to believe the Kansas City Chiefs can stave off a Super Bowl hangover and bounce back stronger than before is the impending return of Rashee Rice.
Rice emerged as the club’s top wideout shortly after Kansas City selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft. He finished his rookie campaign 938 receiving yards and a team-high seven receiving touchdowns on 79 receptions and then helped lift a Lombardi Trophy following a 26-catch, 262-yard, one-touchdown performance across four playoff games.
Set to build upon that and break out as a Pro Bowler in Year 2, Rice instead ended up missing a vast majority of the 2024 season with a knee injury suffered early in Week 4. Based on his efforts in the opening three contests, Rice was on track to rack up an eye-popping 136 receptions, 1,632 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Although his comeback campaign is being marred with a jail sentence—the receiver was sentenced to 30 days for his part in a speeding incident that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway last year—Rice will reportedly be a full participant in training camp if he remains healthy.
Rice drew praise from star quarterback Patrick Mahomes during a May practice session and was a full participant in OTAs back in early June. Head coach Andy Reid revealed that the team plans to “progress as normal” and allocate Rice his usual reps despite the jail sentence and surgically-repaired knee.
While Rice has not yet been disciplined by the NFL for his role in the multi-vehicle car crash, league sources told The Athletic’s Jenna West that the wideout is likely facing a “multi-game” suspension.
The Chiefs will need Rice back on the field and fully recovered to solidify their title chances. The team went from ranking No. 6 in passing offense during his rookie year to No. 14 without him for most of the 2024 campaign.
Around the NFL
Lords of the Ringless: Ranking 10 QBs Poised for Super Bowl Breakthrough | FOX Sports
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It is “now or never” time for the two-time MVP. Jackson steps into 2025 with the best roster in football, including a former NFL rushing champion (Derrick Henry) and a prolific pass catcher (DeAndre Hopkins) with exceptional hands and ball skills. Throw in a handful of emerging offensive playmakers (Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman), and the Ravens are loaded with enough firepower to set the NFL ablaze. If the defense continues to progress under second-year coordinator Zach Orr, the Ravens should make an early RSVP to the Super Bowl with a QB1 boasting a .744 winning percentage and an electric game.
Tua Tagovailoa says Tyreek Hill working to regain Dolphins’ trust | ESPN
Hill removed himself from Miami’s regular-season finale against the New York Jets before suggesting to reporters after the game that he would like to play football elsewhere; Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Hill never requested a trade, and Hill apologized for and walked back his comments in February.
Speaking after the team’s first training camp practice Wednesday, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said that building that relationship back up isn’t necessarily a simple process but that Hill is putting in the work to do so.
“It’s not just with me, it’s with a lot of the guys. I’m not the only one that heard that. You guys aren’t the only people that heard that,” Tagovailoa said. “A lot of people that follow football, that follow the Miami Dolphins, that follow Tyreek that are fans of his — everyone has seen that. So, when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, ‘Hey, my bad.’ You got to work that relationship up; you’ve got to build everything back up again.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Roster: Patrick Mahomes has to give his wide receivers a chance – Arrowhead Pride
Thanks to their consistent postseason success over the last half-decade, the Chiefs have played more football than any other NFL team. Mahomes understands that being ready for these late-season runs begins in St. Joseph.
“We know we have one of the hardest training camps out there,” said the superstar, “but it’s for a reason. So, how can you attack it every day and not have those down days? We have a lot of just building and building. That will prepare us for the next day — and it will prepare us for the end of the season.”
Mahomes reiterated the team’s commitment to renewing its deep passing attack after a 2024 season in which he once again failed to eclipse 4000 passing yards.
“I’ve got to be better at throwing the ball down the field,” he admitted. “Obviously, we weren’t good enough there. We’ve had success in prior years. These last few years, we haven’t done that. In order for our offense to be great, you have to be able to complete those passes. It opens up everything else.
“So, if teams are going to challenge us at the line of scrimmage — if teams are going to challenge us [to] throw the ball deep — we have to show that we can do that. It first starts with me and giving guys chances — but if we can do that, I think it’s going to really open up the offense and make us a better team in general.”
Social media to make you think
Always left it all out on the field. Forever a champ @Mathieu_Era! pic.twitter.com/gxKcEH38xc
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 23, 2025
Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media
- Facebook: Click here to like our page
- AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP on X: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP Staff on X: see complete list
- Sports Radio 810 on X: Follow @SportsRadio810