Patrick Mahomes is used to seeing familiar faces at training camp. This year, some of them are back in a new way. A group of former Kansas City Chiefs has returned to camp as part of the team’s Ambassadors program. They are not competing for roster spots anymore. They are there to help the current players learn from those who came before them.
For Mahomes, it means a lot. He shared many of those same camp days with these guys.
The Chiefs are holding camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri. Former players like Tyrann Mathieu, Dwayne Bowe, and Damien Williams have been around practice as ambassadors.
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What Mahomes said
Mahomes spoke to reporters after practice about seeing his old teammates back on the field.
He joked that when your former teammates return as ambassadors, it means you have been playing a long time. He said it was special to have them around. These were the players who stayed in the same dorms, went through the same hard camps, and listened to the same coaches yell at them, like former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Mahomes said the bigger value is for the younger players. They can walk up to these veterans and ask real questions. How did you get through camp? What did you learn? Why is a coach getting on me like this? That kind of advice does not come from a playbook. Mahomes gave credit to head coach Andy Reid for bringing the former players back around.
That help matters most during camp. Young players are dealing with new routines, hard practices, and constant competition. A veteran who has already lived through that pressure can make it easier to handle.
High praise for Tyrann Mathieu
One of the returning players is Tyrann Mathieu, known as the “Honey Badger.” He was a key part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV team and made multiple Pro Bowls in his career.
Mahomes said Mathieu is one of the best leaders he has ever been around. He told the young defensive backs to soak up everything Mathieu shares. Mahomes pointed out that Mathieu was gifted and had great instincts, but it was his leadership and his daily preparation that really set him apart. That is the part the young players should copy.
Mathieu has been at camp for a few days this week, passing on advice to the younger group. His old defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, was glad to have him back and joked that he wants him around more often.
Why it matters this year
The timing adds to it. The Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season and missed the playoffs for the first time in ten years. Mahomes is also working his way back from a knee injury that ended his last season early, and he has said he wants to play better than he did before he got hurt.
That makes the veteran voices even more useful. This is a team trying to bounce back, with a lot of new faces in the running back room and the secondary. Having former players who know what winning in Kansas City takes can help set the standard for the group.
For Mahomes, the program also keeps the different eras of the Chiefs connected. The players who helped build the recent run are now passing on what they know to the group trying to start a new one.
