Chiefs return to training camp after first preseason game

Aug. 15—The Kansas City Chiefs returned to training camp on Monday after falling to the Chicago Bears 19-14 in their first preseason contest on Saturday.

The Chiefs announced four roster cuts prior to practice in order to meet the league's roster requirements of 85 players before the Tuesday deadline. The Chiefs waived wide receivers Gary Jennings and Omar Bayless as well as offensive lineman Evin Ksierarczyk and cornerback Lonnie Johnson.

Head coach Andy Reid made the call last week to allow his offensive and defensive starters a chance to get in the rhythm of an actual NFL game by playing them Saturday. New receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling played one series that resulted in a touchdown. Reid was pleased not only with the performance of his starters but those that came in the rest of the way.

"We'll keep giving some of these guys some experience here with these preseason games. I think that's important," said Reid. "Then it was good to see the ones and the twos jump in and do some good things."

Some NFL teams put their starters on the field right away for preseason, some may wait until the second or third game, some don't play starters at any point. The Chiefs didn't waste any time putting their starting offense on the field, something that 10th year tight end Travis Kelce felt will benefit the offense when real games come around.

"I know we felt good as an offense," said Kelce. "It's one thing to just go out there and do one drive. It's another thing to get five, six, seven drives where you're putting up points, and that's where you become great."

Week 1 of the preseason also saw the highly anticipated debuts of some young players hoping to make an impact this season.

Few of those young players created the amount of buzz heading into that game as rookie running back Isiah Pacheco. The rookie from Rutgers has made a name for himself at training camp with his running style and his ability to catch out of the backfield.

Pacheco called his first NFL game "a dream come true."

"To actually play in one for my first time ever going to an NFL game, to be in it, felt great," said Pacheco.

The Chiefs lost a key player to injury in Saturday's preseason game. Tight end Blake Bell, who scored on the Chiefs' first offensive drive, suffered a hip flexor injury during his touchdown catch according to Andy Reid. Bell will slowly work his way back from injury. Offensive lineman Lucas Niang is also working his way back from a knee injury that's kept him on the PUP list.

Jacob Meikel can be reached at jacob.meikel@newspressnow.com.

Follow him on Twitter @NPNowMeikel.