“We’ll see who comes out the best, man. I’m excited to build that chemistry and get ready for the season,” Patrick Mahomes said as the training camp kicked off this year. But he wasn’t just walking into yet another practice. He was indeed carrying the weight of missed history. Last season exposed the cracks in the kingdom. After losing the Super Bowl to the Eagles, the Chiefs returned with more questions than answers. Their passing yards per game have dropped from 261.4 in 2023 to just 222.4. That’s a fall from 6th to 14th in the league. Therefore, head coach Andy Reid and co. showed up to St. Joseph, Missouri, not just to train – but to recover their edge. But they weren’t prepared for a kicker.

The Chiefs’ camps are usually fast, sharp, and tightly run. But this year? Not so much. Reports say it’s been messy – errant throws, missed connections, and miscommunications across the board. On Day 4 alone, Patrick Mahomes looked off-rhythm. Several of his throws missed the mark, and the whole session felt sloppy. To be fair, the weather did not help either. It has been nothing short of bizarre. 

On July 25, heavy flooding forced the Chiefs to shut down practice to the public and move indoors. Soon they issued the message to the Chiefs fans: “Due to inclement weather, today’s practice has moved indoors and is no longer open to the public. We apologize for the inconvenience.” Understandable – just weeks earlier, central Texas got hit with record storms that left over 100 dead and dozens missing. Why take the risk? Once the rain cleared, the team returned outside onto a soaked field. But then came the suffocating heat. 

Tuesday brought the most brutal session yet. “It was very humid, very hot. You know, if I’m tired and sweaty, then you know the rest of the team is struggling out there,” said the Chiefs’ kicker, Harrison Butker. He isn’t the guy you expect to see sweat-soaked after practice. In the 13 games that he played in 2024, Butker recorded 21 for 25 field goals and 29 for 31 extra points for 92 points. But this Tuesday, the kicker walked into the interviews drenched, and he applauded his team for fighting it out there in the heat. 

“Those guys are warriors, though. And I think it’s important for us to get that confidence in training camp to be able to think when you’re tired,” Butker further added. Practice lasted over two and a half hours. Temperatures hit 90°F, with the heat index soaring past 100. At times, players not in a drill just dropped to a knee. “I feel like it’s as hot as Florida right now,” rookie running back Brashard Smith said – and he is from Florida.

Andy Reid, always the jokester, cracked: “Nice, warm day, huh?” But the truth? It wasn’t funny. Indeed, it was punishing. And the effects started showing.

Patrick Mahomes’s struggles increase with heated Chiefs’ training camp

Before training camp even started, injuries hit the Chiefs hard and fast. CB Kristian Fulton, RB Jawaan Taylor, and rookie Tre Watson were all sidelined. Two returned. One didn’t. Then TE Jake Briningstool hit the PUP list. And that was just the beginning. Recently, the Chiefs held out three more: rookie LB Jeff Bassa (ankle), S Deon Bush (hamstring), and CB Eric Scott (hamstring). But worse was yet to come. 

During the practice on Tuesday, wide receiver Xavier Worthy failed to bring in a deep ball from Mahomes and hit the ground hard. Trainers rushed in. He eventually returned, but Reid later confirmed that Worthy took a hit to the head. Soon after, WR Hollywood Brown limped off and got carted away.

Reid said it’s an ankle injury – and that’s troubling. Brown already missed almost all of last season due to a clavicle issue. Then Skyy Moore went down. Another cart, hamstring, and blow. Just weeks ago, Patrick Mahomes might’ve hoped for a comeback story at wide receiver. Now? It feels like déjà vu. 

The tensions also finally boiled over in the Chiefs’ training camp. During one practice, rookie tackle Josh Simmons and DL Omarr Norman-Lott got into it. Simmons threw a punch to Norman-Lott’s helmet. Norman-Lott jabbed back. Simmons’ helmet popped off before teammates rushed in. This isn’t what Reid had in mind when he drafted both to protect Patrick Mahomes. “It’s hot,” Reid said afterward. “These things happen. Competitive stuff.” But is that all it is? Or are frustrations from a rocky start finally bubbling to the surface?

As it stands now, the wide receiver room has been bruised. The defense has been testy. And Patrick Mahomes does not look like himself. So what now? Can this team, led by a two-time MVP, shake off the heat, the injuries, the noise – and reclaim their spot at the top? Or are we watching the cracks of a dynasty beginning to spread? Training camp has already thrown its fair share of curveballs. But there will be many more that the Chiefs have to take.