New chapter, same ol’ story. Thomas Jones lived it in 2018. Travis Kelce followed suit in 2023. And if I went digging through every training camp and locker-room scrap in Chiefs history, I’d probably be here all day. The truth is, a few punches flying between teammates during camp is hardly breaking news in Kansas City. Yet once again, Andy Reid’s team has found itself adding another chapter to the familiar tale.

The tough stretch of practice in St. Joe finally got to everyone, and it showed on the field Saturday. Head coach Andy Reid probably didn’t expect his practice plan to include a little peacekeeping, but that’s exactly where he found himself. He had to step in alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes, trading the playbook for the role of a mediator as tempers flared.

“Skirmish just broke out,” Chiefs beat writer Matt Derrick posted on X. “Not sure how it started, but it involved Kingsley Suamataia throwing a punch and Felix Anudike-Uzomah without his helmet.

“Nearly erupted a second time before Mahomes stepped between them.”

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was caught separating teammates after a drill became heated and turned into an actual fight during the Chiefs’ sixth consecutive day of practice. Even defensive line coach Joe Cullen was there to separate Anudike-Uzomah from the scuffle. What did Mahomes say about it?

“Six straight days going against the same guys,” he stated. “It’s being competitive. That’s what’s great about this camp. It’s super competitive, on both sides.

“Little scuffles here and there, but nothing crazy. As long as we keep it like that and keep competing, that’s how you get the best football team you can get.”

However, Derrick had his own read on who broke it up.

“I didn’t see Andy Reid putting his body between Kingsley and Felix. I did see DL coach Joe Cullen yank Felix off the field.”

He later corrected himself, confirming Reid was out there too, along with some other coaches.

Here’s what took place: The scrap between Kingsley Suamataia and Felix Anudike-Uzomah started on an 11-on-11 rep during Saturday’s practice at Missouri Western State University. Anudike-Uzomah bull-rushed the left guard, then eased off partway through the play. Suamataia didn’t like that and shoved him. Anudike-Uzomah kept engaging him after the play, and Suamataia swung on him with his right hand. And Anudike-Uzomah’s helmet came off during the scuffle.

Undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson stepped in to hold Anudike-Uzomah back as he came at Suamataia again, and both Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid moved in to help break it up. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen eventually pulled Anudike-Uzomah off the field and walked him to the sideline, though he was back out there within a few minutes.

However, that wasn’t the only scuffle of the day

By the tail end of practice, the starters were grinding through the long-drive period when running back Kenneth Walker III hit his breaking point with safety Alohi Gilman.

Walker thought Gilman had come in harder than the play called for on a run near the sideline. Once the whistle blew, Gilman got right up in his face, mask to mask, then shoved him. Walker didn’t hesitate. He fired the ball at Gilman and dove into him, and it took a handful of teammates to pry the two apart.

Walker’s frustration wasn’t hard to understand. He had already been the workhorse on a bunch of plays before that moment, and by then the heat and fatigue were catching up to everybody.

Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub addressed it, saying:

“How about that 16-play long drive? That’s how you know it’s hot. That happens. It’s football sometimes.”

Interestingly, this was the second incident Walker has had this preseason. Just over a week earlier, he had already found himself in the middle of things after launching a football at Drue Tranquill. He believed Tranquill was too aggressive with his contact on a non-tackle play.

Thankfully, neither of them was upset about the incident. In fact, Tranquill told reporters:

“Oh yeah, small moment — we’re just competing at the end of the down — trying to get the ball out — punch the ball, and Kenneth’s fired up — throws the ball.”

That said, Walker wasn’t the only one adding some heat to camp. Just days earlier, linebacker Jack Cochrane and running back Jaydn Ott got tangled up in a skirmish of their own during a special teams drill on Thursday.

Bottom line, as camp keeps grinding on, tempers are starting to match the summer heat.