Joe Bleymaier has spent a decade inside the Kansas City Chiefs’ building, and now he’s being singled out as a possible breakout name on Andy Reid’s staff.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic recently picked one coach from every team as a breakout candidate, and her choice for Kansas City was Bleymaier, the Chiefs’ passing game coordinator. He’s not a fresh face in the room - Rodrigue noted that he has also coached receivers and quarterbacks - but the buzz around him comes from what people around the organization have described as his “secret sauce.”
What that means exactly is still up for debate. The Chiefs’ passing game has worn a few different masks in recent years, from the Tyreek Hill era, when Hill was shredding NFL secondaries, to the version built around Travis Kelce and his ability to work the middle of the field.
It has not looked like that in the most recent stretch. Kansas City had a strong passing game early last season, but by the end of the year the receivers were better known for untimely drops, and the Chiefs finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs.
The offense is heading into this season with a new formula, even if the full picture hasn’t shown up yet. Patrick Mahomes is expected to be less mobile than before, Kenneth Walker III is in as the new running back, and Kelce should still matter a lot even if he’s no longer the game breaker he once was.
The receiver group remains the same for now. That includes Rashee Rice, who spent minicamp serving a 30-day jail sentence for violating the terms of his parole after serving a suspension last year for his role in a street racing incident.
Xavier Worthy is also back in the mix, and the Chiefs are looking for him to stay on the field more consistently. They’re also hoping Tyquan Thornton can turn promise into production after showing flashes last year.
In Other News...
Chiefs Fans Should Be Worried About Harrison Butker Right Now
Harrison Butker has been one of the most reliable parts of the Chiefs machine for years, which is why the last two seasons have stood out so sharply. His field goal accuracy has slipped, his extra points have been less automatic than Kansas City is used to, and the numbers have dipped far enough that the conversation around one of the leagues most established kickers is no longer just about a rough patch.
The bigger concern for the Chiefs is how that decline has started to show up in game management, where trust matters almost as much as leg strength. Butker remains on a major contract and still carries the rsum of a proven veteran, but the combination of missed consistency and a few uneasy moments has turned his status into a real storyline as Kansas City looks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Just Made A Massive Olathe HQ Decision
The Chiefs long-planned move to Olathe picked up another important piece this week, with the team lining up the firm that will help steer the new headquarters and practice facility from planning through construction. Burns & McDonnell, the Kansas City-based engineering, architecture and construction company, will serve as the owners representative on the project, a role that puts it in the middle of the day-to-day push to keep the build aligned with the Chiefs goals.
For a project of this size, that kind of oversight matters just as much as the headline-grabbing renderings and land deal. The complex is expected to rise near College Boulevard and Ridgeview Road on roughly 155 acres, and the team has been working toward a facility that can open before the 2031 season. Burns & McDonnell brings deep local roots to the job, which should make it a familiar name around a development that figures to be watched closely all the way through the build. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Fans Have One Huge Mahomes Worry Entering Training Camp
Patrick Mahomes health has become the central Chiefs storyline as training camp opens, and for a team built around its quarterback, that naturally changes the tone of everything else. Any time Mahomes is working back toward full speed, the questions multiply quickly, from how much hell do early in camp to whether Kansas City will even want to expose him in preseason action.
The backup picture adds another layer to watch. Justin Fields could be in line for a short-yardage package if the Chiefs decide to experiment, while seventh-rounder Garrett Nussmeier is the kind of developmental arm who could see opportunities if the staff wants a longer look. For now, the bigger issue is simply how Kansas City handles Mahomes through camp, because the answer will shape the rest of the quarterback conversation. [Read more 🡒]