The wait is finally over for Kansas City. After four full-team sessions without helmets, the Chiefs will put on their pads this Monday. This marks the first time the team has hit the field in full gear since the season ended. Andy Reid, the head coach, confirmed the shift during a press conference last week. He observed that the squad will “kick back just a notch, a couple of minutes there” while adjusting to the grind. Real work starts now. Coaches need to see who can actually handle the hits.
Rookies Face the Grind Immediately
The league rules force a specific ramp-up, but the roster moves tell a deeper story. Every new player starts on special teams until they prove they belong on offense or defense. Dave Toub, the special teams coordinator, explained this strict rule to reporters. “Any time you have a rookie — everybody’s on special teams until they aren’t,” Toub said. The team doesn’t pull players back just because they were drafted high. They start as four-phase guys and only wean them off later. This approach has worked for years, and it means no one gets a free pass on Monday. The rookies must earn their spot on the main unit while taking heavy snaps on coverage teams.
No exceptions.
Injuries Force Roster Shakeups
While the pads go on, the injury list forces the team to find new bodies quickly. DE/LB Ethan Downs suffered a season-ending ACL injury, and DE Ashton Gillotte is out with a hamstring issue. These losses opened a door for Hurkett, a 24-year-old undrafted free agent. He originally signed after the 2026 draft but was cut during rookie minicamp. His NFL dream now has a second opportunity to be realized. The 6-foot-3, 259-pounder brings inside and outside flexibility from the edge. With the Iowa Hawkeyes over the past two seasons, he tallied 92 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles over the past two seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Per Arrowhead Pride, this move gives a longshot a real shot at the roster.
That’s the kind of story franchises love to tell, but only if Hurkett survives the first month.
What The Pads Reveal
Monday’s session is the first true test of the linemen on both sides of the ball. The entire offseason program was limited to non-padded practices, so the evaluation of these groups can really begin now. The true test of the offensive and defensive lines starts when they can actually collide. If the Chiefs want to win again, they need their trenches to hold up against the best in the league. The full-length practices in St. Joe will show if the depth is there to support the stars. The clock is ticking down to the regular season, and every rep counts. The team needs to see who can step up when the hits start flying. Depth charts don’t lie once pads hit.
