Chargers bring back Keenan Allen after one season with Bears The Associated Press EL SEGUNDO, Calif.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers agreed Tuesday to terms with six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen .
Allen returns to the team that drafted him in 2013 after one season with the Chicago Bears.
He is second in Chargers history for both receptions (904) and receiving yards (10,530) for a wide receiver.
The Chargers traded him to the Bears last offseason for a fourth-round draft pick. Allen had 70 catches for 744 yards and seven TDs in Chicago.
Allen reunites with quarterback Justin Herbert, who made the 33-year-old wide receiver his favorite target in their time together, with Allen catching 24 TD passes.
Allen joins a wide receiver corps that is different than in recent years. Ladd McConkey returns for his second season after breaking Allen's single-season rookie record for catches and yards. They also have Quentin Johnston, Tyler Conklin and rookies Tre' Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith after free agent Mike Williams suddenly retired before the start of training camp.
Allen started 138 of 144 games for the Chargers in his first stint with the team.
He had a record-setting season in 2023, making a single-season franchise-record 108 catches.
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has not spoken with Micah Parsons following public trade request By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press The Associated Press OXNARD, Calif.
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has not spoken to Micah Parsons since the star defensive end publicly requested a trade last week.
Jones spoke to reporters Tuesday following a joint practice between the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams, his second such media session in four days after Parsons took to social media Friday amid a breakdown in negotiating a contract extension.
Asked if he has any confidence Parsons will be on the field ready to play for the Cowboys in their season opener at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4, Jones said, “Again, no. Absolutely not. A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”
Jones again said that the Cowboys organization has not has direct contact with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, before reiterating that he does not consider the holdup in talks unusual.
“There’s points of varying degrees of influencing not having something done, but nothing that I would say is out of the ordinary,” Jones said.
Parsons has not responded publicly to Jones’ remarks. The 26-year-old remains at training camp but has yet to participate because of a sore back. He spent part of Tuesday’s workout talking to Cowboys defensive back Trevon Diggs, Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, and former Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.
“I did notice him, but there’s 200 players out here, and a lot of good ones, and so that’s really what you’re dealing with,” Jones said of Parsons’ continued attendance at practice. “All of our fans know that when you walk out here. In this case, 200 football players out here, so you’re not just having someone snap out at you in terms of what you’re paying attention to.”
Jones again alluded to his direct conversations with Parsons in the spring over a contract extension that would almost certainly make the two-time All-Pro the highest-paid defender in NFL history. The nature of those talks has been disputed by Parsons, who is going into the final season of his five-year rookie contract and could be franchise tagged in 2026 without an extension.
“There is no question that in the case of the player contract, you have to have it in writing,” Jones said. “All parties do. Do we have a contract in writing? Yet we’re still talking about renegotiating. So, so much for that.”
Jones continues to express his belief the issue can be resolved to the satisfaction of both Parsons and the Cowboys.
“Our future is a challenge, and I’m built for it, and he’s built for it,” Jones said.
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From fashion fines to man in charge: Aaron Glenn's former Jets teammates proud of his NFL journey By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press FLORHAM PARK, N.J.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Glenn had an expensive sense of style when he played for the New York Jets.
Mainly because of all the fines he had to pay.
The current Jets head coach was a Pro Bowl cornerback with a flair for fashion. That included his game day socks, which didn't always adhere to NFL regulations.
“I think he was like the most fined guy on the Jets, not because of his demeanor on the field but because of the way he wore socks,” recalled former Jets teammate Jason Fabini, an offensive tackle who played with Glenn from 1998-2001. "I think he got fined every game because he wouldn’t have the green showing or something. You've got to ask him about that.
“He wanted to look good.”
Well, he certainly played good, the hits to the bank account notwithstanding.
Glenn played eight of his 15 NFL seasons with the Jets and became one of the league's top cornerbacks. He returned to his original team in 2012 as a scout for two years before coming back again last January, this time as the guy in charge .
“It gives me goosebumps to see him out there, really, and to be the head coach,” said Ray Mickens, a former cornerback who played with Glenn in New York from 1996-2001. “Going all the way back to our college days when we played together at Texas A&M and how he carried himself in college, seeing him be a head coach now, everything that he went through to get to where he’s at right now, I think, has been nothing short of amazing.”
Fabini and Mickens were among about a dozen former Jets teammates who spent Tuesday at the facility to have breakfast, watch practice and celebrate Glenn's new role as a first-time NFL head coach.
“It’s always good to see those guys and I want those guys to be part of what we’re trying to build because they’ve been there and they understand exactly what it is to be a Jet,” Glenn said. “There’s a number of things that goes into playing for this team and those guys know what it is. We’re teaching our guys what it is and those guys have been through it.”
Many of the former Jets have kept in touch with Glenn over the years, through his time as Detroit's defensive coordinator the last four years and the seven years he was a defensive backs coach, first with Cleveland and then with New Orleans.
And the sense of pride they all share in Glenn's latest achievement, being back with the franchise for which they played together, is strong.
“I’m not surprised that he became a head coach,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame center Kevin Mawae, who played with Glenn for four seasons. "I mean you watch his career and how he played the game and how he prepared and, I mean, other than the fact of all the fines he paid for not having enough white showing in his socks, the guy did things the right way.
“He was a professional on the field and in the locker room and meticulous about his game. And that’s why he had such a long career and that’s what’s making him a successful coach.”
Glenn is one of five current head coaches to lead NFL teams for which they once played, joining Detroit's Dan Campbell, New England's Mike Vrabel, Houston’s DeMeco Ryans and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh.
Glenn has tried to glean things from the coaches for whom he has played, including Bill Parcells, and those for whom he has coached, including Sean Payton and Campbell, and created his own approach to leading a team.
He has focused on changing the culture of a franchise that has the longest active playoff drought in the NFL at 14 straight seasons. Glenn has talked a lot about finding the right guys, ones who fit the style of these current Jets.
“You've got to be built for New York,” Mickens said. “You've got to be built for this. And No. 1, obviously we know that A.G.’s built for it and I think that he’s looking for players that are built to play here.”
Glenn has already had to make difficult decisions, such as releasing Aaron Rodgers during the offseason — a move that didn't surprise Mickens.
“He’s going to draw a hard line in the sand on a lot of things,” Mickens said. “And sometimes veteran players — and it’s OK, you know, you could be a Hall of Famer or whatever — if you’re not willing to do this and if you’re not willing do this, then you know what, you've got to move on.”
Glenn has also found parallels in what he and his teammates experienced when Parcells took over a team that went 1-15 under Rich Kotite in 1997 and brought New York to the AFC championship game two years later.
“He knows New York and he knows what it takes to win here,” Fabini said of Glenn, "and if he wins here, what’s going to happen. So I think that’s awesome."
After the Jets finished practice Tuesday, Glenn huddled his players in the middle of the field and spoke to them — with his former teammates watching and listening in awe.
“Oh, it was phenomenal,” Mawae said. "It’s great because you don’t hear coaches talk like that with that kind of passion anymore. And I think it’s more special when you’re coaching for a team that you sweat and you bled for and that kind of thing. ... It was real passion and emotion. And the guys get it. They buy into that.
“And we’re out there as former teammates, it’s like, ‘God, I’d go suit up for Aaron Glenn for one play,’ because that’s all I've got left. But as former teammates and Jets alumni, we’re excited to see one of our own take the reins of this program and hopefully turn it back to some respectability.”
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Panthers CB Jaycee Horn not seriously injured in car accident, is day to day with thumb injury By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn escaped serious injury on Wednesday morning after being involved in a car accident on his way to the team's stadium.
Horn injured his left thumb and sat out a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said Horn will be day to day moving forward.
“I’m glad that Jaycee was OK,” Canales said. “He did have to have a few stitches in his left thumb area. So they got that all cleaned up and sutured up. ... It doesn’t seem like anything else happened, but you know we’re just gonna kind of evaluate him each day."
Canales said Horn will not play in Friday night's preseason game against the Browns, but hopes to have him available for the team's second preseason game against Houston on Aug. 16.
“Hopefully we can get him turned around so we can take advantage of an opportunity in Houston for that game, which was kind of the plan all along,” Canales said.
Horn was alone in his car when the incident occurred at an intersection just outside the stadium. The team announced that no one involved in the incident was transported by emergency medical personnel. Horn was later evaluated by team medical personnel.
Horn took in practice from the sideline in street clothes and was seen moving around and joking with teammates.
The Panthers signed Horn to a $100 million contract extension earlier this offseason, which at the time made him the league's highest-paid cornerback. Horn was the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Panthers out of South Carolina.
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Commanders QB Jayden Daniels will not play in exhibition opener against Patriots By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press FOXBOROUGH, Mass.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will not play in Washington's exhibition opener at New England, coach Dan Quinn said.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota was among multiple players that did not travel. Mariota is working through a lower leg strain, Quinn said. That means quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman will handle the offense in Friday's game.
But Quinn said Daniels was expected to have a sizable workload during Wednesday's practice, as would several others. He added that other players who received heavy reps would also not play Friday.
Among those not making the trip was receiver Terry McLaurin, who is on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury in addition to “holding in” as contract talks continue.
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Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders to start in Browns preseason opener against the Panthers By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Shedeur Sanders will start Cleveland's preseason opener Friday night against the Carolina Panthers.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Tyler Huntley, who signed with team earlier this week , is also expected to play if he can get up to speed with the playbook. Joe Flacco, Cleveland's projected starting quarterback this season, is healthy but will not play. Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel will sit out while rehabbing from injuries, Stefanski said.
“My expectation for Shedeur is no different than the rest of the guys,” Stefanski said prior to the team's joint practice with the Panthers. “I just expect him to go out and operate. When you get in these preseason games you try to keep it very simple so guys can play very fast. It's all concepts that these guys know and don't have to think too much about.”
Stefanski was initially coy during his news conference when asked directly if Sanders would start, saying “we're going to work through it. (Huntley) just got here yesterday and I want to see how he is doing with the terminology.”
However, the Browns communications staff confirmed later to The Associated Press that Sanders will start.
Pickett and Gabriel were scheduled to participate in 7-on-7 drills in practice, but not team drills.
The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Sanders fell to the fifth round of the NFL draft after winning the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award following his final season playing for his father Deion Sanders at Colorado. Sanders remains fourth on the Browns' depth chart, but injuries have increased his reps in practice. He took some reps with the second team in practice Wednesday.
Sanders has had some recent shoulder soreness, but Stefanski said that is no longer an issue.
Sanders played two seasons at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado, where he played for two more seasons. He played in 50 games in college, completing 1,267 of 1,808 passes for 14,353 yards with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He also ran for 17 touchdowns.
Panthers coach Dave Canales had previously said Bryce Young will start at quarterback against the Browns, a notable change from last year. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick did not play in the first two preseason games last year and only saw action in one series in the preseason finale.
Carolina's starters are expected to play one or two series against the Browns, per Canales.
Canales said his decision was based on having a young team, adding that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to get players some reps and develop some chemistry.
Young said he's “super excited” about the chance to play more in the preseason.
“Every year we’re a new team, so I think it’s just a great opportunity for us to, at the first opportunity we can, get out there and try to establish ourselves, get more and more comfortable (and) get reps,” Young said. “I think it’ll be a great thing for myself, for all of us, just to kind of get our feet wet a little bit in the preseason."
Young wouldn't say if not playing much in the preseason contributed to his slow in 2024.
He was benched two games into the season after the team started 0-2 and was outscored 73-13 by the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. He didn't return to the starting lineup until Oct. 27 after Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident midseason.
Young said he didn't have any input with Canales in the decision to play more in the preseason this year.
“I trust the coaches and the decisions they make,” Young said. “I’m sure that they look at things from a year-to-year basis, whatever they feel like the team needs. Whatever decision is made, that’s the best for the team. There’s no pointing fingers, there’s no blaming. And again, all that’s last year. This was a decision for this year. I’m excited for it, and that’s all I’m focused on."
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Buffalo Bills release linebacker Baylon Spector following latest injury to 4th-year player The Associated Press PITTSFORD, N.Y.
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills released oft-injured linebacker Baylon Spector on Wednesday, two days after the fourth-year player was sidelined by a calf injury.
Spector was designated as waived/injured, essentially ending the once-promising player’s tenure in Buffalo.
A seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Clemson, Spector showed flashes of potential to fill the Bills primary backup linebacker spot behind starters Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard. Injuries, however, derailed his development. The 26-year-old Spector was limited to appearing in 26 games, including four starts, and spent four stints on the injured reserve list over three seasons.
Spector entered camp competing for a backup spot with veteran offseason free agent addition Shaq Thompson and second-year players Joe Andreessen and Edefuan Ulofoshio.
The Bills filled the roster spot by signing linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo, a 2024 undrafted rookie free agent out of Army. He spent his rookie season on the New York Jets injured reserve list after being hurt in a preseason game.
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Younghoe Koo's 6-year hold on Falcons' kicking job on the line after 9 missed field goals in 2024 By RICK FARLOW Associated Press The Associated Press FLOWERY BRANCH, GA.
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. (AP) — Younghoe Koo's six-year hold on the Atlanta Falcons' kicking job is on the line after his career-high nine missed field goals last season.
Koo entered training camp with a strong vote of confidence from coach Raheem Morris. Koo made 25 of 34 field goals last season, and Lenny Krieg was added to the roster for training camp to provide competition. Krieg, a rookie from Berlin, Germany, has the leg strength to make the competition interesting, so accuracy will be important beginning with Friday night's preseason opener against Detroit.
Koo’s nine misses last season almost doubled his previous career high of five in his seven-year career.
Koo, signed by the Falcons in 2019, was a 2020 Pro Bowler. His 2024 misses included some crucial field goals that could have led to wins for Atlanta, which finished 8-9 with two straight overtime losses to close the season.
In a 20-17 loss to the Saints on Nov. 10, Koo missed three field goals, including one which was blocked. It was the first career game with three missed field goals.
Koo also battled a hip injury and landed on the injured reserve list on Dec. 18.
“It wasn’t the best season,” Koo said Monday. “That’s the motivating factor. I’ll just move on. Mentally and physically I feel great. It’s just like any other offseason.”
Enter Krieg, who played for the European Football League’s Stuttgart Surge for two seasons (2023-2024) and made 19 of 26 field goal attempts with a career long of 52 yards.
On Tuesday, Krieg said training camp has been “really enjoyable" and “a great experience.”
“I have a lot of fun,” Krieg said, adding he is determined to “keep working hard.”
Koo said Krieg is "a great dude.”
“He works hard. I try to help him any way that I can,” Koo said, adding his goal is to "do my part and be the best version of myself.”
Krieg is looking to learn from Koo's experience.
“He’s been great,” Krieg said. “He’s a great resource for me to give me insights about his routines, his work ethic and his way of thinking about kicking. It’s a great relationship. I really appreciate him for being so open and so welcoming to me.”
Despite the competition, Koo does not feel any more pressure that he had in years past.
“It’s the same thing,” Koo said. “(When) Week 1 comes, it doesn’t really matter what you’ve done or what you haven’t done in the past. It’s what matters right there so I just try to get ready for that.”
Morris was the secondary coach in 2019 in his first stint with the Falcons when Koo signed with Atlanta. Morris says he still believes in Koo and that confidence makes the veteran the favorite in the preseason competition.
“I am really excited to see Younghoe have a bounce-back year and really excited to watch him come back,” Morris said. “I’ve got so much confidence in Younghoe because I started with him.”
When he's not serving as the mentor to Krieg, Koo's new role off the field is helping quarterback Michael Penix Jr. learn how to play golf. Penix has been critical of his lack of consistency in his new hobby but Koo says he sees potential in Penix’s swing.
“He’s got something that you can’t teach, which is speed,” Koo said. “He hits the ball harder than anybody I’ve seen. The ceiling is very high.”
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Giants' defensive line is determined to live up to the hype and high expectations By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Dexter Lawrence set out to quiet the chatter minutes after the first practice of New York Giants training camp . The veteran defensive tackle had already challenged his fellow players not to listen to the outside noise.
“They want to talk about our D-line and all this,” Lawrence said, “but we haven’t done anything yet.”
Linebacker Brian Burns shared the same thought process a few days later, with a little more profanity tossed in, acknowledging what the formidable front looks like on paper. And while adding No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter to a group already featuring Lawrence, Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux has the potential to make this an elite pass rush, those involved are quick to insist they need to prove it first.
"Everything looks good with the names that we have and the potential and this and that," Burns said. “It’s all on us. We can take this as far as we want to go.”
Teammate Darius Muasau called it “the best D-line in the NFL right now," which is lofty praise that can get tossed out there in the dog days of summer with camps in full swing and before any meaningful games are played. Even the exhibition season might not be an indication of what the unit can do.
That will get tested in September with the gauntlet of opening at NFC East rivals Washington and Dallas and at home against defending AFC champion Kansas City, followed by then Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. Coach Brian Daboll, among many others, is looking forward to seeing how Lawrence, free agent signing Roy Robertson-Harris, Thibodeaux, Burns and Carter handle hefty expectations.
“Hype doesn’t get you anywhere,” Daboll said this week. “Action does. So, whatever people think or they say, good or bad, the only thing that really matters is how we go about our business and ultimately producing when it matters.”
Even tying for the worst record in the league last season at 3-14 — the 30th-ranked offense shouldered a bigger slice of that blame — only seven teams had more sacks than the Giants' 45.
Lawrence set a career high with nine, Burns was next with 8 1/2 and Thibodeaux figures he should have had more than 5 1/2 with so many half-sacks part of his total.
“Probably would’ve been, you guys can do the math, maybe seven or eight if I were to finish those,” Thibodeaux said. “Just making sure that I get everything I deserve this year.”
Burns noticed a positive change in Thibodeaux at some point last season, which has continued into camp. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said Wednesday he routinely shows clips of the 2022 No. 5 pick running to the ball as an example to other players.
“K.T. has impressed me about how he handles himself in the building,” Burns said. “He gets in early (and) he does his thing. All in all, he flipped that switch last year, so I expect big things from K.T."
The organization — and bettors — expect big things from Carter, too. He's a heavy favorite at less than 3-1 on BetMGM Sportsbook to be AP Defensive Rookie of the Year after 12 sacks in 16 games in his final college season at Penn State, during which he also led the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision in tackles for loss.
“He’s going to be put in positions to succeed, and that’s just due to the guys we have on the line,” Burns said. “Me, Dex, K.T., he’s going to have 1 on 1s. He’s going to have opportunities to show what he can do.”
Bowen, going into his second season running New York's defense, is putting the onus on himself and his staff to find ways to get impact players on the field in the correct situations. That might mean Burns, Thibodeaux and Carter all lining up on an obvious passing down to show what they all can do.
“We’ve got to make sure we do a good job of finding ways to utilize them,” Bowen said. “To have three guys that can roll and play and do different things for us, it really opens up the creativity for us."
Nabers says he's ‘fine’
After not participating in all of team drills at practice Wednesday, top receiver Malik Nabers said he was fine and called it part of the plan devised by coaches and trainers.
Asked if it was about managing his lingering toe injury, the second-year pro said it was about everything. It's unclear how much, if any, Nabers will play in the preseason opener Saturday at Buffalo.
Hudson leaves
With standout left tackle Andrew Thomas still on the physically unable to perform list and rehabbing to return from surgery in October for a Lisfranc injury in his right foot, James Hudson has been filling in that spot with the first-team offense. That is, until midway through practice Wednesday.
Hudson left the field with training staff and did not return. Rookie Marcus Mbow, a fifth-round pick out of Purdue, took over in Hudson's absence.
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Travis Kelce's transformation: Chiefs star trims down, gears up for another Super Bowl run By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer The Associated Press ST. JOSEPH, Mo.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — It's easy to see Travis Kelce making plays on the practice fields of Missouri Western State University these days, whether they be those highlight-reel catches, deft maneuvers in the open field or, yes, the occasional pancake block on a running play.
The thing is that there is less of the Chiefs tight end to see.
Kelce won't exactly cop to it — leave that to Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who called him “svelte” — but the four-time All-Pro trimmed down considerably since the end of last season, when he was last seen walking dejectedly off the turf at the Superdome in New Orleans, the Chiefs having been dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
The sting of the loss probably had a lot to do with his offseason work.
You see, some questioned whether the 40-22 defeat might drive the nearly 36-year-old Kelce into retirement, especially given the number of off-the-field pursuits vying for his time. There's the TV shows and films, including the new “Happy Gilmore” flick, along with his popular podcast and his celebrity girlfriend, the pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Yet instead of calling it quits, Kelce seemed to redouble his efforts. He used the “New Heights” podcast with his brother, retired Eagles center Jason Kelce, to quickly make it clear that he wasn't going anywhere. Then, apparently, he locked himself in the gym and went to work, trimming down to the kind of shape Kelce was in earlier in his career.
“He's svelte right now. He looks like he's 20,” Reid opined. “He's doing a nice job. He's worked hard to get to this spot here.”
And avoid the spot he found himself in last year.
By almost any measure, the season Kelce had would have been deemed a success. He appeared in 16 regular-season games, caught 97 passes for 823 yards and three scores, and stepped back into a go-to role for the offense when the Chiefs lost wide receivers Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice to injuries for nearly the entire season.
Yet the measure Kelce uses has never been the same used by others. For one thing, the only thing that really matters to him is the Super Bowl, and the Chiefs came up short last season. For another, Kelce is accustomed to 1,000-yard seasons and double-digit touchdown passes, the kinds of numbers that have made him an almost certain first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“You know,” Kelce said Wednesday, after training camp was moved indoors as a storm swept through, “football is the biggest driving forced I've ever had. I love coming out here and focusing on this and trying to get better for another run.”
Kelce has always called Missouri Western his “sanctuary,” where he can get away from distractions and focus on football.
That hasn't changed as he prepares to enter his 13th season.
“You get out here to St. Joe,” Kelce said, "and you're going to training camp, man, it just really signifies like, coming together. The chemistry, the culture that you need to have to keep getting better every single day, every single week throughout the year.
“I think you can really just focus in on your craft,” he said, “and being the best. You care for the guys around you.”
That's evident in the way that Kelce has taken younger players under his guidance. Not just other tight ends, either, but anybody trying to get an edge, whether it be rookie left tackle Josh Simmons or first-year cornerback Nohl Williams.
“Every year he just gets wiser and wiser,” fellow Chiefs tight end Noah Gray said. "Watching him and his practice habits and the way he works always rubs off on us. When you've a leader like that, that continues to lead the room, continues to lead the team, it rubs off on everybody else and it makes a huge difference.”
Kelce balked when he was asked about his fondest training camp memory, given that this could well be his last — “Ask me that when I retire,” he quipped. But there is nevertheless a distinct feeling that Kelce poured himself into his offseason, getting in the best shape he possibly could, so that he would have no regrets as Kansas City pursed another Super Bowl title.
“I mean, we got a long way to go. It's still, I think, close to a month until our first real game,” Kelce said. “We got some time to work on our techniques and test it out on some other teams in preseason. But right now, it's just the work phase, man. I'm not really trying to evaluate anything. We're just all trying to get right, get into football shape, and get mentally tough.”
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