The Kansas City Chiefs took the field for the seventh official practice of training camp on Wednesday in preparation for the upcoming season.
Here's a quick rundown of what took place during Wednesday's practice, and for reference, every previous practice report can be accessed through the links below.
1. Wide receiver Skyy Moore returned to practice on Wednesday.
Moore was back at practice on Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's session early with a hip injury. It was a productive day for the rookie wide receiver, too, as he caught a touchdown during red zone team drills.
Tight end Jody Fortson, meanwhile, missed a third consecutive practice due to the quad injury that he sustained on Saturday. Head Coach Andy Reid indicated on Monday that the injury wasn't serious.
Cornerback Rashad Fenton, offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho and offensive tackle Lucas Niang remain on the "Physically Unable to Perform" list and also didn't practice.
2. The Chiefs practiced indoors due to inclement weather.
Camp took place within the walls of the indoor facility on Wednesday due to thunderstorms in the area, marking the second time that Kansas City has practiced inside during this year's camp. The beautiful thing about a Coach Reid camp, however, is that practice doesn't miss a beat even when the guys have to go inside.
In fact, at two hours and twenty-five minutes, Wednesday's practice was the Chiefs' longest session in terms of duration so far this summer. It was also Kansas City's third padded practice in a row, completing the gradual "ramp up period" that took place over the last several days. For example, the Chiefs' first padded practice – which took place on Monday – lasted just one hour and 40 minutes. Tuesday's session then lasted one hour and 55 minutes. That steady build-up continued on Wednesday, marking what will be the norm moving forward. The Chiefs will take the field for seven more padded practices during this camp, each of which will last two hours and twenty-five minutes.
In the meantime, Kansas City will hold a lighter practice on Thursday following the three consecutive days in pads. The Chiefs will wear helmets, shells and shorts as part of a one hour and 55-minute practice to wrap up the week before enjoying an off day on Friday.
3. Linebacker Leo Chenal shot the gap and blew up a running play in the backfield during team drills.
The Chiefs utilized a portion of Wednesday's practice to work on team running game drills, providing Chenal with an opportunity to show off what he did best at the University of Wisconsin. Chenal – who racked up 115 tackles and 18.5 tackles-for-loss last season for the Badgers – shot the gap with tremendous closing speed during one of those running plays, stopping the ball-carrier in the backfield. It was undoubtedly one of the top defensive plays of the morning.
Chenal is still carving out his role on Kansas City's defense, but his ability to stop the run could earn him some playing time in those situations early on.
4. Linebacker Willie Gay made a handful of plays.
Another defensive player who stood out on Wednesday was Gay, who jarred the ball free from the ball-carrier for a forced fumble during team drills before intercepting a pass in the end zone a bit later. It marked the second interception of this year's camp for Gay, who also hauled in a pick-six during 7-on-7 drills last Friday.
Gay was asked about Wednesday's interception following practice, and as it turns out, the third-year linebacker has some lofty goals in mind when it comes to taking the ball away through the air.
"[Those things] give me a lot of confidence. It's my goal to lead linebackers in the NFL in interceptions this year," Gay said. "If Patrick throws me some, I know the other quarterbacks will because they're not as good as him."
That's a realistic goal considering Gay's performance so far in this year's camp.
5. Tight end Noah Gray put together a strong practice.
Gray was on the receiving end of several passes on Wednesday, including a physical grab on a slant during red zone team drills and two touchdown receptions later in the practice. Gray's first score occurred on the next snap following the aforementioned catch, as the second-year tight end found space in the corner of the end zone to haul in Patrick Mahomes' pass. His next score, which took place a bit later, was in the back of the end zone after Mahomes extended the play outside the pocket.
The former fifth-round pick earned a significant role on special teams last season, but if he can stack multiple performances like Wednesday's, he could earn some more playing time on offense in 2022.
The Chiefs will return to practice on Thursday. For more information on training camp or for a schedule of practices, click here.
