Roughly 40 hours after Friday night's preseason home opener, the Kansas City Chiefs exited their familiar locker room at One Arrowhead Drive and returned to the practice fields of the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex.
Returning with his teammates was Chiefs Pro Bowl RB Jamaal Charles, who met with the media beforehand and described how he's feeling, recovering from a strained right foot injury.
"I'm doing fine," Charles said, before lacing up the cleats and running drills with the first-team.
"Things happen and you don't know when it's going to happen; you just have to be prepared and take care of your body. That's what I'm still doing. Just trying to make sure I do all the right things and get my body taken care of."
A temp of 81 degrees with a partly-clouded sky greeted Charles and the Chiefs, whose mission remains the same from Friday night, study film, identify mistakes and correct them, before taking the field Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
When the Chiefs face the Steelers on Saturday, they'll be led by head coach Andy Reid, who is fully invested in his entire team.
"Yeah, coach Reid is involved in all phases," Chiefs DL Mike DeVito said.
"He's always around and involved in all phases, checking on individual drills, talking to us during team (drills). He's always bringing stuff to the table. He's a great football mind, and it's awesome to be around (him) and have a head coach like that who can always come up and add something to your game."
Also before Sunday's practice, Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson met with the media, discussing the benefit of having Jamaal Charles back at practice.
"Yeah, I think it is crucial because everything is new," Pederson said.
"From the quarterback to the offensive philosophy and structure, you need your starters together as often as possible; so it is going to be good to get him back this week, back out here at practice. Just being around Alex (Smith) and being around the guys to understand what we're trying to get done, for everybody right now, it's valuable to have as many reps as you can together."
As has been the case since training camp began, the Chiefs defense remains sharp and aggressive, including Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers, who described the comfort level of the defense.
"Very comfortable," Flowers said. "That is one thing we want to do, make sure we handle the chemistry on the back end. We all want to be on the same page, because if we're on, we can definitely be playmakers and help the football team. So, that's one thing we try to thrive in."
All in all, it was a productive day on both sides, as well as the Chiefs special teams, led by special teams coordinator Dave Toub and assistant Kevin O'Dea.
Earlier in the day, Chiefs rookie RB Knile Davis, who has one kick return for 79 yards this preseason, shared his thoughts on returning kicks.
"It's a new aspect to my game," Davis said. "I have a lot of fun doing it. It's something extra that I can make a play with."
The Chiefs ended practice and have the day off on Monday, before returning to the practice fields on Tuesday, preparing for Saturday's road matchup with the Steelers.
