KC Chiefs: Six training camp matchups we can’t wait to watch
By Scott Loring
3. Willie Gay vs Patrick Mahomes
We don’t list this because we think we’ll see anything but greatness from Mahomes at camp. The Chiefs signal caller is notorious for turning training camp into a Harlem Globetrotters game, but what I am interested to see is how the Chiefs’ 2020 second-round pick is deployed.
Linebacker Willie Gay has a tantalizing combination of size and speed. He has a hunger, having missed the playoffs with a torn meniscus. Perhaps the most pivotal point to be made for Gay is that he has a year under his belt and a full offseason to prepare for an almost assuredly elevated role in 2021.
Gay checks in at 245 lbs, but make no mistake about it; the man can really scoot. He is the Chiefs’ most athletic linebacker, without question. What I’m looking forward to seeing is how he reacts when the pocket collapses and Mahomes scrambles for the sideline. We’ve all seen Gay’s other-worldly closing speed (which was best on display during Week 16 against Atlanta), so it’s his processing where we will be looking to see the most development and growth.
The Chiefs have very few true “pocket” quarterbacks on the schedule in 2021. And while there are plenty of mobile quarterbacks on the schedule, the three biggest challenges will come in the first five games, when K.C. will see Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, and Buffalo’s Josh Allen. Each of those quarterbacks has a propensity to make big plays with their legs, and the Chiefs will rely heavily on Willie Gay to minimize those plays.
Up next: What happens when an All Pro veteran matches up with a 5th round pick? Let’s talk about Tyrann Mathieu vs. Noah Gray.