Chiefs vs. Bears: Patrick Mahomes and starters will play first quarter

Head coach Andy Reid announced that the Kansas City Chiefs will play their starters for the first quarter or so against the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are ready to kick off their preseason schedule with a visit to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Saturday, and it seems as if all parties involved on the roster are going to get some time to shake off the rust with some real snaps in the opening exhibition.

Head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Thursday that the Chiefs were going to play their starters for the first quarter against the Bears, which will give fans what they want to see with the likes of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce taking reps on the field.

The bit of playing time runs contrary to what some head coaches have decided to do these days in the preseason: to keep their starters from playing at all given the potential risk of injury. No one wants to see a significant player go down in a meaningless game. That said, it’s also true that football is a physical game and even Mahomes himself said this week that it’s helpful to get that first hit of the season out of the way for both the mental and physical side of it all.

The importance of a first quarter together should also give a series or two to new faces on each side of the ball. It’s one thing to practice against teammates but it’s another level entirely to compete against guys going all out to claim jobs and further their dreams. Mahomes will get to see how JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore look as pass catchers. On the defensive side, fans will be excited to see how veterans like Justin Reid and Carlos Dunlap slide into place along with first-round picks George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie.

The Chiefs and Bears kick off at 12:00 p.m. C.T. at Soldier Field on Saturday.