Monday morning played out for the Kansas City Chiefs the same way it did for the rest of us, with a back-to-work mantra for players in St. Joseph. After a well-deserved day of rest on Sunday, the Chiefs hit the practice fields early on Monday to begin a week of prep for the preseason opener on Saturday against the L.A. Rams.
For fans in attendance at Missouri Western State, not only was Monday a great day to get autographs from the team's defensive backs, but it was also a festive atmosphere with several faces returning after being away—both from injuries and otherwise.
Eric Bieniemy returns!
The most important development out of St. Joseph on Monday was the return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for the first time since leaving to attend to a tragic shooting involving his family. Bieniemy had been given as much time as needed to attend to his ailing wife, Mia, who was shot by their son. After two weeks, Bieniemy had stayed in touch with his colleagues on Andy Reid's coaching staff and is now apparently back to work in K.C.
In Bieniemy's absence, passing game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck have stepped up to handle more leadership responsibilities in camp. However, there's no doubt that Bieniemy's passionate leadership style will be a welcome sight (and sound) with a young offense that has lacked his attention to detail in recent years.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy back at practice Monday, getting a hug from voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus. pic.twitter.com/xKmSjsUQtu
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) August 10, 2026
Worthy, Gillotte are back (somewhat)
For the last week, wide receiver Xavier Worthy and defensive end Ashton Gillotte have watched their teammates participate in practice while they nursed short-term injuries that robbed them of valuable reps. Fortunately, they were able to put on pads for the first time on Monday, as both players have healed from their respective shoulder and hamstring ailments that kept them out. That said, Gillotte was still rehabbing in part on the side.
For Worthy, his return to practice bolsters a limited wide receiver corps that saw rookie Cyrus Allen also miss a few days of camp with a shin bruise. Rashee Rice is also being brought along slowly from offseason knee surgery. As for Gillotte, his presence provides the same level of security for an equally thin defensive end group. The second-year lineman is in line for increased playing time with offseason departures of Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna.
Other players who continued to miss practice include defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, guard Trey Smith, and linebacker Drue Tranquill. Smith is the most concerning here, because early word from Andy Reid was that the lineman's hip wasn't a major concern.
The right tackle situation
Speaking of Smith's absence, Kahlil Benson, a rookie free agent from Indiana, continues to work inside at right guard in his place after taking the majority of first-team reps in practices at right tackle. Jaylon Moore was at right tackle on Monday, which mirrored the Chiefs' approach over the weekend after Smith's injury surfaced in the first place. Gotta wonder how the injury affects the Chiefs' ability to evaluate Benson as a potential starter outside. Andy Reid spoke after practice and said the reps inside will still help him outside, but that's not the same as a concentration of practices at tackle.
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