The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their drive for a third consecutive Super Bowl title on Tuesday as rookies and quarterbacks reported for training camp.
Coach Andy Reid leaned on the clichéd "every year is its own year" phrase when asked how he keeps his players motivated season after season given how much they've won since he moved to K.C. Reid was asked if it's easier to keep players driven given the leadership of veterans like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and others.
"Yeah, they (Mahomes and Kelce) are great with it," he responded, via the team's official transcript. "That's what I was saying before we had the (summer) break. I appreciate that leadership, Chris Jones, (Nick) Bolton, I mean these guys that have been around here, they do a nice job. When players start helping players out and helping them understand what's going on, normally you have a pretty good thing going and these guys, we're lucky to have that leadership."
Since taking over Kansas City in 2013, Reid has gone 128-51, missing the playoffs just once, winning eight consecutive AFC West titles, getting to at least the Conference Championship Game in each of the six seasons since Mahomes took over full-time, and hoisted three Lombardi Trophies.
Sustained winning to such a degree doesn't happen without leadership from the players on the field.
"They go 100 miles an hour, and they make everybody around them go 100 miles an hour," Reid said of his leadership group. "While the coaches are kicking them a little bit, the players are kicking them, and that peer pressure, there's nothing like that."
The peer pressure is vital to keeping everyone focused on the ultimate goal every season. When the best of the best, like Mahomes, Kelce, Jones and Bolton are busting their butts and focusing on the minutia it takes to win every week, it's easier to get buy-in from others down the roster -- particularly young players.
