Over the course of the Andy Reid era in Kansas City, the Chiefs have cycled through various centers, one after the other.
This season, the Chiefs are hoping to find a long-term solution in the middle of the offensive line. While they also brought in veteran Austin Blythe, formally from the L.A. Rams, it was rookie Creed Humphrey that received the majority of the first-team reps during minicamp and will likely begin training camp as the starting center.
During his Zoom press conference on Friday, Humphrey touched on the early stages of his relationship with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“We’re very comfortable right now,” Humphrey told reporters. “We got a lot of good work in during OTAs and everything. So yeah, I feel very comfortable right now. I think we have a lot of comfortability between each other, [I’m] so excited to get to work.”
Humphrey is just one of several pieces the Chiefs brought in this off-season to rehaul the offensive line. If there’s one way for the former Sooner to improve, it’ll be by learning from the guys next to him. Luckily, he’ll likely be lining up between veterans Joe Thuney, as well as Kyle Long, if he’s healthy enough to return from injury.
“There’s a reason why those two guys are just exceptional players,” Humphrey said of the two veterans. “They come into work every day with a mentality of getting better every single day and that was kind of the thing I saw from them that I want to really take advantage of and just go in and improve every single day.”
To further improve his game, Humphrey also attended the annual OL Masterminds summit over the summer, where he picked up a few pro tips from various o-line from around the NFL, including a familiar name who knows a thing or two about the system that is run in Kansas City.
“There’s a ton of good NFL players that go to that, so when I got the invite I was excited,” recalled Humphrey. “I worked with Duke Manyweather, he’s the one that puts it on, during draft prep, so he let me come in. It was great to hear from everyone. Mitchell Schwartz was there. It was good to hear from him and kind of pick his brain a little bit. It was a really good experience.”
While at the summit, Humphrey told reporters that Schwartz advised him on several things as well as how to carry himself on and off the field.
“Just different techniques that he used,” he said. “How he took care of his body throughout the season. Things like that. Really just things to help me through my first year.”
As Humphrey continues to get accustomed to life in the NFL, he already recognizes the importance of the situation he’s in and the expectations that have been laid out as he embarks on his first NFL training camp.
“I’m entering the best organization in the league right now,” he said. “So the expectations are high, team standards are high. I’m ready to get in, get to work, and meet those standards.”
