Arrowheadlines: Chiefs’ mascot ‘Warpaint’ has been retired

Chiefs headlines for Tuesday, July 27

The latest

Kansas City Chiefs plan to keep nickname but retire mascot ‘Warpaint’ | CNN

One difference fans will notice at Arrowhead Stadium next season is the absence of Kansas City’s horse mascot Warpaint.

“A lot of reasons for that, but we just feel like it’s the right thing to do,” Donovan said.

Since 2009, the sorrel tobiano mare has been a fixture at Chiefs home games.

The Warpaint tradition was reintroduced as part of the team’s 50th anniversary season after a 20-year hiatus. In earlier iterations, Warpaint had been mounted by a rider dressed in traditional Native American headdress and garb.

Patrick Mahomes Reacts To Tyreek Hill’s Madden Rating | The Spun

On Monday, Hill was informed that he received a 98 rating in Madden NFL 22. While that mark puts him in the top-two for receivers in the upcoming game, it still didn’t sit well with Hill’s quarterback – Patrick Mahomes.

Taking to Twitter, Mahomes took a little bit of umbrage with Hill’s rating. “Give that man his 99 rating!!!” Mahomes demanded.

Hill himself seemed okay with the rating, or at least, motivated enough by the rating to work harder. “That’s one step closer to where I want to be!” Hill boldly declared.

AFC under-the-radar training camp battles 2021: Raiders’ former first-rounders clash at safety and more | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs

Under the radar: RG1, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif vs. Trey Smith

We could focus here on TE2 between Blake Bell and rookie Noah Gray, or on CB3 with Mike Hughes, Rashad Fenton and Deandre Baker. But I think the starting right guard spot is under-the-radar because so many have Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as the Week 1 guy. Not so fast, I’m told. As we know, the doc opted out last year, and I’m told he didn’t look as rusty upon his return as one may have imagined. My former CBS Sports colleague Kyle Long was trending toward earning this spot before a freak leg injury sidelined him for a few months. I’m hearing rookie sixth-round pick Trey Smith is the real deal, and he’s shown that in very limited time already. LDT is the leader to earn his spot back by the time the Chiefs play the Browns, but I’d expect a strong push from Smith this summer.

2021 NFL season: Projecting the most improved player on each AFC team | NFL.com

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Running back · Age 22

Last season, CEH faced a light box (i.e., fewer than seven defenders) on 58.6 percent of attempts. I note this because it highlights how much defenses respect the pass when facing the Chiefs. Combine that with a revamped O-line, and the situation becomes better for Edwards-Helaire in his sophomore campaign. In the first 20 offensive plays (a proxy for the scripted part of the offense), no team uses more of the field horizontally or vertically, as measured by computer vision. This means more space for defenses to cover — and for CEH to exploit. Given Andy Reid’s play-calling history, it’s very likely the running back’s impact will be much greater in his second pro season.

Chiefs Super Bowl odds: What Kansas City needs to do to win Super Bowl 56 | DraftKings Nation

Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl 56 odds: +500

For the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, there isn’t much they need to tweak. Mahomes is the best QB in the league, Tyreek Hill is one of the best receivers in the league and Travis Kelce is the top TE. If Kansas City’s offense continues to put up numbers as it has in two seasons under Mahomes, there’s going to be very few teams who can beat the Chiefs.

One situation worth monitoring for Kansas City is Frank Clark, who was arrested on a gun possession charge. Clark is a key part of Kansas City’s underrated defense and will be a huge loss if he misses time this year.

Around the NFL

Aaron Rodgers Is Reportedly Returning to the Packers—Perhaps for One Last Dance | The Ringer

To entice Rodgers back, the Packers reportedly made a few concessions, including lopping off the final year of his current deal (it will now end after the 2022 season instead of 2023). The team also agreed not to use the franchise tag at the end of his contract, and that if Rodgers “wants to be traded [after the 2021 season], the team will acquiesce to his wishes,” according to Schefter. Put all of that together and Rodgers will stick it out at least one more year in Green Bay, then have the freedom to leave, either via a trade in 2022 or free agency in 2023.

Tom Brady made a similar move two years ago, when he signed a new contract with New England that allowed him to become a free agent after the 2019 season. That ended with Brady finishing out his contract with the Patriots, signing with the Buccaneers, and winning a Super Bowl at 43 years old (and beating Rodgers and Co. in the process). Rodgers is now using at least part of the method that Brady pioneered. But there’s another GOAT whom Rodgers seems to be modeling even more closely here.

Washington agrees to terms with DL Jonathan Allen on four-year, $72M deal | NFL.com

The Washington Football Team is finalizing a four-year, $72 million extension with Allen, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported via Allen’s agency. The new deal includes a $30 million signing bonus and runs through 2025, Rapoport added.

Washington drafted the Alabama star in the first round four years ago to be a defensive building block. That’s been a gradual process, with Allen tallying 14 sacks between 2018-19 and evolving into a stout run defender last year.

Lawyer: Two women with new allegations among 10 to file police complaints against Texans QB Deshaun Watson | ESPN

Ten women have now filed complaints with Houston police about Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin.

Hardin spoke with ESPN on Monday about the progress of the criminal and civil cases involving his client.

“There are 10 women that have made complaints to the [Houston] police,” Hardin said.

Eight of the women, according to Hardin, are among the 22 women who have alleged in lawsuits that Watson sexually assaulted them or engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior during massage sessions.

Two of the women who have filed complaints with Houston police, Hardin said, have not filed lawsuits against Watson.

“There are a couple of women who we don’t know anything about,” Hardin said.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates: Najee Harris top threat to Trevor Lawrence | NFL.com

4 – Kyle Pitts

Atlanta Falcons

A tight end has never won the OROY award, but Pitts is not your normal tight end. With the departure of Julio Jones, Pitts’ expected target share rises. The Falcons are likely to move him all over the field to create mismatches against smaller or slower defenders. Pitts is big and fast with outstanding ball skills and dominant potential in the red zone. With Matt Ryan pulling the trigger, Pitts is the most viable tight end candidate I’ve seen for this award.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs president Mark Donovan sees team as budding ‘international’ brand

The league’s focus on expanding internationally is especially relevant to the Chiefs, considering that in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, they have the league’s best player — and a formidable supporting cast.

“Patrick is iconic, and he’s not alone,” said Chiefs president Mark Donovan on Monday. “We think about the other players on our team and their social presence, their personalities. We feel like we are at a very unique, powerful point in our franchise — and there is a responsibility. I talk a lot about being prepared for success. There is a responsibility in our organization to utilize every opportunity to continue to grow — and international is one of the biggest lights that’s out there for us. The league has done something in the past year, and hopefully, it will be finalized [in] the fourth quarter this year. It will give franchises the opportunity to designate countries to be able to market into. And we are going extremely aggressively after that for exactly that reason. We’re going to maximize ‘right now.’”

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