KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Matt Moore spoke with the media on Wednesday. Following are their comments.

HEAD COACH ANDY REID

OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as the guys that won’t practice today, it will be Frank Clark, his neck has been acting up a little bit, so he won’t practice until we get that to settle down a little bit, and then Darron Lee has a sickness. Kendall Fuller had his thumb fractured, (Vice President of Sports Medicine & Performance) Rick (Burkholder) covered that with you on Monday. And then Andrew Wylie with the ankle sprain. Patrick (Mahomes) will go do a few things, and we will just see how he does. We evaluate him every day that he’s out there. In the meantime, Matt (Moore) will take the reps with Patrick at the quarterback spot. With that, time’s yours.”

Q: Has Mahomes progressed faster than expected from this injury?

REID: “He’s done well. We are just going to see how he does and evaluate him from there. Matt will get a good percentage of the reps out there.”

Q: Will Mahomes throw at all in practice?

REID: “Yeah, he’ll throw today. He’ll do the individual stuff, yeah.”

Q: In a perfect world, could Mahomes play on Sunday night?

REID: “We’ll see. We are going to try to take it day-to-day, and still, at the same time, make sure that Matt is ready to play.”

Q: You mentioned that both Moore and Mahomes would take reps this week. Is there a clear picture on who will take the reps with the first-team offense and who will go with the second team?

REID: “I’m going to see how it goes out there and then we’ll roll from there. We’ll just see how it plays out as we go here.”

Q: Do you expect Eric Fisher to be a full participant in practice?

REID: “He is going to give it a whirl out there. Likewise, we’ll see how he does. Some of these guys we just have to see go through the practice.”

Q: Can the same be said for Chris Jones?

REID: “Yeah, we’ll see there, too. All of the injured guys, all of those guys that are coming back, we’ll just see how they play out and see what they can do and can’t do.”

Q: What are some of your thoughts on the Packers as you get ready to play on Sunday?

REID: “They’re playing real good football. We know that. We are starting that process here of getting ready. We started yesterday and we’ll continue on through Saturday in getting ready to play a good football team. On both sides of the ball, special teams, all three phases are doing well for them.”

Q: When you saw the initial sequence after Mahomes went down, did you have an initial tremor that he might be done for the season?

REID: “I didn’t think that. But when he is down on the ground, he is not one that lays around very much. For him to be down there and to stay down there, I just wanted to see what was wrong with him. Once I saw that, I have seen that before, so I kind of knew – or thought I knew, I’m not a doctor – but I thought I knew what was going on there. Those do not look pretty, it doesn’t look real good. There are all different levels of it. He had the best possible one that you could have.”

Q: In the moment though, you have to compartmentalize that anyway, correct?

REID: “Yeah. Listen, I just went out to see what it was. When I got there, I saw it and I had a decent idea of what was going on. The next thing is to get Matt (Moore) ready to go. Get him loosened up and ready to play. You don’t have much time for anything else.”

Q: What have you seen from Mahomes throughout his rehabilitation process from this injury that gives you comfort?

REID: “He attacks everything. That’s how he goes about it. I think it was important that he heard from the doctors and the trainers that he could proceed and that things would be OK as he went forward. He’s been full-steam ahead. That’s what he has been doing, but that’s the way he does everything. He is going to try to do it the right way and work hard. That’s what he has been doing.”

Q: It’s been less than a week since the injury, are you a little surprised that he is already back up on his feet, so to speak?

REID: “It came in stages. I had heard the same thing that you guys heard, as far as that it was the best possible result. I just kind of program that and the way he rolls. That’s how he goes. Rick does a good job of managing those guys so that they’re not doing too much or not enough. He’s been doing it for a long time, so I trust them to do their job. After it happened, he thought that he could go back in. That’s how he is wired. He is wired a little different that way.”

Q: With the trade deadline approaching, what goes into the evaluation process as a staff to determine whether or not to make a move?

REID: “(General Manager) Brett (Veach) and his crew do all of that. (Director of Football Operations) Mike Borgonzi and his whole group there, they work like crazy on that. They kind of leave us alone, unless they haven’t had an opinion on somebody, then they’ll have a coach look at it. They do the work. That’s where it’s at.”

Q: How active do you potentially see the team in making a move here over the next couple of days?

REID: “I don’t know that. You can grab Brett and ask him (laughter). He does all of that. I don’t really worry about that. I’m too busy doing what I’m doing.”

Q: Is this the type of injury where with the more work you put in, the more you could expedite the recovery process?

REID: “Everybody is different, right? We’ve said that. That’s why I had Rick get up here and talk because he knows more about it than what I do. Really, the doctors are telling you what he can do along the way, within reason. He has been doing that and doing it well. That’s probably what I would tell you. We just have to wait and see how it goes. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing here.”

Q: If the starting QB is Matt Moore this Sunday, where is your confidence level at with him in being able to handle the entire playbook?

REID: “No problem. Since he has been here, he has just grinded to learn all of this stuff. I’m not worried about that part of him going in and working. I wasn’t worried the other night. He knocked a little rust off as he went, we all saw that. I think this week of practice, him working in there and having an opportunity to at least get in and do a couple of things, would benefit him if he has to go.”

Q: What is the art and science behind building a game plan that suits both Mahomes and Moore?

REID: “These game plans are long and large. There are parts of it that are good for all of them, whoever is going to be suited up. There might be a specific thing here or there that you kind of match for the guy’s abilities, his strengths. Other than that, you just roll with it. They have all got to learn it. These guys know that in a second they could be in, especially a veteran guy like Matt.”

Q: You have had to play with a backup quarterback before. Is there some form of rally or emotion that occurs in those situations?

REID: “I think it depends on the individual that is the backup – how they handle themselves and with the way that they prepare, the way that they run the scout team during the week when the starter is out there playing. There is a certain trust that you build up doing that. Then it’s a matter of getting in and doing it. But everybody picking their game up? I’d hope they pick it up every week. That’s what you hope – and that they give you their best, which I’ve felt that from our team. I’m not asking them to do that. I’m asking them to just go play. Whoever is in, you go play. We have done that with every position. If you have an opportunity to play, step your game up and let’s go. Let’s go play.”

Q: Has Martinas Rankin showed you enough that he could potentially stay in the mix at LG if Andrew Wylie can’t go?

REID: “Yeah, he’s done a nice job for us. Cam (Erving) has done a nice job at tackle and has also played guard, so you have flexibility there. I thought it was a positive though, Rankin having the opportunity to get in and play and do what he did. We’ll just see how it kind of rolls here as we go this week.”

Q: Do you have a sense for how much Sammy Watkins will be able to do this week?

REID: “We’ll see out here. They’ve been moving around well enough to get out there to practice. We’ll just see how all of that goes. I have kind of put him in that group with these guys that are practicing that have been banged up.”

Q: Is Aaron Rodgers still able to play at a high level?

REID: “Yeah, I mean you’re talking about a future Hall of Famer that is playing like a future Hall of Famer. He is playing great football. He is sharp right now, and accurate. He is running the offense like he always does, at a Hall of Fame level.”

Q: What have you seen out of Kyle Shurmur over the past few months and how has he progressed?

REID: “I thought he had a good training camp. Well enough to make the team. He did. Then, he works like crazy at practice. Now, the one thing that we don’t have is NFL reps during a game, but what he showed us is that he is a good young quarterback that has a future. We felt comfortable bringing him up.”

Q: Can you speak to the nature of fluidity in the league now as we approach the trade deadline and how much that might impact where your team may be at this point in time?

REID: “I think you’re right. Just a couple of years ago, people were saying that there are no trades that take place in this league, a few years back. I think it is a positive. I think that is where it has gone with all of the rules, regulations and salaries that people look forward to that. I think the media coverage is way different than is used to be. That’s helped, I’m sure, accelerate that excitement a little bit.”

Q: What type of appreciation do you have for these two franchises, the Chiefs and the Packers, based on their involvement in the history of the game and professional football?

REID: “I’ve been lucky to have been with three organizations that have a history in the league. None older than what you’ve got going this weekend. The Packers were close to the beginning, right there, and then the Chiefs with the whole upstart of the AFL. I think it’s great. There are not a lot of people that are still alive that remember all of that or were there for it, but I think that the history of it and the way that it has maintained in the history of both organizations. I think it’s a tribute to the families that have worked at the two different organizations. The Packers don’t have an owner. It is run by the city and the board and so on, and the shareholders. But it has kept that living. Both teams have had success throughout the years and stand where they are right now with success. I think it is a tribute to the league and to those two organizations.”

CHIEFS QB MATT MOORE

Q: Have you been told you’ll be starting on Sunday?

MOORE: “I have not. I have not. We’re moving forward just as whoever is getting the reps is going to go and move forward that way. It’s kind of a tricky deal right now.”

Q: So you’re both going out there? What is your mentality as you have to prepare?

MOORE: “Same as always. I’ve been in situations where you don’t get many reps in practice. I’ve been in situations where you do, so I think you’re just preparing to play the game and however the practice week shakes out, it shakes out. That’s kind of where I’m at right now.”

Q: Do you think the touchdown pass to Tyreek helped shake off the cobwebs and give you confidence?

MOORE: “Yeah. There was a couple of nice rhythm throws before that, that kind of got it going a little bit. I’ve said it a bunch but I started a little slower than I wanted to, that was pretty evident. Obviously, you hit the big one and it gets things going. It was good.”

Q: Are you surprised Patrick is back in the mix this week?

MOORE: “No. He’s a stud. He’s a tough kid. I’m not surprised at all to be honest.”

Q: When you were back home in California coaching, did you think that was it and that the calls weren’t coming?

MOORE: “Are you talking initially to sign here? Yeah. Honestly, yeah. I didn’t think it was going to happen. It’s a pretty simple answer but yeah, I thought that was over.”

Q: Do you feel like coaching is in your future maybe after all this?

MOORE: “Maybe. Maybe. I don’t know what level, but I was having a good time doing what I was doing. Obviously, I just felt like I had to come here.”

Q: What brought you back? Was it just getting back into it or the chance to play for what looked like a pretty good team and a chance to work with Coach Reid?

MOORE: “Obviously (Laughter). It was all that. The chance to get back in the locker room with the guys, be around back in the league, Coach (Reid), Patrick (Mahomes). You can name a bunch of guys, all those guys are reasons. Like I said I was out for a year and I was happy but there’s things you miss as time goes on and when this opportunity came, it was something I couldn’t say no to.”

Q: Would you have come back if the Chiefs were a four-win team?

MOORE: “We’ll never know (Laughter).”

Q: Do you feel like this is an opportunity to getting another backup roll or more than that?

MOORE: “I think any day in this league is an opportunity. You earn everything you get in this league, good or bad. You constantly are playing for something so, yes, to answer your question. That could happen.”

Q: That moment when you go in the game, can you take us through the emotions and sense of responsibility?

MOORE: “Initially my thoughts were with Pat (Mahomes). We didn’t really know what was going on, so you just hope he’s okay. Then you realize quickly it’s time to go and there’s people relying on you and you have a job to do. That all kind of hit me pretty quick. I went in the huddle and got some inspiration from the guys in the huddle which was good stuff. That’s a great part of the game and we just went. I told them lets work together, help me out. Like I said Thursday night, bail me out and let’s roll. And that’s kind of what we did.” 

Q: What was the most inspiring thing said?

MOORE: “I say inspiring but it’s just getting in the huddle. I said we’re going to be fine and just let them know we’re going to be fine and showed confidence. Which I was confident, but I think you have to show it at a moment like that. Then they all fired back at me and a lot of ‘hey, yeah, we’re good.’ I don’t think I can even name anything specific. Obviously on the sideline you get a lot of encouragement from guys and praise in some situations. They’re trying to make me feel good which is natural on any team. It worked out good.”

Q: Did you have to introduce yourself to anybody?

MOORE: “(Laugher) No.”

Q: Playing after not having a training camp or preseason game, have you ever had anything like that in your career?

MOORE: “No. It was kind of funny because I was super excited to sign here. Then once I go there, I was like holy smokes I had no camp, no OTAs, no nothing and there’s always that potential case where you have to play soon. That was always in my mind the first couple weeks. I don’t know, I just rely on the history and the experience that I have had in this league. I’ve always been the guy typically, most of my career, who yeah I had training camp and all that stuff but the reps haven’t been there. Practice hasn’t been there. As a backup that just doesn’t happen. That’s everywhere. I just kind of relied on that it’s football and it’s concepts. You know what you’re doing and go play.”

Q: How much of a factor was getting to play with Andy (Reid) who has been known to develop quarterbacks, part of your decision to come back?

MOORE: “Huge. Obviously, huge factor. I look at his history with quarterbacks, with offenses and just his personality. It’s a huge opportunity and a rare opportunity. I think most guys who have played for him would tell you the same thing. I appreciate him a ton from afar and now that I’ve been with him for eight weeks it’s even more so. What I thought about him is true which is why I signed here.”

Q: Why do you appreciate him even more?

MOORE: “Just the relationships he has with the guys, how he handles the team, how he talks to guys, the way he gets his message across. He just does it in a way that resonates with guys. He never gets too high, he never gets too low, which I love. He’s always thinking and moving and he has a way about him, it’s really cool.”

Q: In the eight weeks you’ve been here are there anything you’ve adapted?

MOORE: “Well watching Pat, it’s easy to want to play like him, which I can’t. You have to adapt to the offense I think and you have to adapt to the guys around you. Some things are being taught maybe different than you’ve had them in the past and so, yeah, we’re adapting every day. We’re learning new stuff everyday with every experience and every meeting. I’m open to that and how Coach Reid wants it done and what works best for certain guys. So, constantly adapting.”

Q: Is there anything you’ve learned from Patrick that you can now apply?

MOORE: “I don’t even know if it’s a specific thing but just talking to him and listening to what he’s saying about how he sees the field or how he sees the coverage or things that worry him on certain things or that don’t. I actually told him the other day that I like listening to him to see if my brain matches up with his brain. We all eventually see it the same way, we just kind of get there different ways. We’re constantly talking to each other and using each other in that way. Especially on game days. I kind of had to learn Pat a little bit when I first got here, like what does he like to hear, what can he use that he’s not getting and what’s my role on game days. We’re constantly talking about that stuff.”

Q: What’s your comfort level when it comes to Andy Reid’s plays and the RPOs and those decisions?

MOORE: “I feel good. I feel really good with everything really. Obviously, its been eight weeks here now. I’ve been studying and working and watching, so I feel good.”

—CHIEFS—