Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters for a Zoom press conference on Monday. He addressed the fact that several veterans with years of experience in the league will play in their first conference championship game on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
“That’s kind of a neat deal. You know, DeAndre (Hopkins), I mean, he’s been doing it 12 years, and so I said, You never been to this one? Have you any? He said, No, but we’re able to go against a really good football team here so that competition level will be at its highest point.” said Reid. “That’s why we’re all in this thing. So, for him to have that opportunity to experience that part, as great as he is, and even to be able to take it up one more notch, is something new for him.”
In addition to veterans like Hopkins, Kareem Hunt, and D.J. Humphries, who have never played in the AFC Championship game, young players like Xavier Worthy and Carson Steele are also on the roster and experiencing it for the first time.
“So I think that’s a great thing for the young guys; it’ll be a good experience for them going forward, and they can learn from it,” said Reid. “We’ll tell them what it’s all about. The players will tell them what it’s all about until you get out there and feel that energy. You really don’t know, but it’ll be a good form to get through it.”
The atmosphere of an AFC Championship game is familiar territory for players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones, who have regularly played in the round consecutively since 2018. Reid famously coached in many while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles.
