The Kansas City Chiefs will hold their first padded practice of training camp on Sunday, July 27. 

This comes after a five-day acclimation period in which the team had padless, non-contact practices. Up until this point, the team had only engaged in wrap-and-release sessions, which involved minimal physical contact. Now, they’ll be able to have thud periods, 9-on-7 run-game work, and much more physical 1-on-1 and team drill competition for offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, and running backs. 

Asked about the first day of padded practices, Chiefs veteran RB Kareem Hunt set the table for what it’s like as a player.

“Well, first day in pads? I mean, you gotta bring it, man,” Hunt said. “Everybody’s out here trying to fight for a spot, and you know, people gonna give you the best effort, and it’s all for a good cause. We’re just trying to make each other better out there. So, you know, you just gotta bring your game.” 

The competition will certainly intensify because this is the closest they’ll get to real football until they take the field against the Arizona Cardinals in preseason Week 1. 

Asked about what changes when the pads come on, Chiefs rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott pointed to one key difference.

“Probably just a level of physicality,” Norman-Lott said. “I mean, we’re kind of already moving. We play — I play a position, me and the O-Lineman, and my (defensive line) teammates, we all play a position where we’re in contact and engaged every play. So, it kind of doesn’t really make a difference, but it just gets more physical.”

If you’re set to attend training camp for a padded practice day, be aware that practices aren’t permitted to last longer than 2.5 hours, as per NFL regulations. Padded practices also may not be held on more than three consecutive practice sessions, which means the Chiefs should have a 10-10-10 padless practice on Wednesday, July 30, ahead of their next off day on Thursday, July 31.