"Rookie, are you okay?" Mahomes was the first to notice Lance's surprise—it was rare to see such an expressive look on his face.
Kelsey chuckled beside him, "Must've spotted a new rookie. He's probably thrilled to finally have someone fresh to torment—so happy his brain short-circuited."
Lance collected himself and returned to his usual calm. "Exactly, like how someone planned to haze the new rookies last year during the first day of training camp."
The memory sparked a round of laughter, with everyone teasing Kelsey, who just raised his hands in mock surrender.
In the midst of the laughter, Lance noticed Hunt staring at him with a sharp and uncomfortable glare, as if trying to burn a hole through his face. Hard to ignore.
Lance didn't look away. He met the stare calmly, smiled, and waved—just as he would to a fan.
Hunt turned his gaze elsewhere, perhaps recalling that fateful first day of camp last year that set the tone for the season. He looked a little awkward.
Lance dismissed him and refocused. Coach Reid was stepping forward to speak, and it was clear there were new faces among the coaching staff.
Indeed, the reigning Super Bowl champions' coaching staff had been eyed up over the offseason.
Matt Nagy, the offensive coordinator who took over play-calling midseason and excelled—much like Doug Pederson once did—was given a shot. Backed by Reid's mentorship and the Super Bowl win, it was no surprise when the Chicago Bears came calling with a head coaching opportunity.
Nagy was part of Reid's inner circle.
In fact, GM Brett Veach, OC Nagy, former OC Pederson—they were all once part of Reid's Philadelphia Eagles staff. They worked together for over a decade.
So when Reid came to Kansas City, they followed. From rock bottom with the first overall draft pick, they helped build the Chiefs into a legitimate AFC West contender.
Nagy wanted to be a head coach, just like Pederson. And with Reid and Veach's full support, he finally got his chance in Chicago.
Now, with Nagy gone, the Chiefs needed to adjust their staff.
And with a new starting quarterback and a revamped offensive system, a new offensive coordinator made sense.
"From today onward, Coach Bieniemy will serve as our offensive coordinator."
Lance was the first to holler, turning around, "Running backs, louder! LOUDER!"
Eric Bieniemy, the longtime RB coach, had earned the promotion after internal interviews.
He smiled at Lance, feigning modesty while fanning the cheers with one hand tucked behind his round belly.
The mood was electric.
Reid let the celebration settle before continuing with his signature calm.
"Our new running backs coach is Coach Burton Burns."
Roars. Louder than before.
Screaming, jumping, clapping—more over-the-top than when Bieniemy was introduced.
Bieniemy glanced over, whistling playfully. The other players looked around, confused.
Lance's eyes sharpened. "SHOUT. All of you. Or training triples today. No one escapes."
Kelsey instantly played along, "Hoorah! Hoorah!"
Others followed suit, even the usually expressionless Chris Jones.
Once the introductions wrapped and warmups began, the team dispersed.
Lance didn't jump into drills right away—he rushed forward to embrace the round-bellied older man warmly.
It was indeed Burton Burns—his former RB coach and mentor at Alabama's Crimson Tide.
What a surprise reunion. After just one season apart, they were back on the same field.
A total shock—and an incredible one.
Burns chuckled, patting Lance's back. "Easy, easy, little guy. I'm worried Eric and Andy are burning holes in my back with envy."
Bieniemy's voice chimed in, "Burns, I've got my eye on you."
The joy was infectious.
Lance turned to Bieniemy. "Coach, I'm adding 30 minutes to today's training."
Bieniemy rolled his eyes. "Please, like that's a punishment. If anything, you'd enjoy that. How about this—you skip 30 minutes but help run conditioning for the offense instead?"
A chorus of groans and mock protests followed.
Lance shrugged. "I was gonna say no—skipping 30 minutes isn't worth it—but now... Coach Bieniemy, deal."
More laughter, more protests, and even more energy. The new free agents and rookies were wide-eyed, struggling to keep up with the team's vibe.
In the distance, undrafted rookies awaiting their tryouts watched with envy. They hadn't been picked in the draft and were now hoping to earn a contract at the Chiefs' rookie camp.
If not, their next stop might be Canada, Europe—or a life after football.
Burns patted Lance's shoulder again, visibly proud.
He wasn't surprised Lance had made it—after all, he scouted him. But seeing how much he'd grown in just a year made Burns stand a little taller.
"Looks like you bulked up. That won't hurt your agility, will it?" Burns' sharp eyes had noticed.
Last offseason, Lance had leaned down. This time, he was a bit bulkier, clearly from added muscle.
Lance grinned. "Not really. I lost weight last year—this year I just trained back up. I'm about the same weight I was at Crimson Tide."
Same number on the scale—but much higher quality.
Burns nodded, understanding instantly. "Building up for more contact? Good. I was just talking with Nick about that. Everyone's gonna come at you harder this year."
Lance replied, "We've got months to go over training stuff. But Coach, what brings you here? Coach Saban finally let you go?"
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