WIDE RECEIVER GABE DAVIS
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2024
(On the physicality of today’s practice) “Guys are getting a little chippy out there, and it’s
just football. It is what it is, I’m fine.”
(On if he saw who came to his defense during today’s practice) “Yeah, Kirk [WR Christian
Kirk]. As he should. As he should. I couldn’t defend myself, you know what I mean? It is
what it is. But yeah, I appreciate those guys going out there and doing what they did. It was
it was funny.”
(On if Kirk defending his teammate is in his nature) “No, Kirk got that—he has it in him for
sure. I mean, obviously, he’s not bringing it on your casual Monday. But he’s definitely got
that, and I appreciate him.”
(On his chemistry with QB Trevor Lawrence and the other wide receivers) “It’s good. The
receivers are great, man. It’s awesome to be in this room. Love all the guys in there. Then
with Trevor, yeah, we’re continuing to work, continue to keep trying to build that chemistry
each and every day. I feel like we got our slants down pat. He kind of hits me where I want
him every single time and our slim routes are really successful. Other than that, we just
keep going and keep trying to get on the same page.”
(On the value of building chemistry outside of practices) “Yeah, I mean, again, we’ve got to
put the time in. Me and Trevor are just starting to throw together this year, so you’ve got to
build that chemistry and put in the extra time if you want to win.”
(On how he draws upon his prior playoff experience to help the young guys) “You just know
how long the season is, know how you’ve got to take care of your body, and then also know
how important it is to win the games not only early, but when it comes December. I feel like
that’s the most important month out of the year, so being able to bring that knowledge to
this team is big.”
(On his health status coming off of an injury) “Yeah, I mean, I feel pretty good. Did
everything today. All team reps and that last, I don’t know, 12, 15-play drive, whatever it
was, I was in there the whole time. Felt good. The body’s feeling great.”
(On his availability for Saturday against Kansas City) “Oh yeah. Yeah, for sure. I’ll be good to
go.”
(On having to go up against a physical defense every day) “Yeah, that’s what you want out of
your defense. That’s the kind of players you want. You want a bunch of physical guys who
play together and love each other. That’s what the defense does. They break down together
every single day after practice, the DBs all pray together every single day which is awesome
to see. They’re a tight-knit group and that’s what you need in your defense because, like
they say, defense wins you championships.”
(On helping get WR Brian Thomas Jr. out of his shell) “Yeah, BT’s real quiet. I feel like I have a
good sense of humor and I feel like I can kind of break through people’s shells like you guys
said with BT. BT’s a funny guy. He’s a good guy. Loves to hang out and talk. You’ve just got to
get it out of him, and once he got comfortable with us, it’s like nothing now.”
(On how reaching Thomas Jr. helps his on-field knowledge and production) “Yeah, just
because communication is better. If you get a guy that’s just nodding his head saying,
‘Yeah,’ and just can’t talk to you back, it’s kind of hard to know what they’re thinking and
know how they feel. So being able to communicate is big.”
(On moving towards installing more explosive plays on offense) “I mean, once you install
the general things, I feel like all the other stuff that are add-ons are kind of game-week
situational. So, kind of makes it easy. I mean, you just study that week and you’ll be fine
with it. We’ve all played so much football, so it’s not going to be hard to be able to adjust
with new plays or a new little system or something.”
(On how he paces himself to stay healthy for the long season ahead) “Yeah, you fight with it
sometimes because you’re a new player on a new team, and you’re trying to prove yourself
to the guys that you’re going to be playing with that you’re tough, that you can make plays,
that you can be dependable, they can trust you. When you are going through some of those
aches and pains, you just kind of have to fight through mentally because again, you want to
be able to show these guys that you’ve got their back and you’re willing to do whatever it
takes to be able to be successful.”
(On what playing for his home team means to him) “It’ll be dope. Like I said, my mom’s from
out here, she’s from Fernandina Beach. It’s like a dream come true for her, to be able to see
her son playing for the Jaguars. So, it’ll be something special. A lot of my family will be
around. Couldn’t ask for anything better.”
(On his familiarity with the Chiefs from his time playing for the Buffalo Bills) “Yeah, it’s
always a little something extra with the Chiefs, man. I mean, playing them so many times
that I have, they have a special place in my heart. But it’s a preseason game, you know, you
see them. I know a lot of the guys over there through playing with them over the years. But
definitely, that’s a team that you always want to beat.”
HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2024
(On if he’s happy with the work the team has done so far) “Yeah, I am. Pleased with where
we’re headed and the work we’ve got done. One of the things with training camp as a
coach, you try to provide the competition. We’ve seen a lot of good competition out there.
Plus, we’re putting guys in some positions to see what they can do. That’s part of the
developmental process, so I’ve been pleased where we’re at right now.”
(On if the injuries to the offensive line will impact his decision to play QB Trevor Lawrence
on Saturday) “No. We’re still in a good spot with the five right now. Hopefully with Anton [OL
Anton Harrison] today and tomorrow, we’ll see where he’s at. Hopefully, get him back out
on the field on Wednesday sometime and get him ready to go. Cam [OL Cam Robinson] has
been working some individual walkthroughs, get him going again coming up. Ezra [OL Ezra
Cleveland], we’ll just have to see with him. I don’t want to push him with his—I think it’s his
left heel. Just want to make sure that he’s 100 percent. But these first couple of games, we
get to control kind of what we do offensively. Again, you just want to see execution and the
guys play hard.”
(On balancing getting young players in situations to see what they can do in the preseason)
“You guys know, I usually play the starters, or the penciled-in starters, a series or two in this
first game, and then get them out. Then really, from there, we want to look at everybody. So,
you have three quarters, maybe three and a half, to really get a good look at a lot of the
young players and see what you have there. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. Maybe
guys play more special teams than they do offense-defense. But at the same time, you still
want to give everybody a chance to get in this game and play.”
(On how he weighs what he sees on the practice field versus what he sees in-game) “Well,
in the game, it’s real. Officials, under the lights, everything’s magnified. False start in
practice, we correct it, but false start in the game, we back it up five yards. Stuff like that, it
becomes real. So just those little things: details. But at the same time, it’s an opportunity
for these guys to really showcase themselves and put their best foot forward.”
(On what it is about Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid that separates him from other coaches)
“The success that Andy’s had in his career—go back to Philly, Kansas City. Obviously, he
understands the process. Meaning, you’re not a finished product in September. He builds
through the entire season and becomes a finished product at the end of the year. He
understands that and understands his team. One of the things I’ve learned from him
working with him and playing for him is his attention to detail with every little thing. It
matters. This is the same thing that I stress with our guys here, that we can’t let just a little,
minute, six-inch step here become magnified in a game. So, he does the little things better
than most, and probably better than anyone in the league. Obviously, he’s done a great job
with developing the quarterback position, and he’s had great quarterbacks. It’s just the way
he—I think he really kind of keeps his thumb in sort of the pulse of the team.”
(On Reid’s ability to identify and hire the right coaches around him) “Yeah, I mean, that’s a
big part of it. Surrounding himself with the right coaches, the right guys. He’s done a great
job of that. Obviously, he was on a great staff way back in Green Bay when [former Green
Bay Packers Head Coach] Mike Holmgren was there. There were some great coaches there.
He learned it at that point. Then when he went to Philly, he had a plethora of coaches on
that early—those Philadelphia Eagles staffs, and even now in Kansas City. So, his ability to
not only develop his team, but develop young coaches and coaches on his staff to either
become coordinators or head coaches in this league, I think that’s something that’s a
special talent, and he’s got it.”
(On how he would assess DT DaVon Hamilton’s camp) “He’s been great. It’s been exciting
for me just to see him back out, and he’s healthy and playing well. We just hope we can
continue to develop him and get him ready as we head towards opening day. But I’ve been
really pleased where he’s at and he continues to improve.”
(On if he’s pleased with K Cam Little’s performance since getting the starting job) “I am. I
am. And it’s still early. Let’s not—got a lot of football ahead, but he’s done a nice job to
date, right? Tried to put him in some situations in that stadium practice and that’s why I
tried to get the fans going at the end. In our minds, we treated that like a game-winning field
goal. He did a great job and he’s done a great job. I think we want to be careful with him. We
don’t want to over-kick him, but at the same time, put him in situations where he maybe
feels a little more pressure. Hopefully in these games coming up, he’ll get a chance to do
that.”
(On if injuries to veteran players have allowed new players to step into leadership roles)
“Yeah, I think on the defensive side. I think of [CB] Tyson Campbell and his growth and what
he’s now bringing to the football team. And one of the things that I’ve challenged him to is a
little more of a leadership role on defense because it’s still kind of a young secondary in a
way. Foye [LB Foyesade Oluokun], [LB] Devin Lloyd’s been another one on defense that’s
been more of a presence out there in the leadership role. I think offensively, you look at
some of the young guys. [RB] Tank Bigsby has done a nice job in that role. And then the
offensive line is the offensive line. Some veteran guys in there. In the receiver room, you
look at obviously what Christian [WR Christian Kirk]’s done with that group. You’re starting
to see Brian [WR Brian Thomas Jr.] really kind of, I don’t want to say come out of his shell,
but at least open up a little bit more. I think it’s a direct, I guess, correlation with what
Christian does in that room as well.”
(On LB Ventrell Miller’s injury status and availability for Saturday) “Yeah, Ventrell’s done a
nice job. Put himself in a good position, both defensively and on special teams. He’s got the
hand right now. He’ll be out there today. He’ll be in an orange jersey. Try to limit some
contact. Just don’t want to bang that thing around but should be good to go for Saturday.”
(On if he’s seen enough from second-year players to know how much progress they’ve
made) “We have. We have. We’ve really put those guys in position to see what they can do. I
think Brenton [TE Brenton Strange] has done a great job there. Looking at him, I think Tank’s
done a good job picking up. Some of those guys that really have embraced that role that
they’re in even though they’re still kind of in those backup—Ton [OL Anton Harrison] was
probably the only one that right now is missing some time, but he was in a good position,
obviously, before his injury. But been pleased with those young players.”
(On if he grades rookies differently from free-agent additions) “It’s different for both groups,
obviously. Veterans know what training camp is all about and how to navigate the
turbulence of camp a little bit, the highs and lows. Young guys are kind of figuring it out
every single day from that standpoint. But I think from the X’s and O’s, it’s still a matter of
teaching and as coaches, just putting them in positions to show us what they know
mentally with schemes and all that. So, I think from the mental side, it’s kind of the same
for both, even though I’d say a veteran player has probably the leg up just because of his
knowledge of the game, and, ‘Oh, we called it this where I came from and it’s now this.’ So,
they can compare it to kind of where they’ve been. But the young guys, this is that time of
camp too where that wall starts to kind of hit them just a little bit. Fatigue sets in, soreness
sets in obviously. We’ve been going pretty hard this past week, so it’s how they push
through that now as we get ready for this game.”
(On what the key to pushing through camp is for young guys) “It’s just a mindset. It really is.
It’s their mental. I do what I can to try to take care of their bodies in the afternoons and the
way the schedule is set up, but it’s them becoming a pro and what it means to be a pro.
How to take care of their bodies, what it means to get rest at night, what it means to hydrate
or eat, study when they’re tired. That’s the process that they have to learn because it’s
probably more of that mental grind, especially when your body gets tired. They wear down
mentally a little bit. The ones that can really stay mentally strong really find a way to kind of
push through it.”
(On if his personality was something that QB Mac Jones needed to get a fresh start) “I don’t
know if it was me. I think it was just—for him, I think it was just the fresh start, really. There
are a lot of factors, right? Obviously, he’s coming back home in a place he’s familiar with,
grew up, the whole thing, played ball here. That helps. That helps a lot. I think just that in
itself, being around us as an offensive sort of staff, I think has helped him a little bit to grow
and kind of mature as a quarterback, and really continue to learn the game.”
(On if Jones is having fun) “He’s going to have a fun time no matter what. I think that’s just
his personality. He’s great in the locker room, great with the guys. Sometimes he drives us
crazy with some of the stuff he does or says, but it’s good. I think it’s really good because
when he gets in there, it’s business. He’s a competitor, and he loves to compete.”
(On an example of what Jones does that drives him crazy) “I don’t really know, just some of
the things he says out there. I can’t really repeat them all, but it’s pretty interesting.”
(On if he addresses with rookies and free agents what Florida weather can be like) “We do.
We spend some time explaining to them that we live in Florida, and the weather can change
in a minute. We prepped everybody for this storm coming in and making them aware of
what can happen. I think it’s for everybody, even some of the new coaches that are on staff
that haven’t been a part of these storms. We want to make sure safety first, obviously, and
make sure that we either come here safely or get home safely. If we’ve got to adjust, we
adjust.”
(On if he hesitates to bring WR Gabe Davis in full speed in the preseason given his previous
injury) “Yeah, I mean, he’s now starting to feel a little bit better each day. You’ve got to
remember he came in during the rookie camp, so for three days, he was working. But I plan
on playing him some, get him out there. But again, there’s a fine line with that, because as
you mentioned, we want to make sure he’s healthy for the entire season. He’s done some
really good things in practice. He’s showing us enough that—and he’s one of those veteran
guys that you don’t really need to see a ton of in preseason games. But at the same time, I
think it’d be good for him to get out there with his guys, especially this first one, home
game, all that, and feel that experience.”
(On if he expects DE Arik Armstead to be available this week) “Probably have to get back to
you. Probably not. For the game? Not for the game. But obviously, we’re getting close. We’re
getting close.”
(On if there is concern about Armstead’s availability for Week 1) “No, no, no. We’ve got
plenty of time still.”
