Everything you need to know about Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp
The Kansas City Chiefs begin their three-day mandatory minicamp practices today.
These are the final practices the Chiefs will have in Phase 3 of the offseason program ahead of training camp which begins late July. Last year, Kansas City did not have a traditional mandatory minicamp due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll get back to it this year with a more traditional minicamp.
Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to know ahead of today’s start of mandatory minicamp:
What can players do during mandatory minicamp?
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Truly, these practices are not all that different from Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices. NFL teams still are not allowed to have padded full-contact practices and all the Phase 3 guidelines apply here. This is how the NFL describes Phase 3 of the offseason program:
“Phase Three (May 24-June 18) remains its customary four weeks in length. Beginning in Phase Three, clubs may conduct in-person meetings and classroom instruction subject to COVID-19 testing cadence, tracking, facility access and other protocols. During Phase Three, teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or ‘OTAs’. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.”
The biggest difference for these practices is that they are no longer voluntary, as OTAs were. That means all 90 players on the Chiefs' offseason roster should be in attendance. The NFL will also allow teams to have veteran and rookie tryout players in attendance at minicamp.
How do tryouts work?
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Tryouts are being handled a bit differently in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, teams could host an unlimited number of tryout players. This year teams are being limited to a total of just five tryout players at rookie minicamp, mandatory minicamp and so on. The Chiefs currently had one vacant spot on the 90-man offseason roster following the release of Kamalei Correa. They filled that spot on Monday, signing OT Wyatt Miller. Despite the full roster, expect the Chiefs to bring in at least a few players to try out for the team. It's fairly common that Kansas City signs players following tryouts at mandatory minicamp. In 2018, the team signed WR Josh Crockett following a mandatory minicamp tryout. In 2019, the Chiefs signed OG Abdul Beecham, RB Josh Caldwell and LB D'Juan Hines following mandatory minicamp tryouts.
What mandatory means
AP Photo/David Becker
Mandatory doesn't quite carry the same meaning in the NFL as you'd find elsewhere. The NFL's version means a player must attend practices or face a fine from the team for missing out. The fines that teams can impose if a player decides to skip mandatory minicamp increase each year. Here are the fine amounts for 2021: Day 1: $15,500 Day 2: $31,000 Day 3: $46,500 Total: $93,000 Teams aren't required to enforce fines or even the maximum amount per day, but they're within their rights to fine players who don't attend mandatory minicamp. If a player clears an absence with the team, they're typically excused from that practice without a fine attached. If a player has an unexplained absence or isn't at practice for a reason the team doesn't approve of, that can change things. This year, the Chiefs don't have any obvious holdout situations. In 2019, Chris Jones skipped out on mandatory minicamp amidst a contract feud with the team.
Minicamp schedule
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Unlike during OTAs, the Chiefs are expected to have media availability throughout mandatory minicamp. A select group of Chiefs media members will be allowed to observe an open portion of practice on all three days. Expect a ton of updates on players, attendance, injuries and standout moments in team drills. The minicamp is set to run from Tuesday, June 15th through Thursday, June 17th. Typically, practice sessions begin around 11:00 a.m. CST and run until just before 1:00 p.m. CST. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news out of minicamp.
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