A few teams are dealing with absent veterans during this week’s mandatory minicamps, including the Chiefs.
Linebacker Justin Houston did not report for work on Tuesday, a day after coach Andy Reid said he did not know if Houston would be on the field with his teammates. Houston has stayed away from Chiefs workouts all offseason as part of a push for an extension with the team before his contract expires after the 2014 season.
Houston stands to lose nearly $70,000 in fines as a result of no-showing the minicamp, but his absence won’t become a major cause for concern unless it drags into training camp. The Chiefs can use this week’s work to focus on getting first-round pick Dee Ford up to speed ahead of camp so that he can be a contributor whether or not Houston is on the field.
Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports that the Chiefs did just that on Tuesday, giving the rookie all the snaps with the first team. Per Teicher, it “looked like he didn’t mess anything up” which is a step in the right direction as the team makes its plans for the season.