- The Daily Chief
- Posts
- Inside the Chiefs Offseason: Spags, OTA Talk & Weekly Wrap-Up
Inside the Chiefs Offseason: Spags, OTA Talk & Weekly Wrap-Up
Inside: Coach Spags joins New Heights, a breakdown of what OTA’s really are, and a full wrap-up of another busy week for the Chiefs offseason. (📸: Mikayla Schlosser)
Daily Chiefs
June 11, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
🚀 Trending in the Kingdom
🎙️ Coach Spags Joins New Heights
Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo made his debut on the latest episode of New Heights, which premiered this morning!
Travis and Jason Kelce sat down with Coach Spags to discuss:
His journey through the NFL coaching ranks
What brought him to Kansas City in 2019
How he’s preparing this year’s defense for another deep run
🧠 Rookie Talk:
Coach Spagnuolo shared his excitement about the Chiefs’ 2025 defensive draft class and the process of getting them up to speed with his complex defensive scheme.
😂 Throwback Moment:
Travis and Spags had a good laugh reminiscing about that deep pass in 2017 vs. the Giants — the one where Landon Collins intercepted Kelce.
Other Trending Topics:
Chris Simms ranks Patrick Mahomes as the 4th best QB in the NFL for the 2025 Season.
Nick Wright breaks down why Patrick Mahomes should be at #1 on First Things First.
George Karlaftis threw out the first pitch at Kaufmann Stadium yesterday before the Kansas City Royals took on the New York Yankees.
📚 Chiefs 101: Weekly Fan Education
This section is a quick breakdown for new fans — or seasoned ones who want a refresher. Every week, we’ll cover one concept, tradition, or piece of Chiefs culture to help you follow the game and the Kingdom more confidently.
📸 | Mikayla Schlosser
This Week's Topic: What Are OTAs? 🤔
Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are voluntary offseason practices where NFL teams begin installing playbooks, working on conditioning, and building chemistry. They’re lighter than training camp — no full-contact — but still incredibly valuable for player development.
For the Chiefs, OTAs are where:
Rookies get their first reps with the veterans
Coaches evaluate depth and effort
Storylines begin to form before the pads come on
While attendance isn’t required, most players participate — and for fans, this is where position battles and breakout players first start to emerge.
Next time someone mentions OTAs, now you know: it’s the unofficial beginning of the season.
🔁 Want more topics like this?
We’ve got plenty coming — from “What’s a depth chart?” to “How do practice squads work?”
Let us know what you’d like to learn about next by replying to this email with your ideas!
🔥 Around the NFL…
One of the most talked-about trends this offseason? Player holdouts — particularly among 2025 second-round picks.
As of now, 30 of 32 second-round selections have yet to sign their rookie contracts, including the Chiefs’ own Omarr Norman-Lott . While negotiations at this stage are typical, the widespread delay has drawn league-wide attention and could impact early participation in training camp.
Good news for Chiefs fans: Omarr Norman-Lott has been actively participating in OTAs and has shown no indication he will miss any team activities before his contract is finalized.
📸 | Mikayla Schlosser
Other Important Holdouts across the league include:
Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson is currently holding out of Bengals Mandatory Mini-Camp while seeking a new long-term contract. Hendrickson has made it clear that he does not plan to play on his current contract.
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is also holding out of Steeler’s Mandatory Mini-Camp while awaiting a long-term extension.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin has not been at OTA’s and is not expected to be at Washington’s Mandatory Mini-Camp this season unless a deal is reached beforehand.
🏆 Spotlight Player of the Week — Trent McDuffie
 📸 | Kansas City Chiefs on Facebook | Trent McDuffie has quietly become one of the most dependable defenders in the NFL. 🔒🎓 Background - Drafted in the 1st round of 2022 from the University of Washington, McDuffie has evolved into a true shutdown corner. 📊 Stats - In 2024, he led the league in forced fumbles among DBs and allowed one of the lowest completion rates when targeted. 🏆 Awards - In just three NFL seasons, McDuffie has already earned the title of 2-Time All-Pro — one of the league’s highest honors. |
What’s an All-Pro?
Unlike the Pro Bowl (which is partially fan-voted), All-Pro selections are made by media experts and reflect the best players at each position across the entire league. It’s a true mark of elite performance.
🗓️ Upcoming Dates
Friday, June 13thFinal Day of OTAs While participation isn’t mandatory, most of the roster has been active, giving coaches a final look before mandatory mini-camp begins. | Tuesday, June 17thMandatory Mini-Camp Begins Stay tuned — the content is about to ramp up. |
🧠 Did You Know?
The Chiefs were originally named the Dallas Texans before moving to Kansas City in 1963?
Owner Lamar Hunt moved the team and named them the “Chiefs” in honor of a local civic leader, rather than as a direct reference to Native American culture.