ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs rookie first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah didn't mince words on Monday.
"It affected me quite a bit," he said referencing the time he missed during the offseason. "I'm not going to lie."
Anudike-Uzomah, also known as FAU, is finally practicing with the Chiefs after missing rookie minicamp and most of OTAs following pre-draft thumb surgery.
"We all know he didn't do anything in the offseason here, and that set him back," Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. "I thought he was a little rusty and struggled early."
The first-round pick is now learning on the fly in St. Joseph while making up for lost time.
"Now, I'm in here; now, I'm in training camp," Anudike-Uzomah said. "So, training camp is just a great time to get ready for the season."
Coaches are taking notice of his attitude and improvements.
"You watch one-on-ones, you watch the team, period. He's flashing now, which is a good thing," Spagnuolo said. "I think he's doing pretty good right now."
Encouragement from Sagnuolo was welcomed and appreciated by Anudike-Uzomah, who said he's still "got some learning to do."
"I thank him for saying that," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm still learning. For me, I'm still not there yet."
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