CHICAGO, Illinois. — It's game day for the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's the first NFL game day for as many as 19 Chiefs' rookies.
"It's a little different, college and the NFL," Chiefs rookie safety Bryan Cook said. "People around here drive a little different cars."
Cook is a second round pick out of Cincinnati. Trent McDuffie was the Chiefs' first pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. But that doesn't necessarily making the transition any smoother.
"You learn a ton, especially coming from college," McDuffie, a corner back from Washington, said. "The game is a little faster, routes a little different, quarterback's a lot better, as you guys know going against Patrick Mahomes."
The Chiefs' defensive rookies might have a leg up. They've had to face, maybe, the best in the game in Patrick Mahomes over the past three weeks.
"He's the top of the top of the top," said Chiefs rookie linebacker Leo Chenal about Mahomes. "Being able to compete against that, because iron sharpens iron. And in reality, it's diamond sharpening, like, copper."
The darlings of Chiefs camp so far have been a couple of skill position players. Rookie wide receiver Skyy Moore and rookie running back Isaih Pacheco have received the most hype.
"I've been trying to duck off a little bit while I'm at camp," said Moore about the attention. "But when I do look at my phone, I see what's going on. And I'm getting a lot of praise."
Pacheco is a 7th-round speedster out of Rutgers who clocked a 4.37 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
"I used to be a little chubby, but I got myself down in shape," joked Pacheco.
First round pick George Karlaftis has been getting a lot of praise, especially from his teammate Frank Clark who has been eager to impart his pass-rushing knowledge upon Karlaftis.
"I don't want to give away any secrets, but just little things about the game," Karlaftis said.
But nobody is making a bigger jump to today's game with the Bears than cornerback Joshua Williams out of Division II Fayetteville State.
"I think I belong regardless of where I came from," Williams said. "There are a lot of great players in every division. It's not something that's always weighing on my brain, but I do understand I had a different path."
Williams last game was way back on Nov. 13, 2021 against Bowie State.
Today he gets the Bears.
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