Steve Spagnuolo Discusses Players With Something to Prove in First Preseason Game

Looking ahead to the Chiefs' first preseason game, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo highlighted several young defenders who have something to prove in their first in-game action of 2024.

Jul 22, 2024; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Swayze Bozeman (55) and safety Jaden Hicks (21) and safety Chamarri Conner (27) walk down the hill from the locker room to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs will take the field for their first game of the 2024 preseason on Saturday night in Jacksonville, and many young players will be looking to make a positive impact under the lights. While defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo won't be dialing up a typical game plan for the exhibition game, he will learn some things about the younger members of his defense.

After Tuesday's training camp practice in St. Joseph, Missouri, Spagnuolo was asked if there are any young players he's especially excited to see on Saturday night.

"Back-end, always," Spagnuolo said regarding the secondary. "We want to see what we've got going on there, and we've had some injuries, and then the continuity and the chemistry of those young guys — who will communicate in the heat of battle? [...] Biggest thing is I want to see guys that are unknown to me from their toughness and tackling, those'll be the two big things."

Asked if he was specifically referring to fourth-round rookie safety Jaden Hicks, Spagnuolo named Hicks, sixth-round rookie cornerback Kamal Hadden and second-year undrafted free agent corner Ekow Boye-Doe as players he's excited to see get more playing time in a "real-game atmosphere." Spagnuolo also shared the message he's been sending to the Chiefs' young defenders.

"I told them in the meeting, the guys that I've been around that are here, I know which guys are tough and which guys are fake-tough. I mean, I'm trying to find out if guys are tough enough to play in this league and do the things we need to do."

Moving from the secondary to the second level of the defense, Spagnuolo was asked about a pair of rookie undrafted free agent linebackers who have seen a steady workload at training camp: Swayze Bozeman from Mississippi State and Curtis Jacobs out of Penn State.

"Swayze, like, hangs on to Jack Cochrane, he's right in his pocket all the time, and that's a good move by Swayze," Spagnuolo said. "Jack is real smart. Swayze's really kinda taken on that same thing, he's been physical out here, I'm anxious to see what he does. Curtis has played the one position and is kind of feeling his way through, had a couple of things he needed to work on today that I happened to notice, but really anxious to see what both those guys do."

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