ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The Chiefs have set a deadline of six months from now to decide on a plan for the future of Arrowhead Stadium, whether that means renovating their iconic home or building an entirely new stadium in Kansas or Missouri.
After a joint ballot initiative with the Royals to help fund facilities by extending a sales tax was rejected by voters in Jackson County, Missouri, earlier this year, the teams agreed to move forward with separate plans. Now, they are waiting for the leaders in both states that comprise the Kansas City metro to put forward their best pitches.
Legislators in Kansas approved a plan last month that would finance up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums for pro sports franchises with an eye on luring the Chiefs across the state line. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson responded a week later by saying he expects his state to put together an aid plan by the end of the year to keep the teams on its side of the metro.
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“This is a generational decision. This is going to impact the future of this franchise for generations,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said Friday, the day that veterans reported to training camp at Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Missouri.
“We have to get this right,” Donovan said. “We are going to do the due-diligence. We are going to take our time and do it right. But there is a reality to the timing. You can only take so much time to get it right. And that window is starting to close.”
The Chiefs and Royals have played for more than five decades at the Truman Sports Complex, where a lease agreement calls for the use of a sales tax for their upkeep. And while Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium remain beloved by fans, the reality is both are becoming outdated, and it’s unclear how long they would last even if they were renovated again.
Royals owner John Sherman has said his team will not play at Kauffman beyond the 2030 season, preferring instead to build a new downtown ballpark. The Chiefs initially hoped to renovate Arrowhead but are becoming more open to building new.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has long hoped to host a Super Bowl, and that would be more likely with a new stadium. If it included a retractable roof, the stadium also could land lucrative events such as the Final Four and college football playoff games.
One factor working against Missouri is its uncertain political environment. Parson cannot run for reelection due to term limits, and that means the Chiefs must wait until later this fall to know who they would be working with going forward.
Chiefs’ vets report: The veterans have arrived at training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs. But given that Travis Kelce and Co. have proven what they can do, helping the Chiefs with a third Super Bowl in five years last season, their biggest responsibility might be ushering along a bunch of rookies that have been working for a few days already. Guys such as wide receiver Xavier Worthy, their first-round pick out of Texas, and left tackle Kingsley Suamataia, their second-rounder out of BYU, have a legitimate chance to earn a starting job for the defending champions.
Bears’ Williams ready for spotlight
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams is ready for what comes next.
The No. 1 overall draft pick and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is embracing the spotlight in Chicago after playing a starring role in Hollywood as the quarterback at USC. All eyes will be on him when the Bears begin training camp Saturday.
“I’ve kind of put myself in this position many times before I became a Chicago Bear on the 25th of April,” Williams said Friday.
The Bears are banking on Williams to give them a big lift and solidify a position that has historically been a sore spot for the founding NFL franchise. But he’s also in a rather rare situation for a No. 1 pick, joining a team that’s one of the league’s shiny objects at the moment.
The Bears made several big moves to boost their offense and have their sights set on making the playoffs, something they’ve done just three times since the 2006 Super Bowl season. They’re also trying to secure funding to build an enclosed lakefront stadium, though they could turn their attention back to a tract of land they own in suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois, if a deal doesn’t go through. With all those storylines, they’ll have HBO’s “Hard Knocks” cameras following them during camp.
There’s quite a buzz for a team with a 10-24 record in two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. But after going 7-10 last season, the Bears have their sights set higher.
Taylor facing new charge
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was charged in Florida with failing to update his address on the state’s sex offender registry, according to court records.
The former New York Giants linebacker turned himself in to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday and was released with no bail. He pleaded not guilty on the third-degree felony charge, according to court records. It’s the second time he’s been charged with the offence. In 2021 he blamed a divorce for not updating authorities about an address change.
Taylor pleaded guilty in New York in 2011 to misdemeanor sexual misconduct charges. He was sentenced to six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender.
JAGUARS: Jacksonville filed a lawsuit against a former employee who is serving prison time after pleading guilty to stealing $22 million from the NFL team’s virtual credit card program. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Duval County Circuit Court, seeks more than $66 million in damages, or three times the amount Amit Patel admitted stealing to feed a gambling addiction and a lavish lifestyle.
RAVENS: Baltimore has agreed to a one-year deal with former Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson. The Ravens announced the deal Friday, two days before they start training camp.
