On what excites him about the offense:
"Yeah, it's been awesome. Obviously, it's still early. We're still working through some things, but I think we've made a lot of progress already and EB [Eric Bieniemy]'s doing a really good job and he just cares about the details. It's just so much fun to play for a guy like that. He's very hard on us and he sets a high standard, as you guys can probably tell by being out here at practice but, you know, that's what we want. We want to be coached hard and wanna play for someone that has a high standard. It's been good. Obviously, it's a really good system and I think it'll be good way for us to use the weapons that we have. We have a lot of really good weapons, so I'm excited."
On how he feeds of Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy's energy at practice:
"He brings that energy every single day and we try to feed on that feed off of that and we try to bring our own energy as well. We try to come outta practice every day and get ready to go and have the right mindset. We're just trying to follow EB's lead and he is doing a really good job."
On the biggest thing he worked on this offseason:
"I think the main thing I'm always just trying to come the best version of myself. I evaluate every single part of my game and I try to get a little bit better in every single area. Really the main focus has been trying to learn this playbook. It's kind of a wordy system but it's a really good system. I've loved it so far and I've enjoyed being in there and learning the new system and watching the film and studying what they were doing in Kansas City. Obviously, they're doing a really good job and we're trying to come out here and get better at the system each and every day and we're making some really good progress, so I'm excited."
On much of a factor or emphasis footwork has been:
"Yeah, I mean, I feel like I'm a lot better. I try to get better every single year, especially when I have a long break like that and being back with my quarterback coach Anthony Boone back home. He did a really good job. Really kind of before I got here because I really couldn't learn anything until I got here. Once I knew we had EB I was kind of watching Kansas City film and kind of seeing what they were doing. I feel like I was able to kind of match my full work up to what they're doing in Kansas City. I feel like I'm matching up pretty well out here."
On how it was watching Patrick Mahomes film:
"Oh yeah. Obviously, he's a heck of a player. So much respect for him and what they're able to do in Kansas City and it's been a lot of fun because I mean that's all the film we watch is what they're doing in Kansas City. It's been fun to watch and he's definitely a great one to look at."
On how it is working with Quarterback Coach Tavita Pritchard:
"Yeah, Tavita is awesome. He's a great coach. Obviously, I didn't know him before he came, obviously he came from college and he's done a really good job. He's very detailed and he comes in every single day with a plan. He just tries to do everything he can to make sure we come on the field prepared. He's just done a great job and he's a great guy as well. Fun to be around and he's doing a really good job."
On if he finds it helpful to have a positional coach that has played the position:
"Yeah, I mean, I think obviously that definitely can help at times obviously because they've been behind the center and they know what it's like to be back there and play. He can definitely speak from his past experience. He played a lot in college, so that definitely is a big advantage."
On what it has been like taking first team reps and being described as QB1:
"Obviously, it's awesome. It's a great opportunity for me and I'm just super blessed to be in the position I am. I think a lot of people probably wouldn't have expected this outcome but I'm just gonna try to do everything I can to just take this opportunity and just try to take advantage of it. I'm gonna give this team and give this organization everything that I have and just try to do everything I can to help this team win."
On having QB Jacoby Brissett in the room:
"Jacoby's awesome. Me and him have become really good friends and he's just a great guy. He's been through so much in his career. He's seen a lot. He spent some time with a lot of different teams. He was in New England for a long time with [Tom] Brady and so he just has so many stories and so much insight that he can share. He's been great to have here and he helps a lot."
On if he feels if he has progressed as a leader:
"I think I just have a different role than last year. I think leadership has always been inside of me. Just last year with the position I was in, it wasn't my job to come out here and try to get guys ready to go. But I think definitely just stepping into this year in a new role, it's my job to get the guys going and take command of this team. So it's something that I'm always trying to improve. But obviously it's just a different role for me this year and I've a lot more to do when I'm on the field and I got to take control of the offense."
On being mic'd up during practice:
"It's been fun. I'm mic'd up when I'm saying the play calls and at the line of scrimmage. So it's been fun. It's a good opportunity for me to learn and hear what I sound like, because it's something I've really never heard before. But yeah when they first said they were gonna do it, I was kind of shocked cause I've never heard of uh, somebody doing it, but I think it's a great idea and it's definitely been fun to hear their feedback and stuff like that."
On what he has changed from listening to himself:
"Coach EB says it all the time to overcommunicate clarity. So just trying to over communicate at the line of scrimmage with the o-line and stuff like that and just saying one more word, one more code word that means something that they need to hear. So just to try to make sure we're all on the same page."
On the fan base rallying behind him:
"Yeah, it's been awesome, especially with the fans out here it's been a lot of fun. I'm just super blessed, that people are supporting me. Obviously I really don't think I've deserved anything at this point but I am super thankful to the fans, they've been awesome to me."
On if he has ever worked with a coach that intentionally practices off platform throws:
"Yeah, for sure. So my quarterback coach back home, Anthony Boone, that's a really big thing that he focuses on is making those off platform throws. Just because everyone knows in this game you're not going to be sitting back there in a clean pocket most of the time. You're going to be trying to avoid a guy and try to make a throw, so you're going to be off platform a lot. So that's something that we focus on back home when I'm home training and even while I was here last year with Coach Zampese, he did a really good job of that stuff and he's really good at the fundamental side of the game. And when we get some more time here with [QB Coach] Tavita [Pritchard], obviously we haven't had much time, just only, I think this is what our fifth practice, so we try to squeeze some of that stuff in as well. But I've had some awesome coaches in my life and it's just been awesome to be a part of it."
*On what he's trying to take from QB Patrick Mahomes versus his own play: *"I'm always going to try to, you know, I'm gonna be Sam. I'm not going to 2try to be anybody else. Obviously, I watch the film and I think Patrick does a heck of a job and he excels on extending the play and making those off platform throws, and I think I'm capable of making plays myself. So I don't try to go out there and be anybody else. I try to go out there and be the best version of myself."
On what Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy message was to him during the redzone period:
"He's just coaching. I go back there almost always after we finish like a run of plays and we kind of just talk through the plays. He asked me what I saw and if there's one play he didn't agree with my decision, he tells me. So we kind of go from there. But I just love being coached and I love that he does that type of stuff because I always want feedback. And I tell him that all the time to coach me hard. I want to be coached hard. So it's been fun."
On if Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy approached him during the stretching period:
"He came at stretching as well, but after a couple possessions he would call me back like, why Jacoby [Brissett] went in and stuff like that. But we're always in constant communication throughout the practice just so we can get on the same page."
