KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
—
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Last season was a disappointing one for the Kansas City Chiefs, but optimism was the dominant mood Wednesday as season ticket members got their first look at the 2026 team at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Walter Johnson, a Chiefs season ticket member for 20 years, said the offseason moves have him encouraged.
"I'm feeling pretty good about this year,” he said. “I like a lot of the changes that they made with players."
Johnson has been bringing his family — including his son, Alex Johnson, to Chiefs games for two decades — and it is about far more than football
"It's nothing but bonding,” Alex Johnson said. “We use these games as a time to come together as a family. Like my dad said, we've been doing this for 20 years, and I’m looking forward to more memories and doing it again."
That sense of tradition extended to other families in attendance. Judy Grame, who attended training camp Wednesday with her family, summed up the mood simply.
"We love training camp,” she said. “We're ready for football season."
Janel Zion, alongside Grame, said the trip is a yearly ritual.
"It's a tradition,” Zion said. “We come every year."
For the Zahn sisters, the draw was not just football.
Whitley Zahn, who attended training camp with her family, had a straightforward explanation for why she was there.
"'Cause Travis Kelce's here,” Whitley Zahn said, proudly wearing a shirt with Chiefs-themed Taylor Swift friendship bracelets on it.
Her sister Avery Zahn explained why Kelce is her favorite player.
"Because he's related to Taylor Swift,” she said.
The Swift-Kelce wedding was the biggest offseason development for the Zahn sisters, but it wasn’t the only one on the minds of Chiefs Kingdom.
It has been a busy offseason for the Chiefs on and off the field.
That includes excitement about new players, including reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. Walter Johnson hopes the signing means Kansas City’s offense is poised to evolve.
"I do want to see that running game go, because I know that if the running game goes, then we're going to start to be able to have those deep passes again — not two or three per game, but maybe four or five or six per game — because the linebackers are going to have to step up first,” he said. “Once they make that first step up, then we're going downfield."
James Nelsen, a 15-year season ticket member from Booneville, Iowa, also zeroed in on Walker’s addition.
"We were big (Isiah) Pacheco fans — love his attitude, love the way he runs — but pretty excited to see what Walker can do this year,” Nelsen said.
Optimism about a return to the playoffs ran understandably high.
“I think they’ve got a shot,” Nelsen said. "They’ve always got a shot when you’ve got Mahomes, depending on how he comes back from injury, but I think they've always got a shot with him at QB.”
On-field optimism aside, several season ticket members also expressed concern about future ticket prices with Nelsen worried about the impact personal seat licenses at a new stadium could have.
RELATED | Chiefs release first renderings of $3B domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas
"Depending on what the seat licensing is, it might be cost prohibitive,” Nelsen said. “And (you might) allocate resources elsewhere that have been allocated to Chiefs tickets in the past. It really is a cost-benefit analysis depending on what the cost is, whether or not it's worth having tickets to go to every game when maybe you can just get playoff tickets or whatever.”
Alex Johnson shared that concern.
“That is a worry,” he said. “Right now, we don't have that concern, but with them (possibly) putting that extra tax on season ticket holders, it’s going to make it kind of tough for people who’ve been long tenured to continue.”
Still, Nelsen said he is not ready to look too far ahead.
"I'm just enjoying Arrowhead and looking forward to the next four or five years there because I think it's the greatest stadium in football,” Nelson said.
The Chiefs open the regular season Sept. 14 against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Before that, Kansas City plays three preseason games — all of which air on KSHB 41, including home games Aug. 15 against the Los Angeles Rams and Aug. 28 against the Seattle Seahawks.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
