Kansas City Chiefs RB Samaje Perine got the crash course in Andy Reid’s playbook in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, just days after he signed a free agent contract with the team.
Perine played eight offensive snaps in his Kansas City debut against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, catching a single pass on two targets for 10 yards. There was also this play, where an outstretched Perine just missed a catch that potentially could have gone for his first career touchdown in Kansas City.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid didn’t mince words when asked whether Perine is more comfortable with things this week.
“Listen, he (Samaje Perine) did a nice job for us,” Reid said. “I don’t want to take anything away from him. He jumped in and had everything down and was able to play a few snaps for us. He’s going to be familiar with half of the guys that are on this team (the Bengals). He knows the routine there (and) a lot of the players.”
Perine played four seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals (2019, 2020-2022) before joining the Denver Broncos in 2023. He even had a reputation against Kansas City while he was with Cincinnati, with an infamous play in the AFC Championship Game. Now, Perine is learning what life is like on the other side of the pond, preparing to face his former team.
“This whole week has been very unusual,” Perine told FOX 4 Kansas City’s Harold R. Kuntz in the locker room on Thursday. “Even watching them, of course, last year, I watched a couple of their games. But watching from a different standpoint where it’s extra film work, it’s very weird. Because I’m like pick(ing) up on certain things, things that I’ve seen before that I remember, during practice and everything. It’s just a very weird feeling to know that you played there for half of your career and now you have to play against them.”
Some of the things Perine has noticed during his preparation could prove valuable for Andy Reid’s offense on Sunday. Zac Taylor’s offense has changed since Perine was in town, but some things remain the same. That familiarity could give Kansas City an edge. Perine is also keeping the Chiefs honest ahead of the Week 2 game.
“They’re not the team that they showed last week against the Patriots,” he said, via KSHB-TV’s Aaron Ladd.
