The Kansas City Chiefs training camp has run smoothly for 16 straight summers in St. Joseph, but this week, security decided smooth wasn’t good enough and drew a hard line that fans are already testing.

“Security just informed fans that effective this week (rest of camp), no one is allowed to line up before 5 am and there will be signs to enforce that. Some fans got in line before midnight,” sports commentator Farzin Vousoughian posted on X.

And honestly, this new rule is landing on top of a system that was already pretty locked down. Think about it. You can’t just show up and walk in anymore. Every single practice needs a ticket, booked through the Chiefs’ official Ticketmaster portal, nothing else.

Most days were free, but fans had to mark their calendars for August 1st, 7th, and 8th since those ran $7 each (kids under three still got in free, at least).

Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert analysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

Then, there’s the bag situation. Security is sticking to the NFL’s Clear Bag Policy, so only see-through bags, gallon freezer bags, or tiny clutches are getting past the gate. Coolers, alcohol, drones, selfie sticks- all of that stays home. Recording video is a hard no, too, though snapping photos for yourself is fine.

Even the basics like parking and gate timing come with fine print. It’s $8 a day to park, one spot per car if you’re tailgating, and gates only open half an hour before practice.

Miss that window, and there’s not much wiggle room.

Practices happen outdoors, so if you’re heading out, drink plenty of water and dress light. The heat and humidity in St. Joseph aren’t playing around, though there are misting tents scattered around to help cool things down. If practice moves indoors, unfortunately fans don’t get to follow it inside.

Sessions that get cancelled or relocated won’t come with a refund either, though fans can try grabbing tickets for another day. Also, gates open half an hour before practice starts and shut half an hour after it ends.

But honestly, fans aren’t just braving the heat for the drills. They’re out there hoping for moments like what happened on Thursday.

Mahomes was mic’d up, and he was having the time of his life out there. He was hyping up his teammates, letting out random shouts of “Woooo” and “Oh yeah,” and just being goofy, throwing in grunts and yells while rolling around on the grass like a kid having fun.

At one point, he was watching his teammates go through reps and yelled, “Nice, nice, nice!” Then, he was pumping guys up with “Here we go, here we go, here we go” before following it up with a solid “good job.”

He even threw out a phrase nobody saw coming, “Wa kaboom,” then went right into shouting “Doggone!”

That’s the stuff fans show up early for. Not just to watch football, but to see the guy behind the helmet acting like himself.