Staying safe: KANSAS City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has made a major decision about his top players in the preseason

KANSAS City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has made a major decision about his top players in the preseason.

With the Chiefs playing a Super Bowl contender in the Detroit Lions on Saturday, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce aren’t going to get many reps against them.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is limiting his stars’ preseason playing time

Patrick Mahomes has only thrown four passes so far in the preseason

Reid is focusing on keeping his starters healthy rather than getting them time on the field in the big preseason game.

Players like Kelce and Mahomes are only going to get the first half before sitting out for the rest of the day.

“As far as the play time goes, the ones will take a half and then we’ll kind of fill in after that and just kind of see how the rest of that goes for the third and fourth quarters,” Reid said.

Mahomes and Kelce have both played limited time in this preseason, with the quarterback only throwing four passes so far.

Kelce has also only caught one ball so far in this preseason.

They will both get bigger opportunities on Saturday, but still not a full game’s worth.

Still, despite his starters not playing too much, Reid is happy with the development he is seeing at training camp.

“I think you’ve been able to see the growth,” Reid said.

“We’ve added a ton in the last few days up here. The guys have digested it and been able to spit it back – retain it.

“That has been a positive. And then maybe most of all getting yourself in football shape, kind of re-amping up to our first game.

“We still have a couple of weeks ahead of us here ´til that all takes place,’ Reid added, ‘but we´ll keep working on it.

“We’re not ready yet, but we’ll keep working and sharpening ourselves up to play. I appreciate the attitude the guys have had.”

While some players are getting limited time in the preseason games, some are getting none at all.

Receiver Marquise Brown will be held out of the remainder of the preseason after suffering a shoulder injury.

He will not need surgery but it is also possible that he won’t be ready for Week 1.

“We’re lucky it wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” Mahomes said after the injury.

“He’s in good spirits, doing well. Getting him back going again, moving around.

“Obviously we lost a little bit of that veteran-type receiver in that room.

“We have other guys that can replace a little bit, but to have that much talent and understand what I want – but he’s in that room. That’s important.”