Tyler Palko just wants to get to work. Nothing has changed in his view: the quarterback has to simply do what the coaches have prepared him to do and make sure that everyone is falling in line with that single agenda. Whether it's Matt Cassel or anyone else under center for the Kansas City Chiefs, the work is the same in the end.
"I'm hoping that nothing changes," said Palko today to reporters. "I'm hoping everybody comes to work and gets the game plan and executes it. Nothing's going to change on my end. I'm going to come in and prepare like I've done before. The only thing that's changed about that is that Matt won't be here when we're breaking down film and going over stuff like we've done for the last 10 weeks. So I'm hoping nothing changes."
Reporters asked Palko about his reputation for being a "gym rat" and Palko said he wouldn't be doing anything else -- that he doesn't even know what else to do. That sort of response only bolsters the aforementioned statement.
"It's just the way that I was raised. My dad was a coach and I was always around that. I think more than anything I just feel comfortable here. I don't really play video games or anything so I don't know what I would do with myself sitting at home. So it's a comfort level. I'm comfortable here in this atmosphere."
In terms of whether or not he'll be distracted by making his first career start on one of the biggest stages possible against the Patriots on Monday Night Football, he gave a textbook Chiefs response.
"You have to understand that there's so much that goes into playing quarterback from studying all week to understanding what everybody has to do on every play and what they have to do. At least in my mind, I don't have any time to think about it. I think that probably when we get out there and the lights are on, you'll probably have a 'wow, this is really happening' moment, but there's too much to worry about now. I don't have time to think about that stuff."