Kansas City, Mo. ? In a heated exchange with reporters Wednesday, Herm Edwards denied Trent Green’s charge that he had tried to mislead the veteran quarterback.

Then after the impromptu news conference on the edge of Kansas City’s practice field, the obviously upset head coach took a local radio sports talk host aside for what appeared to be a one-on-one scolding.

“The one thing I do is tell the truth,” Edwards had told the group. “Maybe some people can’t accept that.”

Green, in the meantime, went through a second day of drills while a deal that would send him to Miami remained in limbo. The Chiefs will not accept the Dolphins’ offer of a supplemental sixth-round draft pick.

The frustrated Green told reporters Tuesday the situation was “very awkward” and implied he did not believe Edwards when the coach said competition for the starting job this year will be fair.

Edwards, who spoke with Green earlier on Wednesday, at first said he would not address the quarterback’s remarks.

“I met with Trent and I’m not going to comment on what Trent told you guys,” he said. “So I’ll leave it at that.”

But then he launched into an emotional defense of his plan to revamp the Chiefs’ aging lineup, which last year was one of the oldest in the NFL.

“There’s equal competition at (the quarterback) position, at the wide receiver position, at the defensive line position,” said Edwards, who is starting his second year as successor to Dick Vermeil. “There’s a lot of different positions that we have to make decisions on, players who are going to be our starters, who’s going to be the backup guys.

“This team has been together for six years. We can’t lose sight of that. It’s won 53 games. Been to two playoff appearances. There are some things I have to do a little bit different that I didn’t do last year. And that’s my job as the head coach, to make this a competitive environment where guys understand that you have to compete at the professional level.”

Green, who did not play well when he returned last season from a severe concussion, said later that he had spoken with Edwards before practice to make sure there were no hard feelings. The first two days or practice all quarterbacks were allowed to run an equal number of plays, or “reps,” he said.

“He has a direction he wants to take the team, and I’m fine with that. When you look at it from a reps standpoint, the last few days have been (fair). Like I stated yesterday, there’s a lot more that goes into it, there’s the salary cap, the way a number of things work.

“Now, from his standpoint, hey, everything’s equal and guys are getting the same reps. Yeah, you can argue it either way.”

After the news conference, Edwards led Damon Amendolara of radio station KCSP away from the group. Out of earshot of the rest of the reporters, the coach gestured forcefully and pointed his finger in the man’s face while speaking. They talked for several minutes.

Several veterans, including Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters, have said they believe the organization is not being fair with Green, who was one of the NFL’s most productive passers for five straight years until his injury derailed him last September.

But Edwards said he was only doing what any coach would do.

“We’re making a big deal out of this (quarterback) position, but there are a lot of other positions that guys are competing for their jobs, to see if they’re going to be the starter, the backup guy. I’ve always been fair when I’ve been put in this situation,” he said. “I came in the league and learned from a guy named Dick Vermeil how to be fair to players, and that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve always been that way. And any player will tell you that I ever coached.”

He also denied the situation was becoming disruptive.

“We’re going to create a competitive environment here where all players have a chance to be successful. At the end of the day, that’s all I can do as a head coach.

“We’re trying to bring some youth in here to maybe push some guys. That’s what you want to do with your football team, you want to push guys. You want to make guys compete within your team.”