The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to start the season off with a win, and they can do so against the Los Angeles Chargers. The issue is that they must travel great lengths to do so.
Kansas City and the Chargers have been picked to kick off the NFL's International Series, and they are set to face off against one another in Brazil on September 5. The showdown is important for both teams, as they must travel and face a divisional rival.
The Chiefs need a win to silence all the doubters who believe the team might take a step back in 2025. Though expectations are still high for Patrick Mahomes and company, they will already be down a wide receiver.
Per reports, the Chiefs will not have rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals for the game against the Chargers. The young pass catcher is dealing with a knee injury and will not travel with the team.
Royals is the backup for Hollywood Brown on the first depth chart, meaning that the Chiefs will be at a loss for a solid rotational player.
Royals was drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Utah State. Though he is a rookie, the expectations for the young receiver are high, as he has impressed in camp.
Hopefully, the knee injury that Royals is dealing with is something that won't keep him out long-term.
For now, the Chiefs have Travis Kelce, Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, Xavier Worthy, Jason Brownlee, Tyquan Thorton, and Nikko Remigo to use should the need arise.
Kansas City has had to deal with injuries to skill players, as Brown, Isiah Pacheco, and Smith-Schuster all dealt with significant injuries in 2024. All three appear to be plenty healthy heading into the start of the 2025 season.
Mahomes is no stranger to making things work with the players he has, but the Chargers are a tough team, and the Chiefs will need all the help they can get.
For more on the Chiefs and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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