The Kansas City Chiefs have started their quest to climb to the top of the NFL and it began as the team assembled for OTAs. After winning three Super Bowls in the past five seasons, there has already been a steady drumbeat coming out of workouts that the team is ready to add another championship to their legacy.
This means fans will hear a lot of “best shape of his life” or “offseason improvements” articles in the coming weeks. But in the case of one Chiefs rookie, he’s already showing he’s not just all hype as the team makes its first steps toward next season.
Chiefs WR Jalen Royals Already Making Plays at OTAs
Chiefs rookie Jalen Royals is hoping to add another playmaker to the offense next season and he already has made a positive impression during the early stages of OTAs. Team reporter Matt McMullen documented some of Royals’ big plays during a 7-on-7 session in Thursday’s practice and dubbed a leaping grab in the back of the end zone as his “play of the day,” giving the rookie an early highlight moment.
Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney noted that the drill was part of red zone work and that tight end Noah Gray was the only other player to catch a touchdown from Mahomes during the period. While it is just OTAs and top targets Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice were absent, it’s a positive development to see someone to step up for a Chiefs offense that lacked its usual dominance through the air last season.
Mahomes posted his first season under 4,000 passing yards since becoming the full-time starter in 2018 and the receiving group struggled after Rice and Brown suffered significant injuries. While Xavier Worthy had a team-high six-touchdowns, no other receiver had more than four touchdowns (excluding Gray’s five touchdowns at tight end).
That’s where Royals could be the key to getting the Chiefs’ offense back on track. Royals' 2024 season was cut short due to injury, but he put up massive numbers with 71 catches for 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023. While he has playmaking ability that should help the Chiefs downfield, he could also benefit from being a receiver that can make catches anywhere on the field – particularly the red zone.
Success in OTAs doesn’t mean it will start translating when the Chiefs start hitting for real. But it’s an encouraging start for a rookie that has plenty of hype coming into this season.
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