Quietly the Kansas City Chiefs are having a great offseason retooling an already great roster to make another Super Bowl run. The team’s floor is in the AFC Championship as long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy. With this in mind, one of the most interesting stories of the offseason has been an underrated addition to the Kansas City offense. The coaching staff hasn’t been shy about the impression rookie receiver Jalen Royals has made early in the offseason. With each passing week, it seems the receiver is poised to take a surprising role in the Chiefs’ offense. This doesn’t come as a surprise when you watch the tape of Royals and see the potential fit in Andy Reid’s offense.
This isn’t the only reason to believe the unit is going to take a step forward with the return of Rashee Rice expected as well. However, there is a possible suspension looming for the receiver. The star receiver is expected to be healthy, but this remains a dark cloud the Chiefs must keep an eye on as the season approaches. Regardless, the receiver room will be improved and Royals is a big piece of this.
The Chiefs Have Found a Surprise Contributor in Jalen Royals
A big piece of what is going to make Royals an important piece of this offense is a simplistic want of the football. When the receiver is given a target, there isn’t anyone on the field who is going to fight harder for the football. Add in crisp route running and being difficult for the first tackler to bring down, it is easy to see why Reid and Mahomes are going to fall in love with the pass catcher.
Still, it is important to note that fans should be patient at the start of the season for the rookie. It is going to take a bit for Mahomes to trust Royals in meaningful games with far more reps with his current targets. While there is going to be an impact from the rookie receiver, it is going to take a bit of time for the offense to find a role for the pass catcher.
All of this adds up to Kansas City fans having every reason to be excited believing they have found one of the underrated pieces of the offseason.
