All signs point to rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals being unavailable for the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener Friday, Sept. 5, against the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, Brazil.
The fourth-round pick has been sidelined by knee tendinitis since August 18. That news is less than ideal for the Chiefs, who already know they will be without wide receiver Rashee Rice against the Chargers, as well as the five games to follow due to suspension.
During his Friday Zoom session with local media members, Chiefs coach Andy Reid was forthright about Royals’ status.
“Jalen continues to work to get himself better,” said Reid. “We’ll see how it goes. It’ll be a real rush for this week for sure. It doesn’t look like he’ll probably make this week, but should be ready to go as we go down the road here.”
For Royals, the 10-day gap between Week 1 in Brazil against the Chargers and Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles should aid his chances for a Game 2 debut. Regarding an initial replacement for Rice and Royals in the slot and outside, veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster seems well-positioned as the most likely candidate to fill that void.
“JuJu had a great camp,” said Reid. “He mentioned to you guys he’s in the best shape he’s been in in a long time, so he feels very good. We have a lot of trust in him, but most of all, Patrick (Mahomes) has a lot of trust in him. He can fill in that role for sure. And then you’ve got a healthy Hollywood (Brown) that can play for you. (Tyquan Thornton) came out and had a good camp for us, so he’s another one.”
In Week 5 of 2024 against the New Orleans Saints, following Rice’s season-ending injury, Smith-Schuster delivered seven catches on eight targets for a team-leading 130 yards. But during the following practice week, he hurt his hamstring and tried to push through against the San Francisco 49ers.
Smith-Schuster lasted just seven snaps before missing the next three games, derailing any momentum. The 28-year-old made it a priority this offseason to be more durable, and he did so by relocating to San Diego for a two-a-day training regimen.
The results have been noticeable through training camp and the preseason, as he has moved well and appears to have more juice.
“I feel great going into this season,” said Smith-Schuster in mid-August. “Being able to just help wherever I can, fill in the void, fill in the spots and keep these guys going. It’s going to be a long season with our schedule, and how it is, it’s going to be super exciting. First game in Brazil, super excited about that. So just trying to stay ahead of the course.”
Ahead of the 2025 campaign, Reid has praised Smith-Schuster as the vocal leader of the wide receiver room. Next Friday should offer him a grand opportunity to lead by example.
