The Kansas City Chiefs officially kicked off their offseason program over the weekend as the team got together for rookie minicamp. The coaching staff got a chance to see the team's rookies and camp invitees for the first time.
We also got the first impressions from Andy Reid about the newest Chiefs. In his press conference on Sunday, Reid spoke about the rookies for the first time. This included his newest offensive weapon, Jalen Royals.
Kansas City's fourth-round pick, Jalen Royals, came into minicamp with high expectations as fans hope the talented rookie will carve out a role for himself from day one. Reid's first review for the former Utah State standout didn't reveal much as expected.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Jalen Royals: "You can see he's talented for sure. He did a couple of good things yesterday. We loaded them up today. They have a walkthrough and then a practice in the afternoon. The second day can be a challenge for them."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) May 4, 2025
Andy Reid Shares His First Jalen Royals Impressions
Chiefs insider Charles Goldman revealed what Reid had to say about his new playmaker. He called him "talented" while adding that he "did a couple of good things" on Saturday.
It wouldn't have been Andy Reid-esque if he had revealed anything more than that. It's also hard for any player to truly stand out in the rookie minicamp. The best fans and the coaching staff can ask for is for the prospects to be ready to go for the organized team activities later in the offseason.
While Chiefs fans were excited about the Royals pick, the young WR has an uphill battle for an offensive role. He could get a chance as a kick returner early on and make the most of his impact as a rookie on special teams.
As a wideout, he will begin the season behind Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He will need to impress and exceed expectations in the OTAs and training camp to earn Reid's trust early on in the season.