The Kansas City Chiefs have continued to be impressed by second-year receiver Jalen Royals, who has wasted zero time this summer showing obvious growth. It has taken the pass catcher from a question mark to an expected contributor for a unit whose depth chart is filled with question marks.
Even head coach Andy Reid, who rarely lauds much praise on young players, sounded pleased with Royals summer ascension.
“You got to see the lower-body strength—he’s tough when he has the ball in his hands," said Reid. "He’s got that RB lower body—he always catches the ball well, he’s got strong hands, that YAC was something he was very good at, at the college level.”
It is clear from Reid's comments and the performance of Royals in the preseason that there is no longer any debate about the pass catcher's standing with the organization. The second-year receiver is going to be getting an early-season opportunity and clearly has the respect of Reid and the trust of Mahomes. With this in mind, there is reason to wonder just how far up the depth chart Royals could work over the next few months.
Standout rookie Cyrus Allen appears cemented into the fourth receiver role. However, there is no shortage of injury concerns, and each of KC's first four options at the position is facing questions. This makes it clear that Royals has the chance to become a far more important piece than it first appeared.
Jalen Royals has cemented a clear role as important piece of Chiefs offense
Coming into training camp and the preseason, it was fair to question what Royals needed to do to solidify a roster spot. While an outright cut appeared unlikely, it was very plausible that the receiver was pushed into the final roster spot and relegated to being emergency depth and a special teams contributor. Instead, it has become glaring that the Chiefs must give Royals a chance early in the year.
Reid's comments point to just how capable Royals is as a runner after the catch and why there is explosive ability. This is a skill set KC badly needs after spending much of the last three seasons with aging and limited depth options.
Royals has a chance not only to be a contributor at the start of the season, but to work his way into the starting lineup long-term. There is clearly a growing ability and a surprising trust from Reid that has locked in his roster spot and gives fans a playmaker to keep a close eye on early in the 2026 season.
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