The Kansas City Chiefs are officially in desperation mode after losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. This is especially the case offensively, where it is clear the Chiefs lack consistency, and it seems receivers are struggling to get open.
Something has to give eventually, which is why it's bizarre that the Chiefs haven't given rookie wideout Jalen Royals a fair crack. The 2025 NFL draft's 133rd overall pick hasn't suited up for a game since the Week 7 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving plenty of Kansas City fans to wonder what the point of drafting him was if head coach Andy Reid & Co. won't use Royals.
Chiefs Can't Keep Holding Jalen Royals Down
Veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown are both proven pass-catchers, but neither is going to make jaw-dropping plays or set the world on fire. At least with Royals, you have a chance with the unknown. Another Chiefs fan pointed out, "Y'all are wasting Jalen Royals. You need receivers that get open and make plays. Enough with the redshirt season."
The point here simply being that Royals isn't helping the Chiefs whatsoever, sitting on the bench, at least throw the rookie into the lineup and see if the change breathes any life into a struggling unit. There simply isn't anything to lose for an offense that has every reason for a heavy level of desperation.
The Chiefs should at least show a frustrated fan base that they're willing to attempt to make changes and put Royals into the lineup against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. If it is clear that it isn't providing a spark, they can always pivot back to Brown and Smith-Schuster. A starting lineup of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Royals would at least be a bit of a wrinkle, changing up Kansas City's stagnant offense and perhaps helping breathe life into the passing attack.
Royals impressed throughout camp and the preseason, leaving room to believe he could quickly become a big part of the offensive attack. There were even comparisons to Royals being a lesser version of star receiver Rashee Rice. So much of this built up expectations that came crashing down when an injury robbed the rookie of his chance to win a surprise contributing role.
By the time Royals was ready to come back to the rotation, the emergence of Tyquan Thornton and improvement from Brown had pushed the rookie into a bench role. Now, with Kansas City's primary options not getting the job done, it is time to revisit this and attempt to make a change.
At the very least, the Chiefs need to lessen snaps for the veteran and allow a few designed plays for Royals to gauge his potential fit within the offense. With where Kansas City is currently standing, there simply is no reason not to give the first-year playmaker a chance.