If the Kansas City Chiefs start the 2026 season with a fully healthy group at the receiver position, there is no debate that it will be Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton as the team's starting trio. Rice and Worthy are both facing major questions as primary weapons, but neither player is in any danger of losing their starting role if both are able to stay available. Still, the position remains an underrated training camp battle that Kansas City fans should be excited to watch in the final weeks of the summer.
Jalen Royals, Nikko Remigio, Jeff Caldwell, and rookie Cyrus Allen all have a legitimate shot to win a contributing role on the 53-man roster. This is extremely meaningful when you consider the departures of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown in free agency.
Whoever wins the fourth and fifth roles on the depth chart has a chance to play an important role. One that could easily be elevated when you consider how often Rice has missed time due to poor decisions and concerns around whether or not Worthy can stay on the field consistently due to a smaller frame.
Who on Kansas City's depth chart will step up and claim greatness?
Looking at each of these players, the case becomes obvious for why they should win the fourth receiver role. Royals, a 2024 fourth-round selection, was only afforded two catches last season, but has the advantage of a year-long knowledge of Andy Reid's offense and having a level of established chemistry with Mahomes.
For the rookie Allen, out of Cincinnati, he had 674 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his final college season, peaking at the perfect moment. There is the excitement of the unknown that Allen would bring, as well as a rookie level of energy that, along with the return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, could help put the franchise back on track after a frustrating 2025 season.
There is no denying that Remigio's only argument is experience within his nearly three years under Andy Reid, as well as his primary returner role on special teams. The 26-year-old has just a trio of catches during his time with the franchise. This leads us to Caldwell, who was an undrafted free agent signing and presents an incredibly large frame at 6'5", 215 lbs that could benefit the offense.
Caldwell is a wildcard and has the biggest uphill battle, but there is no question Bieniemy and Reid are heading into camp with an open mind. There is an understanding that change is needed at the position, setting up an undeniably entertaining battle that should have fans locked in from the start of camp.
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