One of the most frustrating aspects of the Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 season was their refusal to give unproven pieces an opportunity. It seemed that Kansas City's decision-makers were content with failing veterans rather than testing the unknown; this included rookie pass catcher Jalen Royals, who was rarely given a chance in the offense. Throughout the season, the rookie was afforded only 86 offensive snaps, with 43 of these coming in the season's final week, when the passing game was incredibly limited due to quarterback changes.
Making matters worse is the fact that receivers coach Connor Embree has been fired. The coach was one of the rookie's biggest champions throughout the 2025 season, clearly pushing for the pass catcher to earn more snaps. This included offering the following ringing endorsement, "I expect him to get in and play... He was trending up the whole way... He's quiet and works hard... Another guy, you ask him to do something, and he'll do it."
Embree championed Royals, even speaking out as recently as the middle of December, via A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman, when the coach reiterated his earlier sentiments. Embree blamed the injury for Royals not getting the expected chance and spoke about the receiver's ability to impact the team in the final three weeks. No question, the biggest champion of the receiver was Embree, and now the coach has been lost, forcing Royals to prove himself all over again.
Chiefs Continue to Create Difficult Road for Young Receiver Jalen Royals
Whoever fills the open position could have far less trust in Royals as a meaningful option. It is a frustrating update for a player who truly deserved a more consistent chance in the 2025 season. This is due both to the potential upside and the fact that it became clear that neither Hollywood Brown nor JuJu Smith-Schuster would be a viable long-term fit.
Still, Royals hasn't been placed in the best of positions and will head into the offseason with a level of uncertainty. Even with a rookie contract having three years of control remaining as a day three pick, his standing with the organization is uncertain. The Chiefs could easily opt to upgrade the position with proven pieces to help protect Patrick Mahomes, who is coming off ACL surgery.
Royals finished the season with only two catches on three targets, pointing to the limited usage and lack of creativity to get a young player involved from either head coach Andy Reid or offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. This makes the loss of Embree a clear setback and a frustration for a player whose road continues to be unnecessarily difficult.