It's no secret that Jalen Royals had a quieter rookie season than most Kansas City Chiefs fans expected.
The 133rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, Royals saw the field only seven times during the season, often a healthy scratch early in the campaign. The 23-year-old wide receiver was limited to only three targets and 86 offensive snaps (12.3 per game), often leaving Chiefs fans wondering why he wasn't seeing more opportunities in a largely lost year.
Fortunately, the 2026 offseason has been positive for Royals as March wraps up. The Chiefs are dealing with less of a wideout logjam now that Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are no longer on the roster, along with the fact that Chad O'Shea replaced Connor Embree as WRs coach in a long-overdue move.
That said, the momentum towards a potential breakout isn't slowing down, thanks to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid's latest comments about his team's WR situation.
Jalen Royals' Potential Breakout Gains Steam After Andy Reid's Comments
With Rashee Rice embroiled in off-field issues that could lend themselves to disciplinary action and Xavier Worthy taking a step back in Year 2, Chiefs fans are wondering if general manager Brett Veach will use a high draft pick on a wide receiver next month. However, judging by what the 68-year-old HC said, adding another playmaker isn't a top priority.
On Saturday, Reid told NFL Senior National Columnist Judy Battista that the Chiefs are "in a better position than most teams" when it comes to their wideout situation, according to league writer Bobby Kownack.
Assuming his words aren't just coachspeak and that the Chiefs are happy with their WR room, that's great news for Royals' odds of having a bigger role next season. And even if it is just Reid gassing up his players, hearing the head coach talk that highly about the unit could leave the six-foot, 205-pound pass-catcher feeling even more confident.
If Rice does miss time to start the season, the Chiefs will need Royals to prove why he was drafted in the first place. He showed that he could be a difference-maker during his final two seasons with Utah State, converting 126 receptions into 1,914 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, including when he led the MWC with a whopping 15 TDs in 2023.
Even if everyone is available come September, Royals could still be in line to make more noise. With Brown and Smith-Schuster no longer around, that leaves 119 targets from last season up for grabs. While the recently re-signed Tyquan Thornton will likely steal some of those, it's hard to imagine the likes of Nikko Remigio and Jason Brownlee being much of a threat to Royals' aspirations.
Not everyone can be a star in their rookie season, so it's far too early to hit the panic button when it comes to Royals. Having said that, the Chiefs' early moves — both in terms of coaching staff changes and free agency — have opened the door for the up-and-coming playmaker to erase any potential doubts people might have.
If he can capitalize on the path that the Chiefs have cleared for him, it might not be long before Royals becomes a household name around Kansas City.