The Kansas City Chiefs' offense last year went through some games where they couldn't move the ball downfield consistently, and otherwise looked not as good as the talent level would suggest. Their defense tightened up, allowing them to win most of these close games. But for the most part, this is what the Chiefs have done in the regular season.
They turn up the heat once the playoffs roll around, but after they lost in the Super Bowl, they should be looking to start the season hot and roll with that momentum until the playoffs. To be fair, their wide receiver room did suffer a lot of injuries last season, which prevented them from being as aggressive as they may have wanted.
They decided to run it back with their wide receiver corps of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Hollywood Brown for one more season, as these three never really got a chance to play together. However, now the Chiefs know that they can't rely on some of their premier offensive weapons to stay healthy throughout the season.
The Chiefs drafted wide receiver Jalen Royals in the fourth round, despite already having a solidified wide receiver room. Ryne Nutt is the director of college scouting for the Chiefs, and in an online press conference, he compared the Royals' play style to that of Rice's.
"His game is very similar to Rashee's, where you watch him and he primarily lines up on the left side...He has big and strong hands and is very good after the catch...He had seven 50+ yard touchdown catches in 2023, he was on pace in 2024 to smash the 2023 production before he got injured".
Nutt sounded off on what Brashard Smith could bring to the Chiefs offense, and similarly, both of these rookies could have an impact from their first year on the team. They'll play a huge part in why the Chiefs will remain dominant over the AFC West, despite what some analysts may believe will happen to them next season.
Check us out on X (Twitter) @KCChiefsOnSI and @Domminchella to never miss another breaking news story again!
