The Kansas City Chiefs continued to tweak their roster following the conclusion of their three-day rookie minicamp.
While the Chiefs immediately signed wide receiver Reggie Brown after he went undrafted out of James Madison University, he was also the first cut. On Tuesday, May 7, Kansas City signed undrafted wide receiver Jaaron Hayek, one of three dozen players invited to minicamp on a tryout basis.
In a corresponding move, the Chiefs cut Brown, per Arrowhead Live. Brown’s release was a bit surprising considering his pedigree. Last season, he recorded 53 receptions for 1,055 yards and a team-leading 9 touchdowns. Against UConn, he set a single-game school record with 202 receiving yards.
The receiver’s average of 19.89 yards per catch ranked ninth nationally, JMU Sports reported, and second in the Sun Belt Conference.
One of the best single-game receiving performance we’ve seen at JMU!
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) November 11, 2023
Reggie. Brown.#GoDukes
pic.twitter.com/QAoWguZK0P
However, the competition proved too much for the First-Team All-SBC wide receiver. There were 74 players in total, including 38 undrafted rookies and four NFL veterans invited to try out. Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun and six other first-year active roster players also participated in rookie minicamp, along with all seven of the Chiefs 2024 draft picks and 17 signed undrafted free agents.
Brown posted photos with his family on Instagram after the Chiefs signed him last month. He captioned the the since-deleted the album, “🙏🏿🚀 @chiefs.”
Following his release, Brown will look to land a minicamp tryout with another franchise. He subsequently posted on his Instagram Stories, “More life bruddah” with fingers crossed emoji and Rod Wave’s “Keep Going” playing in the background.
As Chiefs head coach Andy Reid assesses the team’s new talent, many more cuts are likely to come.
Chiefs News: Former Villanova WR Jaaron Hayek Impressed at Minicamp
🙏🏼 #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/dqOigMgOPx
— Jaaron Hayek (@jaaron_hayek) May 7, 2024
Hayek wasted no time getting comfortable rookie minicamp. Chiefs reporter Matt McMullen noted after Day 1, “Hayek drew several targets throughout practice and generally made the most of them, hauling in multiple deep receptions and a strong grab over the middle.”
Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick named the 6-foot-1, 199-pounder one of his “Five to Watch” following Day 2. Ever since the Villanova alum “arrived in Kansas City on a tryout basis,” Derrick wrote, “all he’s done since got here is catching virtually everything in sight.
“Hayek had his first drop on Sunday but he made a nifty sliding catch on day one and he has consistently demonstrated soft hands. Hayek appeared on his way to making a strong bid for the NFL after his 2022 season in which he averaged 101.3 yards receiving per game and 22.5 yards per catch but he slipped last season to just 35 receptions for 457 yards and four touchdowns. Kansas City scouts saw something in him to bring him in for a tryout, and so far he’s made his case.”
During the 2022 season with the Wildcats, Hayek registered 36 receptions for 810 yards and 8 touchdowns in eight games. In 11 games last season, he recorded 35 catches for 457 yards and 4 scores.
Chiefs Stand to Have Deep Competition at WR Amid Rashee Rice’s Expected Suspension
While first-round pick Xavier Worthy looks to be an immediate contributor, a dark cloud hangs over the Chiefs’ receivers room.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘s No. 1 wide receiver, Rashee Rice, is expected to be suspended following his involvement in a multi-vehicle car crash. Matters worsened on Tuesday, as WFAA reported Rice is “under investigation for allegedly hitting a photographer at a club in Dallas” early Monday morning.
While it’s unclear whether Rice’s suspension will be served in 2024, the Chiefs need to be prepared. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach suggested he wouldn’t look for outside talent until after training camp, which means competition is open for the Chiefs No. 6 or No. 7 wide receiver.
Without Rice, Mahomes’ top receivers include Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Worthy, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, and Skyy Moore. Rookies face competition against Justyn Ross, Nikko Remigio, Cornell Powell and Montrell Washington for a spot on the 53-man roster.
