Kansas City's depth is getting thinner.
Chiefs' WR gets bad injury update, adding insult to Rashee Rice suspension originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Kansas City Chiefs learned this week they won't have Rashee Rice in Week 1 (or for six weeks, due to suspension).
He doesn't seem to be the only wide receiver who will miss the Chiefs' opener on Friday, Sept. 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters Friday that rookie wideout Jalen Royals is likely to miss out, too. Royals is working his way back from a knee injury.
If Royals is also out, that leaves a receiving corps that includes Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio and Jason Brownlee.
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The Chiefs still have solid options out wide and in the slot, but it's disappointing that the fourth-round rookie Royals won't be out there right away.
Royals is a 6-foot tall wide receiver from Georgia.
He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds.
Incredibly, he began his college career at Georgia Military College before transferring to Utah State once his grades were in order.
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Royals is a big-play monster. In 2023, he had seven touchdowns of 50 or more yards for Utah State.
Injuries slowed him a bit in 2024, but if he's at full health, the Chiefs will have yet another significant weapon.
"(Patrick) Mahomes is going to love this guy," ESPN's Matt Miller said on the draft broadcast in April.
Mahomes will just have to wait a bit to use him.
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