Chiefs targets from Patrick Mahomes at the team's first practice: Cyrus Allen: 4 (led all players) Travis Kelce: 3 Jalen Royals: 3 Kenneth Walker: 2 (via @pgsween)

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PositiveNewsJul 30, 202632BeatWriters

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Patrick Mahomes was back out there for 11-on-11 drills this morning. He found Jalen Royals, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton for completions during the period.

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PositiveRoleJul 29, 2026Arrowhead Pride

Second-year wide receiver Jalen Royals had a rough Day 1 of training camp, struggling with route adjustments and ball security in multiple team-period reps alongside Cyrus Allen, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton. On one deep-pass attempt, Royals ran a shorter route and missed a likely adjustment based on pressure, causing an incompletion. Later, he failed to secure a pass slightly behind him that safety Chamarri Conner pried loose. On a third play, Royals ran an intermediate crossing pattern but dropped an off-target but catchable pass. Coach Reid acknowledged Royals needs to 'keep on with the reps and make sure he has a good relationship there with Pat and keeps developing that,' suggesting early-camp chemistry issues.

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PositiveRoleJul 29, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Second-year wide receiver Jalen Royals had a glaringly bad Day 1 of training camp, rotating in regularly with the starting wideouts but struggling with chemistry and route execution with Patrick Mahomes. On one play, Royals ran a shorter route and missed a route adjustment based on pressure, causing Mahomes' deep pass to fall incomplete. On another play, Royals failed to secure a quick-hitting slot route with a pass slightly behind him. On a third play, Mahomes' off-target but catchable pass to Royals on an intermediate crossing pattern fell to the turf. Head coach Andy Reid said Royals 'has a good feel for the game' but needs to keep working on reps and developing his relationship with Mahomes.

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PositiveRoleJul 29, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Second-year wide receiver Jalen Royals had a glaringly bad day in practice, rotating regularly with the starting wideouts but struggling with chemistry and route execution with Mahomes. On one play, Royals ran a shorter route and missed a route adjustment based on pressure, causing an incomplete pass. On another play, he failed to secure a pass slightly behind him that safety Chamarri Conner pried loose. A third incompletion came on an off-target but catchable intermediate crossing pattern. Coach Reid acknowledged the struggles post-practice, saying Royals "has a good feel for the game" but "just got to keep on with the reps and make sure he has a good relationship there with Pat and keeps developing that."

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PositiveRoleJul 29, 2026Arrowhead Pride

Second-year wide receiver Jalen Royals had a notably poor practice on Day 1, struggling with chemistry and communication with Mahomes. On one play, Royals ran a shorter route and missed a route adjustment based on pressure, resulting in an incomplete pass. On another play, Royals failed to secure a pass slightly behind him that safety Chamarri Conner pried loose. On a third play, Mahomes' off-target but catchable pass to Royals on an intermediate crossing pattern fell incomplete. Coach Reid acknowledged the struggles post-practice, saying Royals "has a good feel for the game" but "just got to keep on with the reps and make sure he has a good relationship there with Pat and keeps developing that."

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NegativeRoleJul 28, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Royals was once a promising draft pick but never found a role in 2025 and is among 13 guys competing for wide receiver jobs after Rice, Worthy, and Thornton. The source questions whether Royals can create some buzz this year or will fade into the hall of what could have been.

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NegativeRoleJul 28, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Once a promising draft pick who never found a role in 2025; competing in a wide open wide receiver room with 13 guys vying for jobs after Rice, Worthy and Thornton; must create buzz in training camp or risk fading into the hall of 'what could have been.'

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NegativeRoleJul 28, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Once a promising draft pick who never found a role in 2025; competing in a wide open wide receiver room with 13 guys vying for jobs after Rice, Worthy, and Thornton. The source questions whether Royals can create buzz or will fade into the hall of what could have been.

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NegativeRoleJul 28, 2026Arrowhead Pride

Once a promising draft pick who never found a role in 2025; competing among 13 guys for wide receiver jobs after Rice, Worthy and Thornton. The source questions whether Royals can create some buzz or will fade into the hall of 'what could have been had they been given more chances.'

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NegativeRoleJul 26, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Wide receiver Jalen Royals is competing for the No. 4 receiver spot alongside Cyrus Allen and Nikko Remigio. Unlike Allen, who is getting three days as Mahomes' top target while the main core of receivers is absent from camp, Royals is waiting and potentially getting lost in the mix once full-team practice begins.

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NegativeDepth ChartJul 26, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Wide receiver Jalen Royals is one of three competitors for the No. 4 receiver spot alongside Nikko Remigio and Cyrus Allen. Unlike Allen, who is getting three days as Mahomes' top target while the main core of receivers is absent, Royals is waiting and potentially at risk of getting lost in the mix once full-team practice begins.

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NegativeRoleJul 26, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Wide receiver Jalen Royals is competing for the No. 4 receiver spot against Cyrus Allen and Nikko Remigio. Unlike Allen, who is getting three days as Mahomes' top target this weekend, Royals is waiting and potentially could get lost in the mix once full-team practice begins.

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NegativeRoleJul 26, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Wide receiver Jalen Royals is competing with Nikko Remigio and Cyrus Allen for the No. 4 receiver spot; only one of them is getting three days as Mahomes' top target while the other two wait, potentially getting lost in the mix once full-team practice begins.

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PositiveRoleJul 24, 2026Davis Mattek

Davis Mattek characterizes Jaylen Royals as 'probably a better player' than Tae'quan Thornton, noting that Royals 'can run a greater amount of routes, probably has stronger hands, probably is going to be better in Yak.' This suggests Royals has more versatility, better hands, and greater upside in the passing game than Thornton's specialized complementary role.

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PositiveSleeperJul 23, 2026Arrowhead Pride

Yahoo! Sports designates Royals as a 2026 sleeper for the Chiefs; the fourth-round rookie did essentially nothing in 2025, not seeing a target until Week 18 when he recorded 2 receptions for 4 yards on 3 targets. With Kansas City's top pass catchers aging (Kelce turning 37), facing off-field concerns (Rice), or underperforming (Xavier Worthy: 1 TD, 532 yards as borderline WR1), Royals is positioned as a potential breakout candidate if Mahomes returns healthy and the team needs secondary receiving options to step up.

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PositiveRoleJul 22, 2026Arrowhead Pride

Rookie candidate for return specialist job with opportunity to compete after returning from serious foot injury. 2024 NCAA return stats: 9 kick returns for 189 yards. Had one kick return for Chiefs in 2025 that went 30 yards; limited playing time last season may have been injury-related, but the door is open for him to fight for the return man job.

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PositiveProjectionJul 17, 2026PlayerProfiler Fantasy Football Podcast Network

With Chad O'Shea as the new wide receivers coach, Royals will have the opportunity to reach his full potential as a receiver, marking the first window where Chiefs receivers can achieve their ceiling.

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PositiveRoleJul 17, 2026PlayerProfiler Fantasy Football Podcast Network

Royals is viewed as the heir apparent to Rice in the Chiefs offense, best suited for red zone work and crossing routes over the middle, with potential to thrive on slants and dig routes if he can develop those skills.

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PositiveBreakoutJun 8, 2026Matt Waldman

Royals had better hands than Rashee Rice on similar looks and is a skilled player after the catch, positioning him well to fill Rice's role.

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PositiveRoleJun 8, 2026Matt Waldman

Royals is a viable replacement for Rasheed Rice with the additional first-team reps he's receiving; he had better hands than Rice coming out of school and is a skilled player after the catch.

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PositiveRoleJun 5, 2026PlayerProfiler Fantasy Football Podcast Network

Jalen Royals was selected in the fourth round as a skillset match and potential replacement for Rasheed Rice; he's viewed as the preferred option between the Chiefs' backend receivers.

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NegativeBustDec 11, 2025Legendary Upside

The source liked Jaylen Royals as a home-run swing pick in the Chiefs passing game, betting on him to step into a role without injury given concerns about Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and Travis Kelce's decline; however, the pick did not work out. Royals has a 14% advance rate, which is below expectations for a player drafted with late-season emergence potential. The source notes that speculative late-round archetypes like Royals are more likely to produce zeros, which can prevent team advancement even if one hits, suggesting limiting exposure to multiple high-variance players on the same team.

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NegativeBustNo dateDavis Mattek

Jaylen Royals couldn't even get on the field in year one for the Kansas City Chiefs; despite the Chiefs' thin wide receiver group, his lack of early playing time suggests limited fantasy upside.

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PositiveSleeperNo dateYahoo Sports NFL

Yahoo Sports identifies Royals as a sleeper pick for the 2026 Chiefs. The reasoning: Kansas City's top three pass catchers are Travis Kelce (turning 37), Rashee Rice (off-field concerns), and Xavier Worthy (532 yards, 1 TD despite WR1 usage in 2025). After those three, the next options are Tyquan Thornton, fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen, backup tight end Noah Gray, and Royals. The team lacks pass-catching depth, and if Patrick Mahomes returns healthy, someone must step up, especially if Kelce declines or Rice faces further issues. Royals did nothing as a fourth-round rookie in 2025, not seeing a target until Week 18 (2 receptions for 4 yards on 3 targets).

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PositiveSleeperNo dateYahoo Sports NFL

Yahoo Sports identifies Royals as a sleeper pick for the 2026 Chiefs. The team's pass-catching depth is thin behind Travis Kelce (turning 37), Rashee Rice (off-field concerns), and Xavier Worthy (532 yards, 1 TD in 2025 despite WR1 usage). Royals, a fourth-round rookie in 2025, saw minimal action (2 receptions, 4 yards on 3 targets in Week 18) but has opportunity to step up if Mahomes returns healthy and the team needs production from secondary receivers.

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PositiveSleeperNo dateYahoo Sports NFL

Yahoo Sports identifies Royals as a sleeper pick for the 2026 Chiefs. The reasoning: Kansas City's top three pass catchers are Travis Kelce (turning 37), Rashee Rice (off-field concerns), and Xavier Worthy (only 1 TD, 532 yards despite WR1 usage in 2025). After those three, the next options are Tyquan Thornton, Cyrus Allen, Noah Gray, and Royals. The team lacks depth at receiver, and if Patrick Mahomes returns healthy, someone must step up—especially if Kelce declines or Rice faces further issues. Royals, a fourth-round rookie in 2025, did nothing as a rookie, not seeing a target until Week 18 (2 receptions for 4 yards on 3 targets).

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PositiveSleeperNo dateYahoo Sports NFL

Yahoo Sports identifies Royals as a sleeper wide receiver for the 2026 Kansas City Chiefs. The reasoning: Kansas City's top three pass catchers are Travis Kelce (turning 37 in October), Rashee Rice (one touchdown and 532 yards last year despite borderline WR1 usage), and Xavier Worthy; after those three, the next options are Tyquan Thornton, fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen, backup tight end Noah Gray, and Royals. The team is not flush with pass-catching options, and if Patrick Mahomes returns healthy, someone will have to step up, especially if Kelce declines or Rice faces off-field issues. Royals did essentially nothing as a fourth-round rookie in 2025, not seeing a target until Week 18 when he had 2 receptions for 4 yards on 3 targets.

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PositiveSleeperNo dateYahoo Sports NFL

Yahoo Sports identifies Royals as a sleeper pick for the 2026 Chiefs. The reasoning: Kansas City's top three pass catchers are Travis Kelce (turning 37 in October), Rashee Rice (one off-field misstep away from being out of football), and Xavier Worthy (only 532 yards and one touchdown despite playing as borderline WR1 much of 2025). After those three, the next options are Tyquan Thornton, fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen, backup tight end Noah Gray, and Royals. The team is not flush with pass-catching options, and if Patrick Mahomes returns healthy, someone will have to step up, especially if Kelce declines or Rice faces off-field issues. Royals did essentially nothing as a fourth-round rookie in 2025, not seeing a target until Week 18 when he had 2 receptions for 4 yards on 3 targets.

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PositiveSleeperNo dateYahoo Sports NFL

Fourth-round rookie who saw minimal action in 2025 (2 receptions, 4 yards, 3 targets in Week 18) but has college pedigree with 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns at Utah State in 2023 and 834 yards and 6 scores in seven games in 2024. Has the makeup to develop as a power slot receiver; if he develops like Parker Washington or Jauan Jennings in recent years, it could happen in 2026. Kansas City's pass-catching room is thin behind Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy, creating opportunity for Royals to step up if Patrick Mahomes returns healthy. Recommended as a late-round deep-league play.

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