Chiefs leaning on veteran WR right off the bat in Week 1 as they find themselves already thinned out at the position
JuJu Smith-Schuster will play a big role early on.
The Chiefs have been thin at the wide receiver position for the past couple of years, and are already facing that same issue in 2025.
While speaking to the media on Friday, coach Andy Reid stated that it is unlikely that rookie WR Jalen Royals will be able to play in Kansas City’s Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers as he continues to recover from knee tendinitis (H/T Jesse Newell).
Chiefs coach Andy Reid says it doesn't look like WR Jalen Royals (knee) will be able to make it back for Week 1 vs. the Chargers.
— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) August 29, 2025
Royals also missed the Chiefs’ preseason finale with the injury. With the team having to travel 10 hours to São Paulo, Brazil, it definitely wouldn’t a great decision to have Royals make that trip. The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern.
However, with Rashee Rice set to miss the game (and the following five) due to suspension, that puts K.C. down two WRs right off the bat of the season. Fortunately, Hollywood Brown will be available, but there are concerns with him as well. Brown has a lengthy injury history, and has already missed the entire preseason with an ankle/foot injury.
Even with Brown in the mix, he plays a different role than Rice and Royals do. Enter JuJu Smith-Schuster, who general manager Brett Veach says has a similar skillset to Rice and Royals.
“JuJu and Royals are guys,” Veach said. “I think both of those guys have a similar skill-set. Obviously JuJu’s been here for a while, and JuJu, to his credit, I think he looked better with this camp than he did the last camp he was here. He’s really taking care of his body, so that’s a good thing because we’re getting JuJu fresh and at the beginning of the season.”
Smith-Schuster looked re-energized during training camp, and Reid recently called him the undisputed leader of the WR room. Reid echoed Veach’s sentiment about Smith-Schuster, and also noted that veteran WR has the trust of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“JuJu had a great camp, and he’s in the best shape he’s been in a long time,” Reid said. “He feels very good, and we have a lot of trust in him. But most of all, Patrick has a lot of trust in him. He (Smith-Schuster) can fill in that role for sure. Then you’ve got a healthy Hollywood that can play for you, and Ty (Tyquan Thornton) came out and had a good camp for us.”
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