Kansas City Chiefs OTAs: A big surprise in the wide receiver pecking order and three more notable takeaways from practice
Organized team activities are officially underway for the Kansas City Chiefs, and media members got their first look at practice on Thursday. As the team begins its march toward Super Bowl LX, the players have some work to put their Super Bowl LIX loss behind them and turn a new page. They'll begin to lay […]
Organized team activities are officially underway for the Kansas City Chiefs, and media members got their first look at practice on Thursday.
As the team begins its march toward Super Bowl LX, the players have some work to put their Super Bowl LIX loss behind them and turn a new page. They'll begin to lay the foundation for the 2025 NFL season during voluntary OTA workouts, followed by mandatory minicamp, leading into training camp in late July and August.
Shout-out to our pals Darren Smith, Steve Walls, Harold Kuntz, and others for snapping some video from practice. There's not much we can truly glean until the pads come on in training camp, but here are some of the most notable takeaways from today's practice session.
A surprise in the wide receiver pecking order
Unsurprisingly, WR Xavier Worthy was first in line to get work in the wide receiver drills. He earned that after a tremendous rookie campaign and an admirable performance in Super Bowl LIX. Next up came a veteran in JuJu Smith-Schuster (when he wasn't otherwise occupied), then either Skyy Moore or Nikko Remigio. It's good to see Remigio taking advantage after struggling to find wide receiver snaps last offseason and having to earn his keep as a return specialist.
The biggest surprise in the pecking order came at the fifth spot in the wide receiver order of individual work. Former Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, who joined the team on the practice squad a season ago, got repetitions ahead of the Chiefs' fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Jalen Royals. Both Patrick Mahomes and Xavier Worthy mentioned Thornton's speed during their Thursday press conferences.
Remember that Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice were not spotted at practice, so things will look different when they're around. These voluntary workouts mean guys will come and go according to their schedules. Still, it's notable to see Thornton get work ahead of a guy like Royals. That could certainly change down the line as players get more reps under their belt.
Skyy Moore looks a little bit different in 2025
Radio host and NFL reporter Darren Smith took a snapshot of fourth-year WR Skyy Moore, who is fighting for his job this offseason. Moore looked a bit thicker given that the team isn't yet wearing pads at practice, with a build more reminiscent of a running back than a receiver.
The other, more concerning observation with Moore is that there's already a wrap around his left calf. He can't afford another injury that costs him time and opportunities if he's to make the team.
Chiefs' Nohl Williams is contributing in a way no other defensive player is
In the scenes captured by reporters when practice began, only one white jersey was seen in the return specialist line. That jersey belonged to rookie CB Nohl Williams, who is looking to carve out a role that might not include being a starter at cornerback in his first year as a professional.
Williams returned kicks in college at Cal, and if he can earn a role doing the same in Kansas City, it will certainly make him a more valuable player in Year 1.
OTAs absences are mostly due to illness, according to Chiefs HC Andy Reid
Reid prefaced his presser by noting that a few guys were asked to stay home this week due to illness. The team didn't want anyone getting anyone else sick at practice or in meetings. He confirmed that WR Rashee Rice was one of those players. While Rice's and Brown's absences were the most notable, some other key players were at practice but not participating due to injury.
Second-year TE Jared Wiley, who tore his ACL during practice in November, was spotted on the sidelines but not participating in practice. Additionally, new CB Kristian Fulton, who signed with the team in free agency, wasn't participating in individual work, but he did have his helmet on and was closely observing drills.
First-round rookie Josh Simmons, who is recovering from a patella tendon injury suffered last season, was present for practice with the rest of the offensive line group. He participated in individual drills, but according to Coach Reid, he's not yet participating in 11-on-11, 7-on-7, or 9-on-7 team drills.
While Andy Reid didn't expect Simmons' full participation until training camp, he did anticipate the rookie being able to get some work done during OTAs. That would track with what we've seen. Reid did provide a glimpse of hope that he could get some team drills in before Phase 3 of the offseason workout program ends, but they clearly won't push it.
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