New Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea is already making his presence felt during Day 1 of rookie minicamp
The Kansas City Chiefs’ new wide receivers coach, Chad O’Shea, was the star of Day 1 of rookie minicamp. Not only did he make his presence felt during drills, but several of his players stood out in practice.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ new wide receivers coach is already making his presence felt on the team, and it’s only Day 1 of rookie minicamp.
Chad O’Shea was one of the standouts during the portion of practice open to the media. It wasn’t just because he’s a newcomer to the Kansas City coaching staff; it was his vocal, animated coaching style that stood out. He’s no Eric Bieniemy, but he’s clearly not settling for anything less than greatness.
New Chiefs WRs coach Chad O’Shea’s Coaching History
This marks O’Shea’s second stint in Kansas City after getting his NFL start with the organization under Dick Vermeil.
- 2003: Chiefs assistant special teams coach
- 2004-2005: Chiefs assistant special teams coach and linebackers coach
- 2006-2008: Vikings offensive assistant
- 2009-2018: Patriots Wide Receivers coach
- 2019: Dolphins Offensive Coordinator
- 2020-2025: Browns Wide Receivers coach & passing game coordinator
New Chiefs WRs coach Chad O’Shea is a vocal presence on the practice field
O’Shea stood out during the portion of practice open to the media, being caught giving instructions to wide receivers as they ran through a drill. KC Star columnist Sam McDowell shared a video from minicamp practice on X (formerly Twitter), featuring some instruction from O’Shea to the wide receiver group.
“Eyes, I’ve got to see your eyes,” O’Shea said. “This should be a track meet to the pole and then under control. Right there. We came out of it, not under control. We shouldn’t be running through the line. We should be able to catch the ball and turn. Eyes up, coming off the ball.”
It was No. 6, USC WR Jaden Richardson, a rookie minicamp tryout, that O’Shea was referring to as “not under control.”
“We’re here to work,” O’Shea said. “We’re working right now, coming off the ball. Let’s go!”
Again, he’s not quite on Eric Bieniemy’s level, at least not yet. However, this does feel like an upgrade from the style the Chiefs had in Connor Embree. He’s not just coaching up the drill; he’s offering insight into key skills that translate from the drill to gameday.
“See the defense, looking through the defender,” O’Shea said. “Everything is off the go route. Ball key. See the ball. Hands available.”
Chiefs rookie wide receivers thrive on Day 1 of minicamp under Chad O’Shea
After seeing and hearing O’Shea’s instruction, it should come as no surprise that receivers were the big standouts of Day 1 of rookie minicamp. Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen reports that fifth-round draft pick Cyrus Allen, plus UDFAs Jeff Caldwell and Omari Evans, each had highlight plays during practice.
Evans caught multiple passes in 11-on-11 team drills, including a deep shot that he caught over the shoulder on the sideline. Allen had multiple catches as well, including a tight-window pass across the middle in 7-on-7 drills. Finally, Caldwell hauled in a deep pass in 7-on-7, also along the sidelines.
These practices still tend to favor offensive skill players in the passing game because no one is wearing pads, and they’re non-contact. Still, it’s good to see that the wide receivers are hitting the ground running with O’Shea. It should give fans plenty of confidence and excitement for what’s to come at OTAs and mandatory minicamp in the coming months.