
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid makes a detailed evaluation of rookie WR Jalen Royals
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid makes a detailed evaluation of rookie WR Jalen Royals
During his press conference on Thursday, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave his assessment of rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals.
'Yeah, he (Jalen Royals) looks like he's a sharp kid. He works hard, he's strong – a little bit like Rashee (Rice) in that way. Probably like Rashee (in more) than one (way),' said Reid, 'He's got a little bit more beef to him, (a) thick lower body, but again, (he's) strong, and he picks stuff up – he doesn't say a whole lot. (He's) very, very quiet, but he picks things up and does a nice job with it.'
Since being drafted by the Chiefs, Royals has consistently heard the Rashee Rice comparisons. He was recently featured in the NFLPA Rookie Premiere event as one of the players to watch heading into the 2025 season.
During his final college season, Royals was named second-team All-Mountain West. He led Utah State with 55 receptions, 834 receiving yards, and tallied six touchdowns while starting seven games.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chiefs' Travis Kelce Mom Lands Major Spot On Reality TV Show
Chiefs' Travis Kelce Mom Lands Major Spot On Reality TV Show originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has taken much of the family spotlight this offseason. His relationship with pop music princess Taylor Swift continues to capture the hearts of the many while the build-up to his farewell tour increases by the day. Kelce will retire from the NFL after this season. He, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom hope to pull out one more run to the Super Bowl. When that time ultimately comes for him to move on from the game, don't expect the Kelce family to go away from the public eye. Travis and his brother, Jason, co-host the "New Heights" podcast which has been quite successful. Even the family's matriarch Donna Kelce has found her way into the spotlight. In fact, she had a major announcement this week that will be sure to provide more Kelce content. Both Donna and Jason will participate in season four of the reality TV series "The Traitors." She made her announcement official with a post on Instagram captioned, "Sundays were just the beginning. I raised the two playmakers, but now it's mamas turn." The show will begin streaming on Peacock and has begun filming in Scotland. Donna and Jason will be joined by a number of reality TV stars from other programs along with a group of celebrities including Michael Rapoport and Tara Lipinksi. "The Traitors" splits contestants up into two categories of "Faithfuls" and "Traitors." The cast must decipher which among them are the "Traitors," picking a player each night to "murder." While Donna and Jason embark on this exciting new venture, Travis remains at home preparing for his final season. The next step on that journey comes next week when the Chiefs get started with their mandatory minicamp on June 17. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Broncos May Be In Strongest Division In NFL
Broncos May Be In Strongest Division In NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A division that has been dominated by one team, the AFC West, may be the most competitive division in the NFL this season. The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West since 2016 and dominated the division for the last decade. This seems like it will possibly come to an end, as all the other teams have finally made pushes to be able to contend. Advertisement The Los Angeles Chargers made it to the playoffs last season and have looked like they are moving in the right direction with their second-year head coach, Jim Harbaugh. They also have had one of the most talented QBs in the league in Justin Herbert, and they have worked the past few seasons to get him weapons like Ladd McConkey, Omarion Hampton, Mike Williams, and Tre Harris. With a full year under Harbaugh down, this seems like the best Chargers team since Philip Rivers was the quarterback. They have also done a good job of beefing up Herbert's protection and solidifying the defense. The Chiefs are 8-2 against the Chargers in their last ten games, but the Chargers are in a great position to start to turn that around. What will most likely be the worst team in the division may be better than people think. The Las Vegas Raiders have been making a lot of moves this offseason that already have them looking twice as good as last year on paper. They brought in Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll, and he has brought in a lot of talent. The Raiders traded for Geno Smith, whom Carroll coached in Seattle. They also drafted star running back Ashton Jeanty and wide receiver Jack Bech in the draft. This is to go along with Jakobi Meyers, who may be the most underrated receiver in the NFL, and Brock Bowers, who was one of the best offensive rookies in the league last year. Advertisement Defensively, they still have Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, and they brought in players like safety Jeremy Chinn and Devin White during the offseason. The Raiders, who are normally immediately counted out of the division, have a new life with their new head coach, quarterback, and playmakers. The Chargers and Raiders have a good chance of being able to compete with the Chiefs, but the team that has the best chance of being a threat to the Chiefs in the AFC West is the team that came in third last year. The Denver Broncos' 10-7 record was half a game behind the Chargers and five games behind the Chiefs. Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller (40) rushes towards Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and misses tackling him during the second half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Broncos were still able to make the playoffs in quarterback Bo Nix's first season. Now the Broncos have only gotten better, and they are going to pose a big threat to the Chiefs next season. Advertisement The Broncos are set to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL next season, they have Bo Nix with a year of experience, and they are still led by offensive guru Sean Payton. They went into the offseason needing some weapons and some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, and that is exactly what they did. Offensively, the Broncos drafted RJ Harvey to be the team's new starting running back, drafted Pat Bryant, and signed Trent Sherfield Sr. to give Nix some receiving help. They also brought in Evan Engram to give Nix and Payton the tight end production that they were missing last season. Defensively, the Broncos spent their first-round pick on bringing in Jahdae Barron, they signed Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, they re-signed DJ Jones, and they drafted Sai'vion Jones. These new additions, paired with playmakers they already have like Pat Surtain, Zach Allen, and Brandon Jones, are going to make an already good Broncos defense great. The Broncos went 3-3 in their division last season, splitting with the Chiefs and beating the Raiders twice. This season, they need to continue to give the Chiefs problems, dominate the Raiders, and they need to bounce back from getting swept by the Chargers last season. This is easier said than done, but with the young talent and the direction the Broncos seem to be moving, they should be predicted to be at least the second-best team in their division. Advertisement The Broncos made a lot of additions this season to the roster and the staff that will help them with their progression. The surprising play of Nix has accelerated their rebuild and put them in a position where they could be contenders this season. To do that, they are going to have to try to win the division, and if they can win the most competitive division in the NFL, they should have the utmost confidence come playoff time. Related: Broncos Staff Hire Named Most Underrated Move of Offseason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Broncos Predicted to Challenge Chiefs After Offseason Moves
Broncos Predicted to Challenge Chiefs After Offseason Moves originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens have dominated the AFC for the past few years. You will almost always see these teams in the playoffs, the AFC Championship, or the Super Bowl, in the Chiefs' case. These teams are still going to be prominent in the league, but the question is, who is going to challenge them and try to claim a spot at the top? Advertisement That is a question that Jeffri Chadiha of asked in one of his recent articles. His answer was clear and calculated; he believes that the Denver Broncos pose the biggest threat to the top teams of the AFC this season. He said the biggest difference maker between them and teams like the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers is their outstanding defense. He mentions that the Broncos' defense was one of the best in the league last year, ranking first in sacks and third in points allowed. He then goes on to explain how Denver has maybe the best defensive line trio in the league of Zach Allen, Jonathan Cooper, and Nick Bonitto, and they had an outstanding cornerback duo of defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss. All those players are returning, and he mentions that they made a lot of additions to the defense as well. They added linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, and drafted Jahdae Barron with their first-round pick. This is going to make an already talented unit even scarier, and Chadiha even said that this group has the potential to be the best defense in the league. The identity for the Broncos may be their defense, but he also mentions how important the improvement of the offense is going to be. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Joshua Uche (55) as guard Quinn Meinerz (77) defends against defensive end Malik Herring (94) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile J. Downing-Imagn Images He first mentions how important Bo Nix is in his second season, with a year in Sean Payton's offense is going to be. He already had an impressive rookie season, and he should only get better this year. It mostly has to do with the hard work he has been putting in, but it also is because of the weapons Denver has brought in as well. Advertisement The Broncos finally added a receiving threat in the tight end room by signing Evan Engram. This is a massive upgrade from the tight end unit last season. They also signed J.K. Dobbins recently, and they drafted RJ Harvey in the second round of the draft. They also drafted wide receiver Pat Bryant out of Illinois in the third round, and they signed Trent Sherfield Sr. to add some receiving help to the team as well. Bo Nix will be loaded with a lot more weapons to work with than last year, and hopefully, a lot stronger run game. It was mentioned that Chadiha's only concern was that the Broncos brought in a lot of players with injury histories. However, they are all talented, and if they can stay healthy, this is going to be a team no one wants to see in the playoffs. The Broncos kick off their season against the Tennessee Titans on September 7th, and that will be their first chance to show that they are ready to compete for the Super Bowl this season. Until then, they will have to make sure they have a great training camp and preseason to prepare for this year. If all goes well, they could be looking to make their first AFC Championship appearance since 2016. Related: Trade Idea Lands Broncos 5x 1,000-Yard Receiver This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.