Second-year wide receiver Rashee Rice has yet to receive official word from the NFL regarding disciplinary action after pleading guilty to two third-degree felonies tied to a March 2024 high-speed crash in Dallas.
Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail (to be served during his five-year probation) and reimbursed victims’ medical bills; league spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed the matter “remains under review.”
Although no specifics have been released, multiple reports project a multi-game suspension, perhaps five to seven contests, coming before the Chiefs’ regular-season opener.
With Rice likely to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming NFL season, one potential replacement has already emerged in Chiefs training camp: Jalen Royals.
On Sunday, Chiefs opened full-pads practice at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, where backup quarterback Gardner Minshew uncorked a loose spiral that found the rookie wide receiver.
The Chiefs immediately reshared the clip on X with the caption, “St. Joe looks good on @RoyalsJalen 👑.”
The post immediately ignited fan chatter about Royals.
“Next up!! Don’t sleep on this dude,” one user said.
“Best receiver on the chiefs 🐐🐐🐐🐐,” another fan replied.
“Natural 🏈,” one other user responded.
“Our guy 💙💙🫶🏻🫶🏻 #goaggies,” said another fan.
“Jalen Royals could be a major steal. It’s baffling how he fell to the 4th round,” one other user commented.
“Just give him the ROTY trophy now,” another fan replied.
Royals’ College Achievements and NFL Measurables
Royals arrives in Kansas City off a standout career at Utah State, where he developed into a three-level threat.
In his second season with the Aggies in 2023, Royals hauled in 71 receptions for 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns; in the injury-shortened 2024 campaign, he still produced 834 yards and six scores over seven games.
At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Royals posted a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and a total Next Gen score of 82, which ranked 6th among all wide receivers.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein pegged Royals as a second or third round draft selection, calling him “skilled and instinctive.”
Draft-Day Fit: A “Rice Lite” Comparison
The Chiefs selected Royals with the 133rd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, recognizing traits that mirror their rising star, Rice.
Royals combines big, reliable hands and after-the-catch power, qualities Director of Player Personnel Ryne Nutt likened to Rice, alongside pro-quality speed and a stout lower body.
“His game is very similar to Rashee’s… (Run after the catch) is a big part of our offense. That’s something we look for in receivers. We look for speed… We look for strength, and he has that… So we kind of thought they were similar in that respect,” Nutt said.
Early Camp Performance and Coaching Praise
Royals has quickly earned looks with the first-team offense throughout training camp and has posted several impressive grabs during team periods.
Head coach Andy Reid noted Royals’s play-book retention: “We load him up with plays early, and he’s been able to retain a lot of the things…the newer stuff we introduced now. That’s a good sign.”
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy echoed those sentiments, highlighting Royals’s ability to absorb complex material and minimize mental errors, attributes that bode well for a rookie adapting to Reid’s system.
With Rice likely to miss significant time, Royals emerges as the logical next man up.
The Chiefs’ depth chart already features Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Xavier Worthy and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster, but the fourth-round rookie’s resemblance to Rice in skill set positions him to bridge the gap.
