The Kansas City Chiefs are fighting for their playoff lives and they could use some reinforcements to make sure their season doesn’t go down the drain. While the Chiefs have pulled multiple levers including the return of Rashee Rice, Kansas City hasn’t been able to find its stride, putting its 11th straight playoff appearance in jeopardy.

While the Chiefs have almost tried everything, they haven’t been able to incorporate rookie Jalen Royals into their offense. The fourth-round pick in April’s draft is still looking for his first career reception despite some early momentum during training camp and the Chiefs sent more concerning signals regarding his progress when they made him a healthy scratch for the Week 12 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.

Jalen Royals’s Vanishing Act Becomes Red Flag for Chiefs’ Offense

Royals’ latest missed game comes as he was not listed on the team’s injury report this week. The rookie hasn’t played in a game since Oct. 19 and there could be a couple of reasons why he’s not seeing the field.

While Royals wasn’t on the injury report, it could be that his previous ailments have affected his acclimation to the NFL. Royals missed the second half of his final season at Utah State with a foot injury and suffered knee tendinitis during the preseason. Although he’s recovered enough to practice in full, it could have robbed him of valuable reps needed to supplement his progress, leaving him behind as the calendar nears December.

Whether it’s a lingering injury that’s going unreported or a gap in his development, it’s a missed opportunity for Royals. During training camp, Andy Reid spoke highly of Royals before his injury with Reid pointing out that “the quarterbacks trust him.” Rashee Rice also declared that Royals “is going to be a dog” in his rookie year and there seemed to be an opportunity in the receiver room as Rice missed the first six games due to suspension.

While Rice has returned, the rest of the Chiefs’ receiving corps has been underwhelming. This showed up on Sunday against the Colts when Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton combined for two catches for 18 yards.

With the Chiefs receivers underperforming, it’s shocking to see Royals not able to find his way onto the field. The weeks in the regular season are dwindling, and the rookie’s first campaign is at risk of going down as a true bust if he doesn’t get an opportunity down the stretch.