The 2025 Kansas City Chiefs rookie class had some standout moments amid a down season. Some players were affected by injuries that stalled their development, but the coaching staff remained optimistic about a bright future.

Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals had plenty of fanfare after being selected with the 133rd pick in the fourth round of last year’s draft. An early preseason knee injury delayed his start to the season; he wasn’t active until Week 3 against the New York Giants, but he didn’t play.

“Well, Jalen (Royals) just came back, so I had him there as kind of an emergency, just in case we absolutely needed him. His first week of practice in a month was last week, and he’s a rookie and so on,” said head coach Andy Reid during his press conference after Week 3, “So, this was really his first game of suiting up, and you can figure out the rest of it. He’ll continue to work in there. It’s great to have him back.”

The former Utah State star had his first NFL reception during the Week 18 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He finished the game with two catches for four yards on three targets.

The Chiefs’ wide receivers were mainly veterans on the depth chart, but that could change with expected departures this offseason. Royals, if he can continue to develop during the offseason, is a prime candidate to carve out a new role for next year.