{"id":26113,"date":"2025-06-18T02:51:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T02:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=26113"},"modified":"2025-06-18T02:51:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T02:51:35","slug":"chiefs-wr-makes-strong-minicamp-statement-amid-deep-roster-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=26113","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs WR Makes Strong Minicamp Statement Amid &#8216;Deep&#8217; Roster Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<div>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JuJu-Smith-Schuster3-e1750206841726.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JuJu-Smith-Schuster3-e1750206841726.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JuJu-Smith-Schuster3-e1750206841726.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JuJu-Smith-Schuster3-e1750206841726.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Chiefs WR Makes Strong Minicamp Statement Amid 'Deep' Roster Battle\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em>Getty Kansas City Chiefs veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster reminded everyone of what he can still do on day one of mandatory minicamp.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has done a really good job of making the wide receiver roster battle one of the deepest and most competitive each spring and summer, and this time it was veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster who reminded media and fans of this on day one of mandatory minicamp.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJuJu Smith-Schuster had a great day with several impressive catches,\u201d Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen noted after practice. One of which was sent out by the KC social media team on X.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Had to slow this one down for ya \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Pgjy7nH3gI\">pic.twitter.com\/Pgjy7nH3gI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Chiefs\/status\/1935073306056552662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"cb4b25ad5bcac9139e6b9d8137f0b702\">\n<div>\n<article>Had to slow this one down for ya \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the highlight-reel clip, quarterback Patrick Mahomes finds Smith-Schuster in the back of the end zone between two closing defenders for a precise toe-tapping touchdown grab.<\/p>\n<p>But that wasn\u2019t all Smith-Schuster did to help solidify his roster claim on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the first play of 11-on-11, RB Isiah Pacheco lined out wide and beat CB Trent McDuffie down the right sideline, catching a pass that likely would have went for a touchdown,\u201d Arrowhead Pride\u2019s Pete Sweeney recalled after practice. Adding: \u201cWR JuJu Smith-Schuster fought off McDuffie to bring in a pass a few plays later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sweeney also shouted out Smith-Schuster\u2019s aforementioned toe-tap TD and an \u201cimpressive diving catch\u201d during 7-on-7s. All in all, the beat reporter tallied four Mahomes targets for the trusty vet pass-catcher during 11-on-11s, not to mention the 7-on-7s highlights.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, all this factored into Sweeney pointing out that \u201cthe back-end of the WR room is one of the more interesting deep battles heading to summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>JuJu Smith-Schuster Is Still Likely to Secure a Roster Spot Despite Chiefs\u2019 Logjam at Wide Receiver<\/h2>\n<p>Smith-Schuster didn\u2019t speak at the podium on June 17 or say anything publicly, but that didn\u2019t stop him from sending a very clear reminder. He\u2019s still got it, and unlike other wide receivers on this KC roster, the physical veteran\u2019s game gets even more useful once the pads come on.<\/p>\n<p>The Chiefs\u2019 coaching staff loves Smith-Schuster and what he brings to the table, as does Mahomes.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/9f1CiM4TvzuYFo2gM4uAzk_4308=\/1400x1050\/filters:format(jpeg)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/24135227\/1415268327.jpg\" alt=\"Chiefs-49ers: JuJu Smith-Schuster credits 'Call of Duty' for big day -  Arrowhead Pride\" \/><\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s an above-average run blocker, intelligent route runner, aware scheme fit, and he has built a dependable chemistry with his quarterback. All that adds up to Smith-Schuster making the 53-man roster, and if that\u2019s the case, things become even tougher for all those pushing for spots behind him.<\/p>\n<p>Barring injury, the combination of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Jalen Royals and Smith-Schuster makes a pretty likely top five. That leaves one or maybe two spots for everyone else.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Chiefs WRs Show Out at Mandatory Minicamp<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ksnt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/86\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1445018153.jpg?w=1280\" alt=\"JuJu Smith-Schuster re-signs with Kansas City Chiefs from Patriots\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Smith-Schuster may have been the best Chiefs wide receiver on June 17, but he wasn\u2019t the only one who made plays.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRashee Rice and [tight end] Travis Kelce each hauled in TDs during red zone drills,\u201d per McMullen, and \u201cWR Jason Brownlee made a great, leaping catch downfield during 11-on-11.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sweeney confirmed those plays, too, and he also alerted fans about an \u201coutstanding catch\u201d by popular camp hero Justyn Ross on an \u201cout-breaking route to the right sideline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later, Ross caught a touchdown from backup QB Gardner Minshew, per Sweeney, with his first catch coming via third-stringer Chris Oladokun. Undrafted rookie Elijhah Badger also got in on the fun with a \u201cone-handed grab from Oladokun just inside the front right pylon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although they were all quieter on day one of minicamp, Chiefs wide receivers Nikko Remigio, Tyquan Thornton, Skyy Moore and undrafted rookie Mac Dalena have all had their moments throughout OTAs as this camp competition begins to heat up.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kansas City Chiefs minicamp began on June 17 and veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster reportedly made &#8220;several impressive catches.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kansas-city-chiefs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Chiefs WR Makes Strong Minicamp Statement Amid &#039;Deep&#039; 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