The Kansas City Chiefs have built a dynasty around Patrick Mahomes, but their wide receiver room continues to be the elephant in the room. After losing Tyreek Hill in 2022, Kansas City has never truly replaced his game-breaking ability on the outside, and the numbers from last season make that gap impossible to ignore.
Rashee Rice, the team’s presumed No. 1 receiver, missed the first six games of 2025 due to an NFL suspension stemming from his criminal conviction in the Dallas hit-and-run case. He returned to finish the year with 53 receptions for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns across just 8 games, ranking 26th among qualified wide receivers by PFF grade.
According to ESPN’s receiver scores, the Chiefs’ pass catchers graded out near the bottom of the league. Rice scored just a 49 out of 100, Tyquan Thornton posted a 36, and Xavier Worthy landed at a concerning 25.
Chiefs Wide Receiver Room Raises Serious 2026 Concerns
The depth behind the top three offers little comfort. Jalen Royals, a 2025 fourth-round pick, managed just two catches for 4 yards in his entire rookie campaign. Return specialist Nikko Remigio and fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen round out the group, but neither projects as a genuine contributor in the passing game.
Kansas City has been hampered offensively by a lack of receivers who can consistently win in isolated situations, and with no major investment in the position at the 2026 NFL Draft barring a fifth round pick, Kansas City must find an upgrade before the start of the season.
Without a veteran free agent addition like Stefon Diggs or a reunion with Tyreek Hill, Mahomes will again be asked to manufacture production from a group that, by every advanced metric, was not up to NFL standards last season.
