The Kansas City Chiefs' draft pick of Jalen Royals in April had the whole fanbase excited.
And then... Crickets.
Royals, in a season hampered in part by injuries, will end his rookie campaign without a single target.
He had 0 targets for 0 yards. Https://t.co/YTO08nWTrS
— Julio (@RasheeTouchdown) December 29, 2025
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A lot went wrong this season for the Chiefs. But not finding a way to use Royals is part of the list for sure.
It leaves a big question mark heading to next year, too. Can the Chiefs rely on Royals stepping up? Or was this an error?
Royals was a fourth-round pick out of Utah State.
In 2023, he had seven touchdowns of at least 50 yards. His 2024 had some injury issues, but he still shone when he was on the field.
His 40-yard dash was 4.42 seconds.
On the ESPN broadcast of the draft, their expert Matt Miller said, "(Patrick) Mahomes is going to love this guy."
We didn't get to find out, at least not yet.
And Mahomes will likely miss the start of the 2026 season with his torn ACL. The Royals supporters may have to wait a bit longer to see what happens with the speedy wideout.
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