The Kansas City Chiefs had all of their receivers on the field with QB Patrick Mahomes for the first time this summer.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been dealing with some crucial injuries at wide receiver in training camp, but the latest camp report from Nate Taylor of ESPN had quarterback Patrick Mahomes working with a full complement of receivers for the first time this summer.
The cast of characters included Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton, with rookie Cyrus Allen continuing to get in on the action.
The presence of Rice and Worthy is especially noteworthy. The Chiefs have been ramping up Rice slowly, and he was a full participant in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 reps. He caught a six-yard touchdown from Mahomes against tight coverage from cornerback Nohl Williams in the 7-on-7 drills, according to Taylor.
Worthy’s situation is a little more complicated. He missed last week’s practices due to a right shoulder strain, and that’s the same shoulder he injured last year in the opening game after colliding with tight end Travis Kelce.
He was on the field, but Worthy didn’t participate in either the 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 reps. He could be a full participant later this week, per Taylor, as the Chiefs continue to prepare for their preseason opener on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
Allen is back after suffering a shin bruise last week that initially looked serious, and he improvised to catch an 11-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes in the 7-on-7 red-zone drill as he slipped behind linebacker Nick Bolton, the writer added. It’s starting to look like he’ll get a full test in the preseason games, although Mahomes won’t be throwing in any of those based on the reports to date.
Mahomes also had several reps that included the combination of Rice, Thornton and Allen, along with tight end Travis Kelce and new running back Kenneth Walker III, which is an important development.
We won’t get to see this combination on the field until the Chiefs opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, and while there is some risk in that, the injury situation with Mahomes, Rice and Worthy dictates that it’s the prudent option.
The Chiefs are also taking a risk by not signing another receiver, with the biggest target, Stefon Diggs, signing a deal with the Washington Commanders. It’s an interesting decision given how thin the Chiefs are at receiver, and it will be interesting to see if it comes back to bite the Chiefs as they try to recover from last year’s 6-11 campaign.
