<\/p>\n
Rashee Rice\u2019s misstep is a major opportunity for Jalen Royals and virtually every other receiver on the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 90-man offseason roster. Rice will miss OTAs and the team\u2019s mandatory minicamp.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice\u2019s misstep could open up some opportunities for others on the 90-man offseason roster. <\/p>\n Rice will miss the Chiefs\u2019 voluntary OTAs<\/a> (May 26-28 and June 1-3) and mandatory minicamp (June 9-11) after violating the conditions of his parole<\/a>. With Rice set to serve 30 days in jail, other receivers will see an opportunity on the practice field. <\/p>\n No live contact or padded practices will be allowed, but 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills are fair game during this portion of the offseason workout program. Andy Reid often refers to them as \u201cpassing camps\u201d because quarterbacks and wide receivers have the most to gain. <\/p>\n The Chiefs have 13 wide receivers on the 90-man offseason roster, including Rashee Rice. Here are the other 12 players at the position:<\/p>\n It\u2019s still unclear if Patrick Mahomes will be able to participate<\/a> in OTAs, but several receivers could see extra opportunities to impress with Rice not participating.<\/p>\n Many felt that the Royals\u2019 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was insurance of sorts in the event of a Rashee Rice suspension. The problem with that is that knee tendinitis sidelined Royals for the majority of training camp, which even lingered into the 2025 NFL season. He appeared in just seven games with two starts, recording three receptions on two targets for four yards. He also had a single kick return for 30 yards. Matt Nagy described Royals as a fast learner<\/a>, but he didn\u2019t seem to pick up the system in a meaningful way last year. With Rice out, he\u2019ll have a chance to make up for some of those lost reps last season and prove that he can be a contributor in 2026. <\/p>\n Brownlee made the Chiefs\u2019 53-man roster in 2025 after the NFL suspended Rice for the first six games of the 2026 NFL season. To say that was the sole reason Brownlee made it would discredit standout performances at OTAs, mandatory minicamp, training camp, and the preseason. However, without that roster spot freed by Rice being on the reserve\/suspended list, I\u2019m not sure he would\u2019ve made it. He didn\u2019t do much with that opportunity, with one target and no receptions in 6 games. Brownlee also faces a lot more competition now than he did a season ago. That doesn\u2019t mean he can\u2019t overcome it, but he already knows exactly what he needs to do to become valuable to the team.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a recent trend of Chiefs rookie receivers not getting a full workload because of Andy Reid\u2019s complex scheme. Allen has a chance to buck that trend, and his opportunity to do so could start in OTAs and mandatory minicamp. The 5-foot-11 and 180-pound receiver already caught some impressive passes across the middle of the field at rookie minicamp. With the No. 6 overall pick, Mansoor Delane, in coverage at that. I won\u2019t be surprised to see him get some first-team reps early on with Rice not out there. He\u2019s not exactly a 1-to-1 fit for the role. I just think it\u2019s an opportunity for the team to really see what he can do against higher-level competition.<\/p>\n Jeff Caldwell already has a fan club<\/a> (myself included), but Evans might be a better fit to take advantage of Rice\u2019s absence from a physique and skill set standpoint. First of all, he\u2019s just under 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds. That\u2019s a few inches and nine pounds short of what Rice is listed at for Kansas City. As far as the skill set goes, Evans is faster than Rice with 4.28s speed. He\u2019s played more outside receiver than he has played slot receiver in college. However, he still has 225 snaps in the slot. Rice has dominated the \u201cpower slot\u201d role in the NFL, using his size, speed, and physicality to become an elite yards-after-catch receiver. Evans feels like someone who could slot in nicely there.<\/p>\n A few other players will be bumped up the depth chart with Rice absent. As a result, Holiday will have a chance to further prove himself on both offense and special teams. He\u2019s already defied the odds in Kansas City<\/a>, making the 90-man offseason roster in 2025 after a tryout at rookie minicamp. He didn\u2019t make the Chiefs\u2019 53-man roster last season, but he stuck on the practice squad virtually all year. When Holiday re-signed a reserve\/future deal with the team for 2026, it wasn\u2019t just as a placeholder. He didn\u2019t get bumped for UDFAs or free agents. The team has kept him on the 90-man roster for a reason. Part of that is because he\u2019s a fine special teams player. Holiday also had a 50-yard reception in the Week 3 preseason game against the Chicago Bears. It\u2019s also worth noting that he\u2019s listed at 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds. Rice is 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWide Receivers Currently On The Chiefs\u2019 90-Man Roster<\/h3>\n
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Chiefs second-year WR Jalen Royals can prove that 2025 was an aberration <\/h2>\n
Jason Brownlee has already been the beneficiary of Chiefs WR Rashee Rice\u2019s off-field transgressions<\/h2>\n
Chiefs rookie Cyrus Allen can prove a common Andy Reid myth wrong<\/h2>\n
Omari Evans is the UDFA sleeper to know for the Chiefs <\/h2>\n
Jimmy Holiday might be the Chiefs receiver with the most to gain <\/h2>\n