A New Preseason Hero is Born in Kansas City

Posted August 19, 2025

The preseason used to be mundane. Before, you’d just check the paper to see if anything of note happened, hoped for no injuries, and moved on. With the trimmed schedule, staffs lean harder into August reps to sharpen live timing for September. Kansas City has no interest in drifting into the regular season with rust.

Naturally, when the starters hit the bench, down-roster players get to shine and make their roster cases. Last August, Chiefs fans latched onto a couple of fringe names who flashed in limited snaps. This year, it’s an undrafted rookie wideout turning heads at Arrowhead: Jalen Royals.

CHIEFS ROOKIE IS PUTTING ON A SHOW 🔥
TD grabs on back-to-back drives for the @Chiefs!

Jalen Royals Makes a Name for Himself as a Preseason Hero
Taking the Long Way

Nothing was easy for Royals. Coming out of high school without the star ratings or big offers, he bounced between low-profile programs, earning his snaps the slow way—special teams, scout-team grind, and late-night route work. The stat lines never told the full story, but the tape did: clean releases, late hands, and the kind of body control that makes back-shoulder throws look inevitable. He went undrafted in 2025, signed a camp deal with Kansas City, and walked into a crowded receiver room with nothing guaranteed but the chance to compete.

Showing Out on Monday Night

In the opener, Royals turned his only target into a chain-mover. Heading into the second preseason game, his name barely cracked 53-man projections. Then, he stole the show.

On Monday night, with the second and third units on the field, Royals found rhythm with the backup quarterback. In a 14–14 game, he snagged a 12-yard out on his first series. Next drive: a 23-yard conversion on a scramble drill, followed by a tough 4-yard snag through contact. To cap the march, Royals walled off the corner on a back-shoulder ball—his first touchdown of the preseason.

The defense flipped possession, and the Chiefs attacked immediately. First play: Royals high-pointed a fade at the back line, mossing the defender for his second score of the night. When the dust settled, the rookie finished with 5 receptions on 6 targets for 73 yards and 2 TDs—the kind of August tape that forces a meeting-room conversation.

Around the building, veterans praised the way he practices—on time, on detail, and unbothered by the depth chart. If preseason is a doorway, Royals is wedging his foot in it.