The Chiefs currently have 13 wide receivers on the roster heading into training camp
Returning Players
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to kick off training camp in less than a month, and with the annual trek to St. Joseph nearly here, we’re examining every position group on the roster heading into camp.
We’ll continue with the wide receiver group, where the Chiefs currently employ 13 players. Let’s take a look at each, sorted alphabetically by returning players, veteran free agents, draft picks and rookie free agents.
A “Reserve/Future” signee last offseason, Brownlee was a standout throughout the training camp and preseason, ultimately earning a spot on the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster in August. He went on to appear in six games for Kansas City last season, logging 26 offensive snaps (without a catch) and 21 special teams’ snaps.
Before joining the Chiefs, the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Brownlee appeared in seven games for the New York Jets in 2023 after making the team as an undrafted free agent that summer. He caught five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in that time. Brownlee then spent the 2024 season on the Jets’ practice squad and did not appear in a game.
A great story from last summer, Holiday – who went undrafted – was one of three rookie tryout players who earned a contract with Kansas City at last year’s Rookie Minicamp.
He went on to catch three passes for 60 yards during the preseason, and while Holiday was waived as part of final roster cuts, he returned to the practice squad in mid-December and recorded one snap in the Chiefs’ season finale at Las Vegas.
Prior to joining the Chiefs, Holiday recorded 658 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns while at Louisiana Tech in 2024.
The Chiefs’ primary kick and punt returner in 2025, Remigio emerged from his humble beginnings as an undrafted free agent in 2023 to appear in 14 games last season.
He handled 25 punts (averaging 7.6 yards) and 29 kickoffs (averaging 25.6 yards) last year, ranking 14th in total return yards (932) across the NFL.
Prior to joining Kansas City, Remigio was a four-year contributor (largely as a return man) at the University of California before transferring to Fresno State for the 2022 campaign. He made the most of his fifth year, too, tallying career-bests in receptions (74), receiving yards (852) and receiving touchdowns (6). Remigio was also tied for the FBS lead with two punt return touchdowns.
Rice enters his fourth season in Kansas City after catching 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in eight games last season. Notably, from Week 7 through Week 15, Rice ranked in the top 10 in catches (5th) and receiving touchdowns (9th) among all pass-catchers.
The former second-round pick has appeared in just 12 games over the last two seasons after ranking second among all rookies in receiving yards in 2023, but when he’s been on the field, Rice has been Kansas City’s most productive wide receiver.
Now entering the 2026 campaign, he’ll have an opportunity to resume his duties as one of the Chiefs’ top receiving options.
A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Royals impressed throughout the offseason and training camp last year until a knee injury hindered his usage throughout the campaign.
He went on to catch just two passes in seven games as a rookie, but now healthy – and following another impressive offseason – Royals appears to be in line for a strong sophomore season.
Keep in mind, it was only two years ago that Royals averaged 119.1 receiving yards-per-game at Utah State.
A major positive in a year devoid of much good news, Thornton compiled a breakout season in 2025 with 19 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns. Specifically, he routinely seemed to come up with a big catch when the Chiefs needed it most, doing so against the Giants, Eagles, Jaguars and Broncos, to name a few instances. His eight receptions of at least 25 yards led the team.
Originally a second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2022, Thornton joined the Chiefs’ practice squad late in the 2024 campaign before earning a spot on Kansas City’s 53-man roster following training camp last year. Thornton went on to make the most of his opportunity, and now with a new contract in-hand, he’ll aim to pick right back up where he left off.
Worthy appeared in 14 games last season despite battling multiple injuries throughout the year, including a shoulder injury suffered on just the third snap of the season. The second-year speedster still managed to tally 42 catches for 532 yards and a touchdown amidst those limitations, however, and now on the mend, he’ll have an opportunity to build on his immense potential in 2026.
Additionally, for what it’s worth, the 23-year-old Worthy was among the Chiefs’ most productive players throughout the offseason training program.
The 6-foot-4, 204-pound Armstrong went undrafted in 2025 after leading the SEC in receiving yards (1,140) at Arkansas in 2024, marking the second-best single season in terms of yards and catches (78) in school history. It was a strong follow-up to Armstrong’s initial campaign with the Razorbacks a season prior, which included 56 grabs for 764 yards and five touchdowns.
That overall performance put a bow on an impressive career that began at Texas A&M-Commerce, a Division II school, where Armstrong tallied 77 catches for 1,317 yards and 16 touchdowns between the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.
The No. 176 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Allen made the most of his lone season at the University of Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats in catches (51) and receiving yards (674) while ranking third in the FBS (and first in the Big 12) with 13 touchdown grabs.
Primarily a slot receiver during his time at Cincinnati, the 5-foot-11, 183-pound Allen demonstrated an ability to win with multiple route concepts against various coverages in 2025. Here’s more from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:
“Despite his lack of size, he shows outstanding body control to adjust and frame the football mid-air, and his drops declined each season.”
Source: www.chiefs.com
