The Chiefs have never kept seven receivers on the initial 53-man roster to start the season under coach Andy Reid.
That is, until this season. Kansas City opted to keep seven WRs on Tuesday: Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice, Justyn Ross, Richie James, and Justin Watson.
Buy Chiefs TicketsWhy the change entering the 2023 season? Toney’s training camp injury may have had something to do with it, or maybe tight end Jody Fortson’s season-ending injury which led to the team keeping three tight ends instead of a usual four.
Or, maybe, the receiver room was too talented, or too versatile, to let anyone go.
“We have different types of receivers, whether they are guys like Richie James that handle a bunch of stuff with the return game, then you have Ross who’s a size guy,” general manager Brett Veach said during Wednesday’s press conference. “We lost Jody, that was someone coach (Reid) always had packages in for short yardage and red zone.
“We have a talented deep receiving corps. They’re all different in their ways, and coach just does a great job of trying to maximize what they can do and implementing packages for guys.”
Veach noted that the team has different sets of plays for different receivers. Considering the fact that some receivers may match up better against certain defensive backs week to week, it’s clear the Chiefs have a true committee approach where anyone could shine any given week. Sort of like last season.
“We’ll have a core group of guys that can handle every package and be involved in every package,” Veach said. “Then we’ll have a group of guys that are tailored and tweaked to what they can do … I think having those seven receivers gives us a variety of different ways to attack a defense.”
