The Chiefs are still in search of a star wide receiver on their squad ever since losing Tyreek Hill before the 2022 season.
Kansas City’s new wide receiver group was on display Sunday at training camp, and one surprising receiver stood out in comparison to the others, according to USA Today’s John Dillon: veteran Richie James.
Sunday was the team's first public practice, and there were multiple times in which James was a key target for reigning Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Here are a couple of James’s best moments from Sunday’s practice.
Patrick Mahomes finds Richie James in traffic 👀 pic.twitter.com/bJDBUM51Ce
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 23, 2023
Apologies for being on the other end of the field but here’s Richie James making some cuts after the catch pic.twitter.com/gIlwdup2uT
— Nick Roesch (@Nicolas_Roesch) July 23, 2023
While James may not be the team’s top receiver on the depth chart for the upcoming season, he appears to quickly be emerging as a “trusted target” for Mahomes, as Dillon detailed.
James was signed by the Chiefs in free agency after one season as a member of the Giants. He totaled 569 yards and four touchdowns on 57 catches last year. Prior to that, the seventh-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft spent three seasons with the 49ers.
On the Chiefs's depth chart, James is listed as a backup to Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Kansas City also has Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore noted as starting wide receivers.