The Kansas City Chiefs have spent the opening week of training camp trying to put a disappointing 2025 season behind them. There have been encouraging signs, including Patrick Mahomes’ continued progress from knee surgery, but injuries have also started to pile up.
That has been especially noticeable at wide receiver, where head coach Andy Reid is already missing multiple players before the preseason even begins.
Those concerns grew again on Thursday. Rookie Cyrus Allen did not practice after suffering a knee injury during a special teams drill the previous week, while Xavier Worthy also did not practice as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury. With two receivers sidelined, speculation has turned to whether Kansas City could bring in an experienced veteran before Week 1.
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One player who briefly emerged as a possibility for the Chiefs was four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs. That door closed Wednesday when Diggs agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million with the Washington Commanders, returning to his hometown after the Chiefs had also expressed interest in signing him.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the Chiefs did reach out to Diggs, but Kansas City’s interest never seriously threatened Washington’s chances of signing him.
“The Chiefs reached out at one point… It was going to be Washington all along for Stefon Diggs. It just made too much sense.”
The update came on the same day ESPN’s Nate Taylor addressed Kansas City’s outlook on “The Chiefs Collective” podcast. Asked whether the Chiefs could still add a veteran receiver before the regular season, Taylor said he doesn’t expect it.
“I would be surprised if they did it in August… I don’t see it.”
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At the moment, Kansas City’s options include veteran free agents such as Keenan Allen or a reunion with the injured Tyreek Hill. For now, though, the Chiefs appear set to rely on the group already in the building and hope Allen and Worthy return sooner rather than later as they continue preparing for their Sept. 14 opener against the Denver Broncos.
