Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross at mandatory minicamp in 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs have 14 wide receivers on their 90-man roster and, according to USA Today Chiefs Wire reporter Charles Goldman, have “never kept more than six receivers on the initial 53-man roster under Andy Reid.”
That means barring injury or a first-time shift in roster construction strategy, eight pass catchers currently on the roster will either be traded or cut — which would make them subject to waivers. That’s before the Chiefs even consider a veteran addition like DeAndre Hopkins — which is still on the table for KC, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Needless to say, there will be tough decisions to make at WR when the dust settles at the end of training camp, and fans probably won’t love all of them. For example, Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick has already predicted that popular 23-year-old Justyn Ross will be cut.
“[Marquez] Valdes-Scantling, [Skyy] Moore and [Kadarius] Toney are certain locks to make the roster if healthy,” Derrick wrote in a July 5 story. “[Justin] Watson has a guaranteed contract that makes it $130,000 more expensive to cut him than release him. [Rashee] Rice is this year’s second-round selection. … [And Richie] James has the best resume [for sixth receiver] at this moment after catching 57 passes for 569 yards and four touchdowns with Daniel Jones and the [New York] Giants last year.”
Yes, that means the speedy John Ross would also be released in this scenario. “Why isn’t either Ross on my projected 53-player roster given the hype?” Derrick asked. “John Ross sat out last season recovering from a knee injury suffered in 2021, and he’s four years removed from his only 500-yard NFL season in 2019. Meanwhile, Justyn Ross has yet to put on pads in an NFL practice and played his last college game on Nov. 13, 2021.”
Chiefs Writer Agrees With Justyn Ross Cut, Placing Him on ‘Roster Bubble’ at WR
Goldman, of USA Today, appeared to agree with Derrick in his July 6 story naming players on the “roster bubble.”
“It’s going to be extremely tough to make the 53-man roster as a wide receiver in Kansas City this year,” Goldman wrote. “Even [for] a player like [Justyn] Ross, who has an inexplicable amount of offseason hype, it’s going to be an uphill climb to make it.
“Four players at the positions are locks to make the 53-man roster right now (MVS, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Rashee Rice),” he wrote. “Realistically speaking, Justin Watson is also likely to make it given his contract.”
Goldman concluded that “unless the Chiefs carry seven receivers, that leaves 8-9 players fighting for one roster spot. … That final roster spot is also typically reserved for players who can contribute on special teams, which is probably not something in the wheelhouse for [Justyn] Ross in the NFL.”
On July 6, Goldman followed up on the topic on Twitter after a fan asked who his preferred seventh WR would be — in the unlikely scenario Kansas City keeps seven. His answer was either John Ross or a Hopkins signing.
Special Teams Contributions Give Richie James & Justin Watson Leg Up on Justyn Ross
If you’re wondering why James is being handed that WR6 job by most covering the team, it’s because of his ability as a returner — not to mention the NFL track record that Derrick outlined.
Justyn and John Ross are what-ifs, while James is a proven commodity on both offense and special teams. He’s been an above-average kick returner throughout his career (23-yard average) and the former seventh rounder can also field punts.
Watson is more of a jack-of-all-trades on special teams, but he’s already displayed a willingness and knowledge of how to participate in that area throughout his career. He also has an established regular season rapport with Patrick Mahomes after the 2022 campaign, something the other candidates lack.
Although John Ross and running backs like Deneric Prince or Jerrion Ealy could push James for the returner role, Justyn Ross offers very little in the special teams department. That makes a roster spot much harder to come by, assuming he doesn’t totally separate himself from the rest of the competition on offense.
Candidly speaking, Justyn Ross’ best bet in 2023 is to do just that. “The injury histories for both [Justyn and John Ross] mean they have more to prove in training camp,” Derrick wrote, acknowledging that both have a legitimate chance of making the squad if they’re healthy.