The Kansas City Chiefs lost their first preseason outing against the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17, and it didn’t take long for some players to reenter the roster cut conversation following the August 9 outing.
“Jason Brownlee should replace Skyy Moore,” Arrowhead Pride writer Rocky Magaña proclaimed on August 10.
Brownlee had the initial touchdown grab from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but it was more so what Moore continued not to do in the Chiefs’ preseason opener.
“Moore has been a disappointment since joining the club,” Magaña reasoned. “But the problem isn’t just his inability to get open or get the most of the opportunities provided to him. It’s that other players are doing what he has been unable to do.”
“In just one athletic touchdown catch, Brownlee showed more receiving ability than Moore has in his whole NFL career,” the KC writer stated boldly. “At 6 feet 2 and 202 pounds, Brownlee has the length, size and contested-catch abilities that Moore will apparently never possess.”
Finally, Magaña argued that “at this point, you have to feel better about Brownlee getting a shot to prove himself than you do about letting Moore cling to a roster spot simply because he was drafted in the second round.”
Chiefs WR Jason Brownlee Has Been ‘Coming on Strong’ at Training Camp & During the Preseason
GettyKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jason Brownlee celebrates his impressive preseason touchdown catch from Patrick Mahomes.
While breaking down the Chiefs’ first preseason outing on their “41 is the Mic” podcast, Kansas City beat reporters Matt Derrick (Chiefs Digest) and Nick Jacobs (KSHB 41) gave their take on the WR corps, too.
“So, Jason Brownlee has been coming on strong for the past week,” Jacobs acknowledged to begin his thoughts. “He’s starting to routinely put days together. And the one thing he provides that nobody else outside of Xavier Worthy [does], in my opinion… is the ability to time his jump and elevate exactly when Mahomes wants [to throw the football].”
Jacobs went on to add that Brownlee has connected with Mahomes like this at training camp in recent days and weeks, building that “trust” with the Chiefs’ QB1 well before the preseason opener.
“I think that turned some heads on the coaching staff and they started giving him more reps with [Mahomes] this past week than they had before,” Jacobs added, noting that Brownlee “took advantage” of his opportunity with Mahomes.
Jacobs believes Brownlee could carve out a role on the 53-man roster simply due to this red zone aspect of his game, where Mahomes can trust him on fades and back-shoulder routes.
Nikko Remigio Gets Mixed Reviews as Chiefs Cut Candidates Emerge at WR/Returner
It’s not just Brownlee that Moore has to contend with at wide receiver in 2025. The former second-round pick is also expected to face competition from WR/returners Nikko Remigio and Tyquan Thornton.
Magaña highlighted Remigio’s 48-yard kick return against the Cardinals as another feather in his cap as he attempts to win the lead returner job, but Jacobs was less complimentary of the former UDFA success story.
“He just doesn’t have that nitrous oxide,” Jacobs pointed out, arguing that a faster returner could have taken Remigio’s kickoff for a touchdown with how well coordinator Dave Toub’s unit blocked for him.
“It just kind of looks like he’s running in quicksand,” Jacobs continued, suggesting that Remigio is more of an ideal practice squad player than someone who needs to begin on the active roster.
In place of Chiefs cut candidates Remigio and Moore, Jacobs and Derrick appeared to be on board with Brownlee and Thornton making the team if things continue as they have gone so far this summer.
Arrowhead Pride beat reporter Pete Sweeney seemed to agree with this on August 9, too, posting that “Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee are trouble for Skyy Moore and Nikko Remigio.”
Thornton caught 1-of-2 targets for 15 yards on August 9, but his ability as a potential punt returner and punt coverage gunner adds value as he’s steadily outperformed both Moore and Remigio as a wide receiver option at training camp.
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