Arrowhead Pride
Welcome back to the Arrowhead Pride Mailbag! Each week, watch for your opportunity to submit your Kansas City Chiefs questions in The Feed, which is found on AP’s home page.
With one final game remaining in a disappointing campaign, let’s take a look at what’s on readers’ minds heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Why is running back Dameon Pierce not playing? The Chiefs beat out four or five other teams to sign him and he hasn’t played a minute. Did they make misrepresentations to him upon signing? I don’t understand why it’s so hard to see some of these guys reach the playing field.
Pierce’s status has understandably raised questions since he joined the Chiefs in late November after the Houston Texans released their 2022 fourth-round pick.
There’s one thing we should remember about reports that Pierce chose Kansas City over several interested teams: national media coverage of released players often puts a positive spin on them. Frequently, agents are the primary sources for these reports; teams rarely go on the record about their level of interest. It’s also worth noting that Pierce was released after the trade deadline and subject to waivers — meaning that any truly interested team could have claimed him at minimal cost.
Another possibility is that the Chiefs reached a similar conclusion to the Texans. Kansas City’s running game has been difficult to watch, but by most metrics, Houston’s was slightly worse. Pierce struggled to see the field despite the Texans averaging just 3.9 yards per carry behind aging veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks.
Pierce flashed during an impressive rookie season in 2022 before an ankle injury cut it short. Since then, he hasn’t resembled that version of himself. Failing to earn snaps on two of the league’s weakest rushing attacks may say more about the player than the coaching staffs.
Still, Kansas City did promote Pierce from the practice squad to the active roster. It wouldn’t be surprising if he suits up to close the season. At a minimum, the move signals goodwill — and an opportunity for Pierce to stick around into the offseason and show what he can do in training camp.
What is the deal with wide receiver Jalen Royals? Looks like they are using him in the same role as JuJu Smith-Schuster: a blocking wideout. Maybe that’s because he’s only in on running plays? I would like to see him be involved more — just to see what he has. A target would be nice.
Royals’ early-season injury likely set him back more than many anticipated. His overlapping skill set with Smith-Schuster may have further limited opportunities — especially since the veteran stayed healthy for a full season for the first time since 2020.
There was also a clear disconnect between media evaluations and team assessments during the last draft cycle. After regularly appearing in second- and third-round mock drafts, Royals slid to Day...
