The Kansas City Chiefs held their breath as wide receiver Cyrus Allen went down with an injury at training camp on August 1.
Allen, a fifth-round pick from the 2026 NFL draft, was gaining a reputation as the team’s breakout star and a key weapon for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Allen participated in first-team offense reps, building a strong highlight reel amid his first week at Missouri Western State’s campus.
While Allen was expected to battle with Nikko Remigio and Jalen Royals for the fourth receiver spot on the roster, he appeared to have usurped the competition by day four. ESPN’s Nate Taylor wrote of the rookie, “Allen will soon be one of Mahomes’ favorite receivers — next to [Xaiver] Worthy, Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton — if he continues to do what he did late in Friday’s practice.”
And then on Saturday, Allen was carted off the field after colliding with cornerback Kaiir Elam while practicing as a gunner on special teams.
While it appears the Chiefs avoided a crisis — ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted, “Tests on Chiefs rookie WR Cyrus Allen revealed a shin bruise, per source. Nothing was torn or broken – a best-case scenario” — fans and analysts were still upset to learn the team’s breakout star was being utilized on special teams.
The Chiefs Face Criticism for Using Cyrus Allen as a Gunner
Considering the team’s situation at wide receiver is precarious at best, the prospect of Allen being seriously injured from running drills as a gunner before the season even started sparked an emotional response.
While it’s routine for rookies to practice with special teams, SI’s Matt Verderame posted, “Maybe it’s time to make an exception here and there, especially when the kid is balling out and WR1 was in jail this spring.”
GettyChiefs wide receiver Cyrus Allen exited training camp with an injury.
Chiefs writer Seth Keysor wrote, “I will say that I think the angst here would be significantly less if Allen had been practicing at returner and not gunner when he got hurt. It just feels so farfetched that he’d ever be gunning in a game. Maybe I’m wrong, of course. We’re an angsty bunch to be sure.”
One fan replied, “Thinking the same thing. Not sure why he would be the gunner. Let Defensive player play that like a safety or nickel.”
Another fan added, “Tbf, we wouldn’t be having this discourse if Rice and Worthy weren’t limited in what they were doing in camp. It’s not just protecting Allen, it’s also protecting Pat by making sure the WR he seems to trust most in camp is available for him to throw to, instead of WR3, 5, and 6.”
Chiefs Coach Dave Toub Defended Using Cyrus Allen in Special Teams Drills Amid the Backlash
Special teams head coach Dave Toub appeared to anticipate criticism regarding Allen while speaking to reporters after practice on Saturday.
“Anytime you have a rookie, everybody’s on special teams until they aren’t,” Toub said. “You know, until they establish (themselves) as a starter on offense or defense, and then we have to kind of pull back, maybe take them off for two or three phases. But initially, everybody starts off as a four-phase guy, and that’s just the way we do it.”
Toub insisted it would be more unusual if they pulled Allen from special teams this early in camp, noting how Mansoor Delane, their No. 6 overall pick, would be doing them too if he didn’t have a shoulder injury.
“You know, the physicality that special teams has on blocking. He has to use his (shoulder), so we take him out of some things there,” Toub continued. “But other than that, everybody started. Travis Kelce started off on special teams. You know, that’s the way we roll. That’s what we do.”
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