Byron Pringle takes advantage of opportunities with Chiefs

Chiefs wide receiver Byron Pringle says he’s ready to take advantage of every opportunity.

Byron Pringle is ready for anything the Kansas City Chiefs want to throw at him. Given his performance in Week 17 in a losing effort to the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, the wide receiver can only hope more opportunities come his way next season.

Pringle first came to the Chiefs as a rookie free agent signing shortly after the 2018 NFL Draft. He was a known product from a local school at Kansas State who impressed the Chiefs enough to earn a long preseason look. Unfortunately an injury before the season began pushed him to injured reserve, where he’d stay for the duration of the 2018 season.

Following that year, Pringle has beaten the odds to stay on the Chiefs roster for two more years, staving off further competition to not only remain on the fringes but to also climb the depth chart. He played in all 16 games for the Chiefs in ’19 as a special teams contributor and occasional option for Patrick Mahomes at wide receiver. He finished the year with 12 catches for 170 yards and 1 touchdown.

Moving forward to this year, Pringle has made a considerable leap in his playmaking ability but it’s not obvious from the stat sheet. This year, Pringle has played in 13 games but he’s earning much more playing time on offense and he’s also become a primary kick returner for Dave Toub’s special teams unit as well. The biggest highlight of this season came when he returned a kickoff for 102 yards for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 7.

An ankle injury cut Pringle’s season short by three games, since his injury required a stint on injured reserve. However, Pringle returned and has looked solid in limited reps. On Sunday, he had 4 catches for 52 yards and 1 touchdown while averaging 25.7 yards/return as well.

When speaking to reporters after the Chiefs’ loss in Week 17, Pringle was asked what it’s like to stay ready as a part-time player.

"“It’s not difficult. You’re a professional. You come to work every day. You never know when your time will be called, so you have to stay ready, stay mentally ready and know your assignment when you’re given the opportunity to be out there.”"

On Sunday, Pringle was present for two memorable opportunities. One was unexpected, when his heads-up play on a bobbled catch by running back Darwin Thompson avoided a turnover. The second was scripted when his agility was on display during a nice 37-yard gain on a pass from Chad Henne.

"“When I seen the ball coming from Chad, I knew I had an opportunity to break away from the defender because he was still off balance. When I get the ball in my hand out in open space, I like me versus a lot of dudes one-on-one in tackling. Just running with a lot of anger and aggression because I don’t know when I’ll get the ball again. I just take full advantage of my opportunities.”"

Pringle said after the game that Tyreek Hill’s advice has been to control what he can and to remain ready. “He always tells me to stay focused because I never know when my time will be called and when I’ll get the opportunity to take full advantage of it.”