The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the swing of things at training camp, and they had their first practice session on Wednesday. The ball continued rolling on Thursday, and rookie receiver Cyrus Allen has been a standout through two days.
In Wednesday's session, Allen reeled in three passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, including a touchdown during 7-on-7s, per Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. And the rookie also got some love from head coach Andy Reid, who pointed out his connection with Mahomes.
"So Cyrus had a good day today. I think Pat's got some trust there. We've got a long way to go, but we just gotta keep growing ... He's got talent, obviously. He's been able to retain. Plus he got a leader up here for three days before he got out there today, so the stuff that he was doing, he's been doing the last couple of days," Reid stated.
And the leader callout is noticeable. Rookies and quarterbacks reported on July 24th, and that allowed him to start building a connection with his quarterback.
Cyrus Allen's stock continues to rise through two training camp practices for Chiefs
The past couple of days, in addition to the work Allen put in during the spring, have been paying dividends. His positive play continued on Thursday. Ron Kopp Jr. of Arrowhead Pride revealed that Allen made an impressive catch over the middle from Justin Fields. The ball was behind him, but he still reached back and reeled it in.
While Allen was with Fields and the second-team offense during that play, getting first-team reps this early into camp is a fantastic sign. His progression on the field has also caught the attention of fellow receiver Tyquan Thornton.
"He's eager to learn. His route-running is very good. He's elusive. Very good at the catch point. Excited to see what he can do," Thornton stated during Thursday's presser.
While the Chiefs hope that Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Thornton can be their starting trio, having quality depth is massive—especially since all three receivers missed time last year. You never know when an injury can pop up, so having depth is crucial. It's even better that Allen appears to be a weapon that could have a role within this offense.
Allen comes into the league as a twitchy route runner with terrific body control when in the air. Last season with Cincinnati, he finished with 51 catches, 674 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns. His receiving touchdowns were tied for third in the FBS.
The Chiefs needed more dynamic playmakers in the passing game, and it looks like Allen started on the right foot. While there's still plenty of time left this summer, the 23-year-old is already standing out in his first training camp in Kansas City.
Add us as a preferred source on Google