Nikko Remigio may be walking into training camp with more to lose than almost anyone else on the Chiefs roster.
The issue isn’t whether he can help on special teams. It’s whether that’s enough to justify a spot on a 53-man roster when Kansas City needs more from its offense and has other ways to fill the return game. That’s why Remigio looks like a real candidate to be the Chiefs’ most surprising cut on August 30.
Remigio entered the league as an undrafted free agent wide receiver out of Fresno State, but his first two seasons in Kansas City have kept him mostly in the special teams lane. His offensive role has been tiny.
In 2024, he drew six targets, caught two passes in five games, and played 12% of offensive snaps. Last year, that number fell to 3%, and he finished with one rushing attempt and one reception - the same number of catches Patrick Mahomes had.
That kind of production makes it hard to sell him as more than a specialist. And that’s where the Chiefs’ roster math starts to turn against him. If the offense is going to climb back toward playoff and Super Bowl contention, every spot has to carry more weight than just one narrow job.
Even as a returner, Remigio hasn’t exactly separated himself. He has flashed at times, including a 44-yard punt return against the Buffalo Bills in the 2024 AFC Championship Game and a 47-yard kick return against the Baltimore Ravens last season.
But the full body of work has been solid rather than special. His 25.6 yards per kick return and 7.6 yards per punt return last season were both below league average, and neither of his longest returns ranked in the top 20 for distance.
That opens the door for other options already on the roster. Brashard Smith could handle return duties while bringing far more to the offense.
His numbers as a returner were better than Remigio’s last season, with 11.3 yards per punt return, a 44-yard longest punt return, and 26.7 yards per kick return. He also added real offensive value, finishing with 44 rushes for 151 yards, 25 catches for 172 yards, and a receiving touchdown as Kansas City’s fourth-string running back.
There’s also rookie running back Emmett Johnson, who was returning punts and kickoffs during OTAs in June and could follow that same hybrid path in his first season.
If the Chiefs want to gamble on upside, there are other names in the mix too. Jeff Caldwell and Jacob De Jesus are both the kind of long-shot bets that could make sense if Kansas City decides it would rather chase more ceiling than settle for a known quantity.
De Jesus brought return experience in college and had more catches and receiving yards in three seasons than Remigio had in five. Caldwell, meanwhile, posted the second-highest Relative Athletic Score of any wide receiver at the combine in the last 39 years.
A veteran addition could also complicate Remigio’s path. If the Chiefs pursue Tyreek Hill, Keenan Allen, or Stefon Diggs and feel good about their other return options, Remigio could be the player squeezed out.
He’s not being labeled a bad player. The bigger problem is that he may not offer enough in enough places to survive on a roster that needs more impact. Training camp and the preseason could still change the picture if he separates himself as a returner or forces his way into the offense, but that feels like a tough climb.
For now, his spot looks far from safe. In a few weeks, the Chiefs will decide whether Nikko Remigio stays on the table - or becomes the surprise cut of cutdown day.
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