The Chiefs’ receiver battle has a new name in the mix, and Andrew Armstrong is making it hard to ignore him.
Kansas City has a wide-open competition for the secondary spots in its receiving room, and Armstrong has emerged as the latest player pushing for one of those jobs, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. The second-year receiver was cut by the Miami Dolphins last year, then joined the Chiefs in January, and he’s already drawn attention in training camp.
So far, Armstrong has flashed with Patrick Mahomes while working with the first-team offense. After practice, he laid out the approach that has helped him get noticed.
"I've been out there being the best I can be and learning," Armstrong said after yesterday's practice. "One of the main goals is being trustworthy for the quarterback. I'm trying to build that with [Mahomes].
"This has been my favorite team since I was a little kid. I really wanted to be around a serious environment and this is an extremely serious environment. I love that."
For now, Armstrong is in a direct fight with Jalen Royals for the sixth and final roster spot at receiver, Taylor reported. Saturday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams could give that battle an early shape, with Armstrong getting a chance to build a meaningful lead.
That game will also be a different kind of test. Mahomes is expected to sit out the opener, which means Armstrong and the rest of the receivers will be catching passes from backups Justin Fields and seventh-round pick Garrett Nussmeier instead. That’s a much different assignment than the one they’ve had in camp, where Mahomes has been at the center of everything.
Armstrong has taken over the main camp spotlight from Cyrus Allen, who had been earning praise for his route learning and pre-snap reads before a brief setback last week. Allen suffered a shin bone bruise after a special teams collision, though the injury is not serious and he’s back in the mix as Kansas City continues shaping its new-look offense.
Armstrong is already looking forward to the atmosphere at Arrowhead Stadium, where the preseason opener should give him his first real feel for the place.
"Oh, it's going to feel great, just looking and seeing all the red," Armstrong said of playing inside Arrowhead Stadium. "It's different playing on a [video] game than in real life. I know it's going to feel amazing."
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