KCSN Weekly: Royals maintain momentum and rookies report to camp
A weekly look at everything happening across Kansas City sports.
The Chiefs officially got their rookie class on the field, the Royals finally stacked together a genuinely strong week of baseball, and the college hoops portal carousel kept spinning. There are still plenty of questions, especially health-wise for the Royals, but compared to where things sat two weeks ago, the mood feels noticeably different.
Here’s where things stand this week.
Chiefs Check-in: Rookie camp concludes, new coaches and rookies make early impressions
The Kansas City Chiefs held rookie minicamp last weekend, welcoming seven draft picks, 20 undrafted free agents, and 76 tryout players to Arrowhead.
There’s only so much to take away from football in shorts and no pads, but a few things stood out.
Most notably, the revamped offensive coaching staff made its first on-field impression. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach DeMarco Murray, and wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea all drew positive reviews from media members in attendance for the energy and pace they brought to practice.
Fifth-round wide receiver Cyrus Allen also turned heads early, particularly with his movement skills and explosiveness during drills and seven-on-seven type of action.
Meanwhile, head coach Andy Reid had notable praise for fifth-round running back Emmett Johnson, even comparing some of his shiftiness and movement traits to former Chiefs back LeSean McCoy.
Following camp, Kansas City made several roster tweaks near the bottom of the 90-man roster, signing:
Wide receiver, Xavier Loyd (Missouri)
Defensive back, Marlen Sewell (Vanderbilt)
Offensive tackle, Kahlil Benson (Indiana)
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Royals Report: Best week yet, but it’s not all good news
The Kansas City Royals finally put together their best week of the season.
Kansas City opened the stretch by sweeping the Seattle Mariners, then split a four-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. At 17–21, the Royals are suddenly only 2.5 games out of first place in a fairly mediocre AL Central.
Bobby Witt Jr. continued to carry the lineup, tallying nine hits and two home runs on the week. Left fielder Isaac Collins was arguably just as impressive, hitting .412 while drawing five walks and collecting three extra-base hits.
Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha each went seven innings deep in their starts, combining to allow just three runs.
But there’s concern attached to all of it.
Ace Cole Ragans has been diagnosed with “pitcher’s elbow,” while closer Carlos Estévez suffered a setback during his rehab assignment after straining his rotator cuff. Neither currently has a firm timetable.
So while the Royals finally showed some life, the health of the pitching staff suddenly becomes one of the biggest storylines moving forward.
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Mizzou and KU continue to add to their rosters on the court
The Kansas Jayhawks, another addition arrived this week in Dennis Parker Jr. After spending two seasons at NC State, Parker transferred to Radford last year and broke out with 18.3 points per game. He now gives Kansas another experienced scoring option as the roster overhaul continues.
At Missouri Tigers, the Tigers added one of the better remaining guards in the portal with Kennard Davis Jr.. The St. Louis native averaged 8.5 points per game at BYU last season after posting over 16 points per game at Southern Illinois the year before. His perimeter shooting immediately fills a need for Missouri.
What to Watch This Week
Royals (17–21)
Three-game home series vs. the Detroit Tigers (18–20) this weekend.
Road trip begins Tuesday after Monday off, with three against the Chicago White Sox (17–20) to round out the week.
Kris Bubic (3.32 ERA) gets the ball tonight against Keider Montero (3.48 ERA).
Two weeks ago, the Royals felt buried in early-season woes, and now they are showing life in the young season. Things can change fast, and in this division, anything is possible.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are getting back into the quieter part of the offseason. Be on the lookout for random one-off free agent signings and the 2026 NFL Schedule Release, though.
Let’s check back in next week to see what this week brings.