Dave Toub Grades Nikko Remigio's Performance in Chiefs Season Debut

Nikko Remigio logged five total returns in his first game of the season, and Dave Toub thinks he made a positive impact in the Chiefs' Week 14 win.

Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Nikko Remigio (81) leaves the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Down the stretch of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs will need every contribution they can get from just about every area of the roster. Offense, defense and special teams will all have to pull their weight if the AFC's current No. 1 seed wants to lock up that elusive first-round postseason bye.

In Week 14's narrow win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the latter group did the bulk of the heavy lifting. Kicker Matthew Wright drilled all four of his field goal attempts in a game versus a critical division rival, and the return game was respectable on Sunday night.

Once wide receiver Mecole Hardman went on the injured reserve list with a knee ailment, the keys were handed off to training camp and preseason darling Nikko Remigio. How did he fare in his season debut? Special teams coordinator Dave Toub believes the Fresno State product justified Kansas City's decision to sign him to an active roster deal from the practice squad.

“He did a really good job, showed a lot of poise out there, good square catches, good decisions," Toub said. "That great hit was really good, that pooch punt where they – you know, the middle – he even tricked some of our guys. Some of our guys, they thought he made a fair catch, and he stole it. It was a great decision on his part. We have to do a better job of blocking for him, finishing it up and keep blocking until the whistle with him because he will take a little bit more of a risk, but he’s smart too at the same time. Really, really good job, I thought.”

In his first game since the preseason, Remigio brought back a total of five kicks. Two of them were on kickoff duty, seeing the former undrafted free agent log 27 yards twice but have his first bring-back negated by a holding penalty on linebacker Jack Cochrane. In all, Remigio averaged 26 yards per kick return and made the most of his limited opportunities. Punt returns were where he made his name known despite three potential attempt opportunities resulting in four yards, nine yards and a fair catch.

All it took was a 21-yard return in the second quarter for Remigio to catch Toub's attention. That set the Chiefs up with great field position at their own 45-yard line, which helped kickstart a seven-play, 40-yard drive to put points on the board. Remigio's Pro Football Focus punt return grade of 69.8 currently ranks 15th among all players in the database. The sample size is a massive caveat, yet it's a solid first impression nonetheless.

For Kansas City, seeing Remigio finally get a real chance has to be nice. All the way back in OTAs, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy endorsed the 25-year-old as an "absolute true professional" whom he was "rooting for." In training camp, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said "everybody loves" him because of his consistent approach. Prior to mandatory league roster cutdowns, Toub said he'd be "pounding the table" for Remigio to secure one of the club's last available spots.

In his first regular-season opportunity to showcase what he can do, Remigio capitalized. His solid, yet unspectacular debut should keep him in the special teams mix as the Chiefs look to ensure that they don't have to play in the first weekend of the playoffs.

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