Andy Reid Has Nothing but Compliments for Chiefs Rookie Cyrus Allen's Showing vs. Rams

After quite the wait throughout the offseason and the first couple of legs of training camp, the Kansas City Chiefs got to watch some of their top prospects take the field in a preseason game.

Saturday's 20-12 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams didn't feature a ton to brag about, although some of general manager Brett Veach's prized NFL Draft pickups did manage to stand out. One of them, fifth-round wide receiver Cyrus Allen, continued to turn heads with his performance.

Allen's stat line of two catches for 20 yards was nothing to write home about, but the box score didn't do his showing justice. Head coach Andy Reid seems to agree, as he had nothing but good things to say about the Cincinnati standout after the game.

"He's been doing well at camp before he got hurt," Reid said. "And then when he's come back here for the couple of days he was back, it looked like he picked right up from there. I thought he did a nice job for the most part there on catching the football and route running — he's got some quickness to him. I look forward to getting him healthy and ready to go."

Of Allen's five targets, not many were optimized for him to succeed. One, for instance, could've been a touchdown had fellow rookie Garrett Nussmeier put some more air under the football and floated it over the outstretched arms of a Rams defensive back. Wideout Jalen Royals' offensive pass interference penalty also negated a chunk gain for the former Bearcat.

Despite the inconsistent play around him, Allen produced a must-see catch late in the first half. On a third-and-8 chuck from Nussmeier, the ball sailed a bit, but Allen climbed the ladder and came down with a tough snag.

J̶e̶r̶r̶y̶ ̶R̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶ CYRUS ALLEN GOES UP TO GET IT! pic.twitter.com/oWbhSbqnYD
— SleeperChiefs (@SleeperChiefsKC) August 15, 2026

When asked a follow-up about what sets Allen apart from some other first-year players, Reid pointed to a multitude of elements in his still-developing game.

"Yeah, he's got a good feel, Vahe (Gregorian)," Reid said. "And he's got good quickness. He knows how to set routes up. Sometimes it takes a while for young guys to learn that, but he's got a good feel for that."

Whenever Allen's on the field, whether it be in a game or at practice on the Missouri Western State University campus, he's turned heads. The savvy rookie's minor leg ailments have slowed his progress a bit, yet all he's done in ensuing opportunities is come back with a vengeance. Saturday's contest, both in the micro and macro schemes, encapsulates that to a T.

The first unofficial reel of game tape from Allen was far from perfect, albeit plenty good enough for Reid to come away even more inspired than before.

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