The wide receivers of the Kansas City Chiefs will be led by a new position coach in 2026: Chad O’Shea, who has 18 years of experience coaching NFL receivers. He joined the Chiefs’ staff after six years with the Cleveland Browns and 10 years with the New England Patriots, bringing the offense experience outside of head coach Andy Reid’s philosophy.
It’s exactly what many in Chiefs Kingdom have clamored for, but now the focus is on making sure O’Shea’s input assimilates with Kansas City’s culture and scheme. That’s what he told Voice of the Chiefs Mitch Holthus and senior team reporter Matt McMullen on the Chiefs’ YouTube channel last week.
“The first thing, we have to be aligned with what coach Reid wants and his vision for the football team,” O’Shea said. “We do that in doing our job, being dependable and being detailed. I’ll use those words over and over. Those are going to be words that you’re going to hear me speak a lot here in Kansas City.”
O’Shea will coach a group of receivers that has talent on paper: Xavier Worthy is a first-round pick entering his third season, and Rashee Rice proved something with 938 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie second-round pick, but injuries and a suspension have limited his production since.
It could be argued that someone like Worthy — especially on deep passes — has yet to develop a feel for the little things, such as sideline awareness or on-the-fly route adjustments. Those factors are very important to O’Shea.
“I value, at the receiver position, is being detailed in everything we do,” O’Shea declared. “I think sometimes that can become more important than a 40 time or some of the things that are measurable physical, the intangibles of the receiver position… being able to have a dropped pass, and then get back in the huddle and be persistent enough to be able to be there for your team on the next play.”
He will play a part in helping those players, and others, reach their individual potentials — but that will start with a mentality to do whatever it takes to get the organization back to its contending ways.
“The identity we want in our receivers is we’re going to put the team first in everything that we do, it starts with that,” O’Shea said. “If we can do that, we can do everything on an individual-goal basis that we need to, but it’s going to start with putting the team first.”
What does that look like? O’Shea laid out his straightforward mindset.
“You’re going to have a group that’s going to be able to play fast from the line of scrimmage and be able to block and compete in the run game,” O’Shea told Holthus and McMullen.
“I keep it real simple in my teaching: get open, catch the ball and compete in the run game. If you do those three things, we stand a chance to win at the receiver position.”
Of course, getting open is easier said than done. When opponents have deployed man coverage against the Chiefs, the receiving corps has struggled to create separation and make themselves available for a pass.
That’s life in the NFL, and O’Shea believes he can help Kansas City and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have more success when the targeted receiver is tightly covered.
“It’s so important that we are able to function in those high-traffic areas; I call them contested catches and traffic catches,” O’Shea explained. “Traffic-type throws where there is going to be some sort of distraction because the defender is going to be close to you, or our ability to make a play in a contested area. I do think you can improve in those areas. It’s something we can improve on daily.”
“I have a plan in place for our players when we get started in the spring,” O’Shea continued. “Whether it’s drill work, film work [or] teaching from my experience with these past players I’ve been fortunate enough to be around. We’re going to get started on that, and I do think it’s an area you can improve and we’ll have to be good in those areas, because in our division, there are very competitive coverage players.”
With the Denver Broncos employing one of the league’s best cornerbacks in Pat Surtain II and the Los Angeles Chargers proving to be an elite coverage unit last year, O’Shea’s point lands. The receiving unit needs to be tougher at the catch point; that was clear since last season, but it will be a focal point of O’Shea’s teachings.
Could it also influence the style of receivers the Chiefs invest in through free agency or the draft? It won’t be too long until we find out.