Kansas City Chiefs rookie wideout Nikko Remigio is adjusting well to life in the NFL. The former Fresno State Bulldog joins a talented wide receiver corps looking to build on a championship season.
Speaking with KFSN-TV’s Stephen Hicks, Remigio spoke about his experience joining the reigning Super Bowl champions as an undrafted free agent.
“You know, obviously, just playing in a really phenomenal, talented organization,” Remigio said. “Their past season speaks to the quality of the guys in the room, the quality of coaches on the staff and everybody just within the organization. It has been a great learning process for me and I’m just soaking it all in, each and every day.”
What exactly was it like for Remigio to join an NFL team with such notoriety and star power? After the initial shock of making it to the league went away, he’s been all business with his new teammates.
“I think the first day at rookie minicamp, stepping on the field in general and wearing the Chiefs jersey and being on the Chiefs’ practice field was a surreal moment for me,” Remigio said. “Seeing those guys in the locker room, it’s like, ‘Oh shoot, that’s Patrick Mahomes.’ My locker is two lockers down from Travis Kelce’s, so that was definitely a surreal moment, first getting into the building and being around those guys. At the end of the day, they’re here for a job, just like myself and it’s good to be able to work with and learn and be with those guys.”
Remigio shares an agent with Patrick Mahomes, so before he was even in Kansas City, he had correspondence with the reigning league MVP. Mahomes coached Remigio up on what to expect with the Chiefs and the type of preparation that he’d need to make it in the league.
“Those guys have been extremely helpful with learning the playbook, understanding defenses and just subtle, little details as far as being able to elevate my game and see the game from a different perspective,” Remigio said. “The playbook is definitely no joke. It lives up to all the hype and there’s a lot to learn. There (are) a lot more little nuanced details that you have to learn. Coming in, for somebody like myself, just trying to add versatility to my game and not be confined to one position.”
The rookie says he’s loving the challenge of trying to learn all of the different positions and nuances within Andy Reid’s offense. He’s seeing constant growth as a football player, especially as he tries to lock down a role for 2023.
“My role is getting in anywhere where I can,” Remigio said. “The receiver role isn’t confined to just the slot. It kind of makes learning the playbook a little more challenging because I’m not learning just one position, but I’m learning every position. If my number gets called, my name gets called, I’m ready, I’m prepared. I’m obviously learning every receiver position and then, as you said, special teams is a huge component of the game, especially for a guy like myself. Coming into the league as an undrafted guy, I’m going to have to make a name for myself on special teams.”
It remains to be seen if Remigio can make a push for the 53-man roster, but he clearly has the mindset necessary to do so. For his case, it all starts with soaking up everything he can about the playbook and creating value on both offense and special teams.