Steve Smith Sr. Predicts Chiefs Rookie Cyrus Allen Will Become Kansas City’s WR1
Steve Smith Sr. thinks Kansas City has found its next No. 1 wide receiver, and it’s not a household name yet. The Hall of Fame-caliber wideout says rookie Cyrus Allen is on track to take over as the Chiefs’ top target, a claim that’s split the fan base right down the middle.
Kansas City opens its preseason schedule this weekend, and there’s plenty riding on it after a rough 2025 season. The Chiefs finished 6-11, missed the playoffs, and spent the offseason retooling. One of the more notable additions was Allen, a fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati who’s quickly become one of the more talked-about names at training camp.
Cyrus Allen backed to become Chiefs’ number one wide receiver
Smith made the prediction during a recent episode of the 89 with Steve Smith and James Palmer podcast, according to Yahoo Sports. His comments, first surfaced by HITC, didn’t come with much hedging.
“Cyrus Allen is going to be eventually, in my humble opinion….their number one Wide Receiver.”
That’s a significant claim for a player who wasn’t picked until No. 176 overall. Allen spent his college career bouncing between programs — two seasons at Louisiana Tech, one at Texas A&M, before landing at Cincinnati for his senior year. It was there he broke out, catching 51 passes for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns, tying Cincinnati’s single-season receiving touchdown record, according to ESPN.
He’s carried that momentum into St. Joseph, Missouri, where the Chiefs have run training camp. ESPN reported that Allen strung together a hot opening week, working increasing first-team reps with Patrick Mahomes and drawing praise from teammates. Xavier Worthy, entering his third season in Kansas City, called Allen “an electric route runner” with “the explosion, good ball skills, hands” to be a factor early. A shin injury slowed Allen for a stretch in early August, but he returned to practice within the week.
Kansas City hasn’t had a true No. 1 receiver since trading Tyreek Hill to Miami. Rashee Rice has carried the load since, but the offense has slipped from a top-five scoring unit with Hill to No. 21 in scoring last season. If Allen develops the way Smith expects, it would fill a hole the Chiefs have been trying to patch for years.
Fans split on the bold prediction
The reaction online tracked two very different lanes. Some fans backed Smith’s read on Allen’s early camp buzz. Kansas City supporter Drew Banks posted on X in response: “It sure seems that way. You can tell he just moves different than anybody we have, and Pat knows it.” —
It sure seems that way. You can tell he just moves different than anybody we have, and Pat knows it. https://t.co/ecEFCn2IsU
— Drew Banks (@Drizzy_Dru29) August 14, 2026
Others online echoed that sentiment, with one replying that Smith “knows ball” and another agreeing the veteran analyst “might know of what he speaks.”
Not everyone was convinced, though. Skepticism largely centered on Smith’s track record with bold receiver predictions. One fan pointed back to a previous miss: “Steve Smith thinks every small receiver is gonna be special. Guy thought Skyy Moore would be an All-Pro.” Another added, “My dawg normally right but that’s not gonna be this season,” while a separate reply argued Smith “has been off a lot lately” and “says a lot of nothing.”
The Skyy Moore comparison is the crux of the pushback. Moore was a second-round pick in 2022 who never developed into a consistent NFL contributor before being traded away, and critics see Smith’s Allen prediction as a repeat of that same optimism. Whether that’s a fair parallel is a matter of opinion — Allen’s camp production so far has been the real thing, not projection, which is part of why some fans are willing to buy in despite Smith’s mixed history calling shots on unproven receivers.
For now, Smith’s prediction remains just that — a prediction, not a certainty, and one the Chiefs’ preseason slate will start to test this weekend. Allen will get his first look at NFL-caliber competition outside of practice reps, with Kansas City hoping the early camp buzz translates once games count.
