Adult in Room: Here’s Who Chiefs Trust Most, Other Than Mahomes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – His career stat line is genuinely hard to believe. It looks like a mistake.

Nikko Remigio has played only nine NFL games. That’s both accurate and remarkable considering that, other than Patrick Mahomes, Remigio could be the player the Chiefs trust most.

“I call him the adult in the room,” special teams coordinator Dave Toub said Friday. “He's the oldest guy back there and I like having him back there, especially on kickoff returns. Because the kind of crazy balls that we're getting and the way you have to read the kickers and the kickoff coverage, and he's back there, and he does a great job on those little things that people don't really realize.”

Huge return against Ravens

They’re starting to realize now. In Sunday’s win over Baltimore, Remigio fielded a third-quarter kickoff and spun out of a tackle at the 24-yard line. Reversing field, he raced another 20 yards and stiff-armed kicker Tyler Loop before lowering his shoulder to initiate contact with Keyon Martin, who finally pushed him into the Chiefs’ bench at midfield.

That sideline exploded in emotion, according to Travis Kelce.

“Energy on the sideline was (expletive) electric,” the tight end said on this week’s edition of New Heights. “It just felt like everybody was into the game, watching every single play. When you got guys on special teams flying around, cracking heads, and you got guys on the sideline getting excited for those guys.

“And then anybody making just a first down, it's just all that (expletive) is so infectious, man. And that's a it's a big win for us.”

Remigio's backstory

Remigio, who turns 26 during the Chiefs’ bye week next month, initially joined Kansas City as an undrafted free agent in 2023. Derailed by a training-camp wrist injury, he spent his rookie season on injured reserve.

Last season, the Chiefs opted to open the year with Mecole Hardman as their primary return specialist, forcing Remigio to the practice squad. But when a knee injury ended Hardman’s season in December, Remigio was a natural promotion.

And he wasn’t about to relinquish that role. He earned Toub’s trust over the season’s final five games but saved his best for the playoffs. In the 32-29 AFC championship win over Buffalo, Remigio exploded for 41 yards on a second-quarter punt return to the Bills’ 34-yard line. Seven plays later, Mahomes scrambled for a 1-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City a 21-10 advantage.

So far this season, the Chiefs also have sprinkled him in on offense. He picked up an important first down on an 11-yard jet sweep against the Giants in Week 3. Remigio also caught his only target of the season, a 21-yard gain the week before against Philadelphia.

Why the Chiefs trust him

And while his return-yards averages don’t rank among league leaders, Remigio is a big reason the Chiefs have just one turnover this season. Toub and the Chiefs trust him to not lose a game.

“He just, he works at it in practice,” Toub said. “I mean, he goes all-out in practice with his catches and his finishes, and it's real important to him. He studies tape. We get together, and he’s just a student of it, and he's a great teammate.”

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