Cyrus Allen is back practicing for the Chiefs

Cyrus Allen was a 5th-round pick out of Cincinnati, pick No. 176 overall, which is the kind of draft slot nobody circles on their calendar. Then camp started and the kid wouldn't stop making plays. One-handed grabs against triple coverage, first-team reps with Patrick Mahomes, a role that kept expanding by the day. Andy Reid's blunt endorsement pretty much said it all: the quarterback trusts him.

That buzz went national fast. Albert Breer reported Allen was "very much part of the offensive plan" and may have been the best receiver in camp before he got hurt, with the Chiefs reportedly seeing shades of Stefon Diggs in his frame and route running. That's not a nothing comparison for a guy who was buried on the depth chart behind Nikko Remigio and Jalen Royals a few weeks ago.

Then it all went sideways. During a special teams drill Saturday, Allen collided with cornerback Kaiir Elam while both went up for a punt near the goal line and had to be carted off. For a receiver who'd spent all camp separating himself as a 5th-rounder with real staying power, that's the kind of scene that makes a fanbase hold its breath.

The good news landed fast too. Tests showed a shin bruise — nothing torn, nothing broken — about as good as a scary cart-off can turn out. Adam Schefter confirmed Allen was already back at practice Friday, and the Chiefs had him running with the group again like the injury barely happened.

For Kansas City, this is bigger than one camp body. Allen's path — Louisiana Tech, a stop at Texas A&M, then a breakout senior year at Cincinnati where he racked up 51 catches, 674 yards and 13 touchdowns — is the definition of a late bloomer scouts nearly missed. Now he's the No. 4 receiver on a roster that just handed Mahomes another weapon nobody outside Missouri saw coming. The shin bruise was a scare, not a setback, and with Allen already back running routes, the Diggs talk isn't going away anytime soon.