With the stroke of a pen, the Kansas City Chiefs elevated arguably the roster’s biggest concern into a major strength.
The Chiefs‘ run to a second consecutive Super Bowl championship in 2023 was marred by inconsistency and dropped passes from Patrick Mahomes‘ wide receiving corps. Save for Rashee Rice’s emergence down the stretch and through the postseason, the Kansas City Chiefs’ vertical offense was hampered by poor receiver play.
Enter marquee free agent signing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Pro Football Focus gives the Kansas City Chiefs high marks for addressing a glaring need, without overpaying.
“Darnell Mooney’s contract figured to be a great benchmark for Brown,” Brad Spielberger writes for PFF. “With both players serving as great intermediate separators with solid deep speed — but also having missed time with minor injuries over the past two seasons. This is clearly Brown betting on himself with a one-year flier where if he balls out with Patrick Mahomes, he can sign a contract for a whole lot more. It’s a great idea for all parties. The rich get richer in Kansas City.”
PFF gave the Kansas City Chiefs an “A+” both for the Brown signing filling a need, as well as for the value of the contract.
After missing out on Mooney, who inked a deal with the Atlanta Falcons, where he’ll join a dynamic supporting cast around new quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Kansas City Chiefs locked Brown in on a one-year contract worth $7 million that can reach up to $11 million if the wide out hits incentive escalators.
How Hollywood Brown Elevates Patrick Mahomes’ Passing Game
Brown lands in Kansas City where he’ll immediately ascend to the top of the Chiefs’ wide receiver depth chart and be given the chance to both chase a Lombardi and cash in big in 2025, if he can make the most of a season on the receiving end of Mahomes‘ passes.
Last season, despite wildly inconsistent quarterback play in Arizona, Brown caught 51 passes for 574 yards and four touchdowns.
Now likely emerging as a favorite target, alongside All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, of Mahomes in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense, it isn’t out of the question that Brown could push for his second career 1,000-yard season.
The last time Brown played for a quarterback of Mahomes’ caliber, with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in 2021, he posted 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. If Brown mirrors that production, the Chiefs offense will be well on its way to charging towards a third straight Super Bowl win.
How Much Cap Space do Kansas City Chiefs Still Have?
The Kansas City Chiefs, after restructuring Mahomes’ contract and before reaching any sort of resolution with franchise-tagged cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, still have plenty of spending flexibility under the cap.
Following Kansas City’s agreement with Brown, the Chiefs still have approximately $15.8 million in cap space, which is plenty of spending flexibility to continue bolstering one of the most talented and explosive rosters in the league.
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