The Kansas City Chiefs needed to get a deal done with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown—or at least one like it.
The Chiefs come into the offseason on the verge of a multi-year offensive remake. It’s a slower shift into phase two of the Patrick Mahomes era, and the team’s offense has looked far too stagnant for two seasons now. However, one move Chiefs general manager Brett Veach needed to make was to add a one-year security blanket, and he did that by bringing Brown back for another season.
The offensive woes of 2024 will be addressed with myriad moves this year—and with a few more to come in 2026. Travis Kelce is around for a (likely) farewell tour. Jawaan Taylor might be entering his last season with the team. That’s two high-priced pieces that are likely to be absent from the roster in 2026 and beyond.
For now, however, the Chiefs were already dealing with a wholesale reinvention of the wide receiver room around the young core of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. The team also recently decided to ink Trey Smith to a long-term deal, who is only 25, which forced them to deal the older Joe Thuney as they made financial decisions for the club’s long-term health.
This offseason, the Chiefs are likely to add further draft help to give them a trio of bright young wideouts. Many mock drafts have the Chiefs grabbing someone on Day 1 or 2, and the team has already invested a second-rounder in ’23 (Rice) and a first-round choice last spring (Worthy). Another young option to develop, particularly another deep threat, should round out the top of the depth chart.
The Chiefs needed to get this done with Hollywood Brown and they did.
That said, it takes time to develop in Andy Reid’s offense, and with Rashee Rice’s looming suspension (and Worthy’s own legal troubles), there was a need for a one-year veteran stopgap to serve as another reliable target for now. That’s why Brown’s signing was essential.
The naysayers here will make a great point that Brown is hardly “reliable”, especially after missing almost the entire season in ’24 due to a sternoclavicular injury. But what’s true is that Brown averaged 14.4 games played per season in his previous five years in the NFL. He returned healthy for the Chiefs’ postseason and looked great, and he’s only 27 years old.
The upside here is that Brown’s impact on the offense was obvious even after he returned. His presence allowed everyone else to operate as intended, which was especially freeing for Worthy, who became a true star in the Chiefs’ failed bid for a three-peat. Brown also has clear chemistry with Mahomes—something that was evident in the preseason—and the team wanted him back for a reason.
The Chiefs could have looked at other targets in free agency, and perhaps Veach still might, but at least they locked up a player who numerous other franchises would have desired before the floodgates are opened and the free agent frenzy begins. The offseason has not officially begun, and Kansas City has already signed the security blanket they needed most.
