The Kansas City Chiefs might be 5-0, but there are plenty of worries surrounding the wide receiver position. For one, two of the original starters are injured, with Rashee Rice missing last week's game and Tyquan Thornton not returning until maybe the playoffs, if at all. That's left the Chiefs thin at a position that people were already concerned about coming into the season.
The joke has always been that as soon as a former Chiefs wide receiver becomes available, Brett Veach is going to bring him in or at least consider doing so. From names like Mecole Hardman to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Veach never hesitates to reunite with a former Chiefs wideout. The most recent example of this happened just last week, with Justin Watson returning to Kansas City after a little over a year away.
Perhaps the next example could happen soon, as Hollywood Brown is reportedly on the trade block, at least according to Jordan Schultz. If that's true, Chiefs fans are probably already rolling their eyes and expecting a potential reunion between the two sides.
Hollywood Brown is on the trade block, but the Chiefs shouldn't bite
No disrespect to Brown, but hopefully, Veach doesn't bite. It'd be even worse if he traded draft picks to reunite with Brown, considering he doesn't have a single catch for the Eagles this year and has been active in just one of their six games. Why should the Chiefs be chomping at the bit to bring him back?
Brown first joined the Chiefs in 2024 but unfortunately was injured during the preseason and missed most of the regular season. He re-signed with the team in 2025 and was second on the team in receiving yards with 587 while scoring five touchdowns. It's not that Brown was bad, per se, but rather that he didn't step up and take charge the way the Chiefs needed him to.
Chiefs receivers stepped up in their first challenge
While it's been an incredibly small sample size since both Rice and Thornton went down, the remaining Chiefs receivers gave fans some optimism in their first game off the bye. Xavier Worthy, the lone remaining soldier out of the original starting trio, played well, tallying 73 yards on seven catches.
The depth pieces showed that they could be worth giving more opportunities to as well, with rookie Cyrus Allen catching a 23-yard pass late in the game and Jalen Royals snagging an 18-yard reception at one point. Andrew Armstrong even got in on the action with a 13-yard catch.
While it's only been one game since the injuries to Rice and Thornton, the Chiefs' depth pieces showed that they deserve to continue getting opportunities in the offense. Sure, Brown is familiar with the offense, but what's the point in having these young guys on the roster if they're not going to get a chance to show what they can do when the team needs them to?
It'd be one thing if the Chiefs hadn't seen anything from Allen, Royals, and the others, but they stepped up when called upon on Sunday. Bringing Brown in would move them all further down the totem pole and potentially hinder their development.
Bringing Hollywood Brown back would be a mistake
At the end of the day, Veach is going to do what he thinks is best. If he thinks Brown can help Patrick Mahomes and this Chiefs offense get back to the Super Bowl, then he's going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Hopefully, Veach allows the young receivers to continue to show what they can contribute to this offense. Mahomes has mentioned the trust he has in Allen, and the rookie stepped up with a massive catch against the Chargers in a critical moment. Royals and Armstrong also made their presence known, but it'd be nice to see them get even more playing time.
The Chiefs can't continue to fall into their old habits of bringing their former players back whenever they're made available. Brown is on the trade block for a reason, and there were signs last year that he wasn't the same player he once was.
K.C. needs to pass on Hollywood Brown and let the young guys develop.
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