The Kansas City Chiefs seemingly had it all figured out at the wide receiver position this past year... until they didn't. The trio of Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy never quite got off the ground and the Chiefs offense suffered as a result.
If the Chiefs want to ensure that they get back to being a playoff team (and Super Bowl contender) in 2026, adding a surefire stud to the wide receiver room is a must this offseason. There might not be a more polarizing option there than A.J. Brown, who might have played his final snap for the Philadelphia Eagles in their Wild Card loss to the 49ers.
When it comes to Brown's next potential landing spot, the Chiefs hold 14/1 odds, sitting behind the Ravens, Patriots, Bills, Raiders, Seahawks, Packers, and 49ers. It makes sense why the Chiefs are on the list at all but why they're not high up on the list. They need a wide receiver but might not have the money to make this deal happen.
Chiefs need a star receiver but A.J. Brown comes with risky baggage
There's no debating that the talent is there with Brown. In his seven years in the NFL (four with the Eagles, three with the Titans), he's had under 1,000 yards receiving just once (2021 with the Titans when he missed three games). Even with all of the drama surrounding him and the Eagles this past year, he still finished with over 1,000 yards receiving and scored seven touchdowns.
The risk with Brown, however, is that he's got a flare for the dramatics. He wasn't afraid to put his team on blast this past season and the Chiefs tend to not want to bring those types of guys in. Considering Patrick Mahomes will be returning from a major injury next season, is it a smart idea to bring someone like Brown in who could really disrupt the locker room? Do the Chiefs need that sort of distraction when they're going to be trying to right the ship in 2026?
Yes, the Chiefs are desperate for some real game-changers at wide receiver but even though Brown has proven to be one of those, this risk simply might not be worth it for a team needing to turn things around as soon as possible.