4 potential wide receiver trade targets for KC Chiefs if issues persist
1. Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It shouldn't surprise anyone to see Mike Evans's name on this list. At the same time KC's wideouts were laying an egg in their season debut, word was breaking that Evans and the Buccaneers would not be reaching an agreement on a contract extension. That means that Evans is on track to hit the open market at the end of the season. The Buccaneers still have a younger Chris Godwin under contract to anchor their receiver room and serious long-term questions at quarterback that could put them in a position to start a full rebuild if things go poorly this season.
Despite some reports that the Buccaneers don't plan to trade Mike Evans, at a certain point what they want to do and what is in their long-term best interest may be at odds with each other. If a team like the Chiefs was willing to give them a better draft pick than the comp pick they would likely receive if/when he leaves in free agency then it would very likely be hard for them to pass up.
On one hand, Evans would be a significant weapon to add to KC's roster. He's a four-time Pro Bowler and the only wideout in NFL history to start his career with nine straight 1,000-yard seasons. Giving Mahomes the duo of Kelce and Evans to work with would be a nightmare for the rest of the league. The thing that makes the possibility of this happening relatively low is Evans's contract/cap situation. The Chiefs would need to clear some significant space to make him fit under the cap and that would likely mean giving Evans a new contract.
With Evans having just turned 30 last month, it would be a highly questionable investment to give him a massive long-term deal. So my overall takeaway on Evans is that he would be the most likely to help the Chefs win a Super Bowl this season, but if it costs KC a high draft pick and they would have to give Evans a sizable contract extension, it is also likely the worst option in terms of KC's long-term outlook.
So now let's look at a wideout that's still a notable name at the position, but isn't quite as old as Evans.