The Kansas City Chiefs need to add a wide receiver at the trade deadline. That's not even up for discussion at this point. Getting Rashee Rice back from a hamstring injury helped in Week 8, but as we saw in the loss against the Denver Broncos, it wasn't enough.
Xavier Worthy is not going to live up to his first-round stock, and Tyquan Thornton won't be back for several months, if at all. Cyrus Allen is a rookie fifth-rounder, and Jalen Royals isn't doing anything with the snaps he's given.
Ignoring the position in the offseason now forces Brett Veach to make a move before next week's deadline. Chiefs fans can talk about trying to get Garrett Wilson all they want but that is not going to happen. A more realistic name, however, could be Rashod Bateman of the Baltimore Ravens.
Why a trade for Rashod Bateman makes too much sense
The Ravens are 4-4 on the year, and they just lost their top two quarterbacks for the season: Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. The AFC North is tough this year, and they'll have their work cut out for them with a QB3 like Joe Fagnano under center. If things get ugly in Week 9 versus Jacksonville, Baltimore might decide to sell.
Even before Jackson's most recent injury, Bateman has been identified as a potentially available player, and Jeremy Fowler even mentioned the Chiefs as a sensible trade partner.
Baltimore selected Bateman with the 27th overall pick back in 2021 out of Minnesota and he's been a consistent performer for them during his five full seasons with the Ravens. Baltimore signed him to a three-year extension prior to the 2025 season, one that was worth $36.75 million and goes through 2029.
Bateman was coming off his best season at that point, tallying a career-high 756 yards and 9 touchdowns. While he hasn't come close to that production since then, with 19 catches for 224 yards last year, the Ravens' quarterback situation has been messy in that span. With Patrick Mahomes at the helm, he wouldn't have that issue in Kansas City.
Fans could see what a strong impact Thornton had as a vertical threat down the field. It was clear that Mahomes felt comfortable launching the ball down field because he had faith in Thornton to be where he needed to be. The Chiefs lost that type of weapon when Thornton went down and Bateman could give them a viable replacement who could stretch the field for them.
The Chiefs don't necessarily need a 1,000-yard receiver to come in but just adding someone like Bateman that can be a weapon down field for Mahomes would add a lot to this offense.
What would it cost to land Bateman in a trade?
Bateman is signed through the 2029 season, so he'd be more than a short-term rental for Kansas City. Since Baltimore is on the hook for roster bonuses, the Chiefs would face cap hits of $8.25 million in 2027, $10.25 million in 2028, and $12.25 million in 2029. Those are bargain prices if he's productive.
Ravens expert Connor Burke says future cap commitments might make it worthwhile for the Ravens to think about a trade despite having a young receiver locked up for so long.
"I'd lean closer to him sticking around just because he's on a team-friendly deal through 2029, and I doubt the Ravens try to move anything outside a few one-year contracts. But Baltimore's also in a very tough cap situation next offseason, which might create some uncomfortable trade conversations."
Burke said that a fourth- or fifth-round selection could get it done. Then again, the Ravens might not be cool with sending him to Kansas City, as these two teams have exchanged blows in recent years.
One thing the Chiefs will need to consider is the off-field situation surrounding Bateman. In August, TMZ reported that Bateman allegedly smashed the windows of his child's mother's car while their three-month-old child was inside. The incident reportedly occurred in June and led to Bateman's arrest.
Jamison Hensley of ESPN wrote shortly after the news surfaced that Bateman could face punishment. "Bateman could face discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy. A violation of the policy involving family violence could lead to an unpaid suspension of six games."
While no punishment has been handed down, this could remain an ongoing legal matter that K.C. would have to navigate if it traded for Bateman. As Hensley noted, the wide receiver could also be facing a potential suspension.
The Chiefs will have to decide what they want to do at the wide receiver position. Bateman would be a more affordable option and might be one of the best available names they could realistically land without having to break the bank. There's a week remaining until the deadline hits, however, and the Chiefs need to make a decision, and fast.
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