The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year despite a lack of reliable targets at the wide receiver position. Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach addressed that issue, replacing Marquez Valdes-Scantling with Marquise Brown and selecting wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round of the NFL Draft. While only time will tell whether or not these two play up to their potential, the early returns are promising. During a recent session with the media, quarterback Patrick Mahomes couldn’t stop praising Brown.
“He can run those over the middle routes, he can run really good routes and he can run deep,” Mahomes said, via ESPN. “It’s not like fast is the only thing that he can do and you’ve seen that really kind of transpire over these last few days of practice and he keeps getting better and better. You just see the speed that we have and how it’s opening up everybody and then even seeing Rashee [Rice] and how he’s taken that next step. It is a great group that all mesh well together and so I’m excited for their future. The sky is the limit.”
Patrick Mahomes: “Sky Is the Limit” For Marquise Brown With Chiefs
As per usual, we need to add the disclaimer about offseason hype pieces. This time of the year is always filled with unjustified optimism and you can’t take every quote you hear at face value. After all, last year at this time, Terrace Marshall was ready to break out for the Carolina Panthers. However, even with that asterisk, it’s easy to see how Marquise Brown could be a perfect fit for the Chiefs offense.
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league and there are, at most, three quarterbacks capable of matching his elite combination of arm strength and accuracy. There is no part of the field Mahomes cannot reach, which makes a player like Marquise Brown incredibly valuable to the Chiefs offense. While speed is his calling card, the wideout knows how to get open at all levels of the field. By comparison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling was more of a one-trick pony.
Newsy deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a profile up on the #ReceptionPerception site and the least surprising route charts of all time.https://t.co/vdjxWdUVee pic.twitter.com/J5CF4LlLWF
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 23, 2022
Piecing In the Offense
In isolation, going from Marquez Valdes-Scantling to Marquise Brown is a major upgrade for the Chiefs offense. However, that’s not the only major addition to the passing game. Mahomes didn’t mention first-round pick Xavier Worthy in the above quote, but the Texas product is already impressive in training camp. Once again, you can’t overreact to offseason work, as anyone who bought in on the Darwin Thompson hype train can tell you. However, it’s worth noting that Mahomes and Worthy already have an established rapport, as the wideout’s game-breaking speed and Mahomes’ jaw-dropping arm talent have the potential to dominate the league.
Andy Reid on Xavier Worthy during todays presser:
“He’a on track to be the best receiver in his class. I think a lot of people are going to realize that within the first few weeks.”
“His game shows no flaws this pre season, Corners struggled vs him”
pic.twitter.com/78QDDFCZyT— • (@WokeeJa) July 21, 2024
With these two taking the top off the defense, Rashee Rice should be able to take advantage of easier looks in the short and intermediate part of the field. Of course, this assumes the wide receiver will play in 2024, as he will receive some suspension for his offseason activities. Head coach Andy Reid has yet to hear an update, but we can assume the second-round pick will be on the field at some point in the season. If all three players reach their potential, it will be hard for any other team to stand between them and a third Lombardi trophy.
Main Photo: Joe Rondone – USA Today Sports
