After a drop-filled season last year, the Kansas City Chiefs added several new players to their WR room this offseason. They signed Marquise Brown in free agency and drafted Xavier Worthy out of Texas in the first round. The Chiefs also bring back Juju Smith-Schuster after a one-year stint with the New England Patriots. These new additions join Rashee Rice, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, and Justin Watson in the Chiefs WR corps.
The 2023 season was a frustrating roller coaster for Chiefs pass catchers. They led the league in drops and only one receiver finished the season with more than 500 yards. However, with new WRs expected to play substantial roles in the offense, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid hope for much better play in 2024.
Chiefs’ New WR Corps Look to Bounce-Back From Last Year
How Will the Chiefs Use New WRs?
The Chiefs brought in WR Marquis “Hollywood” Brown to be a prominent new target in their passing offense. Brown has proven to be a dangerous deep-ball threat in his five previous seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals and has shown flashes of being able to take over games. Unfortunately, drops and injuries have also become a common theme in his career. The Chiefs expect Brown to miss the first few weeks of the season as he deals with a shoulder injury he suffered in preseason. He will likely be Patrick Mahomes’ #3 target behind Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice when he returns to the lineup.
Kansas City selected WR Xavier Worthy with the 28th pick in the 2024 draft. The rookie ran a 4.21 40-yard dash at the combine, the fastest ever recorded. The Chiefs have been looking for a speedy receiver to take the top off of defenses since trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in 2022. They are hoping that Worthy’s record-breaking speed can one day replace the explosive threat that Hill provided for many years. Furthermore, there are no expectations for Xavier Worthy to be the Chiefs’ #1 receiver anytime soon, so he’ll have time to learn and develop under his veteran teammates.
The final new WR for the Chiefs this season is actually a familiar face. Juju Smith-Schuster spent the 2022 season with the Chiefs after playing his first five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished the year with over 900 yards receiving and helped them win the first of their back-to-back Super Bowls. After being cut from New England in August, the Chiefs signed Smith-Schuster to their roster following their final preseason game. The move reunites Patrick Mahomes with a receiver he has a familiar rapport with and gives the team much-needed depth with Hollywood Brown injured.
Where do Returning WRs Fit In?
With so many new faces in the Chiefs WR room, the returning players from last year have found themselves at the bottom of the depth chart. Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore were both drafted with high hopes but have failed to live up to expectations so far in Kansas City. While they’ve certainly had their moments, inconsistency and slow improvement have defined their time with the Chiefs. With the emergence of Rashee Rice and so many new names in the offense, targets will probably be hard to come by for Hardman and Moore. Justin Watson finished 2nd out of Chiefs receivers in yards with 460 despite only catching 17 passes. While he has reliable hands, Watson struggles to create separation and doesn’t figure to be a focal point for the Chiefs’ offense this season.
The only returning WR with no worries about losing their role in the offense is second-year standout Rashee Rice. In fact, the Chiefs expect Rice to make the next step this season and become a legitimate #1 receiver. Rice led the team with 7 touchdown receptions in his rookie campaign and was 2nd in yards with 938. He also broke the NFL playoff record for total receiving yards by a rookie. Rice has dealt with several legal issues this offseason following a hit-and-run incident in April. There were talks of suspending him for at least four games, but the NFL looks to be holding off on any punishment while the investigation is ongoing. If Rashee Rice can ignore the distractions and grow as a player and person, he may have a breakout year in 2024.
Outlook for Chiefs WR in 2024
On paper, the Chiefs’ WR corps are vastly improved from last year. However, there are still plenty of question marks going into the 2024 season. Will Rashee Rice’s legal issues get in the way of his progression? Can Xavier Worthy finally replace Tyreek Hill’s explosiveness? How effective will Hollywood Brown coming back from a dislocated shoulder? Many things remain to be seen with the Chiefs’ receivers this year, but this group has all the capabilities to make the offense much more lethal.
Main Photo: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
