With a 7-3 record, the Kansas City Chiefs are no longer the clear-cut best team in the AFC. The defending Super Bowl champions are still the favorites to make it back to the big game in 2024 because of their experience, consistency, and franchise quarterback. However, the Miami Dolphins are 8-3 and there are two other 7-3 teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. The Chiefs are very much not in the clear.
Kansas City has a great defense, and Patrick Mahomes is still one of the major MVP candidates in the NFL. The problem is that Mahomes has too much on his shoulders, as he is carrying an offense that, for maybe the first time in his career in Kansas City, lacks top talent at the skill positions. Many of the players around him, especially the wide receivers, aren't doing enough to help him.
The good news is that there are a number of experienced free agent wide receivers the Chiefs can sign to give the NFL's best quarterback a bit of a boost. Here are five options they could consider.
5. Jarvis Landry
While Jarvis Landry isn't the most exciting option and drew the ire of Cleveland Browns fans, their criticisms were more about the bloated salary their incompetent front office signed him to, in addition to the rather bland role he played in the offense. But when you look at how many plays the Chiefs leave on the field with bad drops, amateur routes, and basic communication errors, a stabilizing veteran presence in the slot like Landry to open things up for other players isn't a bad idea at all.
This time around, Landry would be cheap. He isn't going to command a grossly inflated salary like he did in Cleveland Landry can come in, move the chains, and, most of all, hold onto the football. The Chiefs honestly need two guys to help their wide receiver corps, so they could sign Landry to go with the young, great athletes they already have, or pair him with a receiver who has a little more juice. At this juncture, though, the Chiefs aren't going to find explosive, sure-fire playmaking studs in free agency.
4. Sammy Watkins
When Sammy Watkins was a wide receiver prospect, he was more touted than Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Brandin Cooks, Allen Robinson, and other great pass-catchers in the same legendary draft class. Aside from a couple of sparse shouts for Odell, nobody really doubted it at the time. Watkins was a monster for Clemson and had a phenomenal start to his career with the Buffalo Bills.
Unfortunately for Watkins, his career never truly took off because of nagging injuries. He had some games with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018 to 2020 after a failed trade to the Rams from Buffalo, but he didn't turn his career around with Mahomes and Co. either. Still, Watkins had his moments for the Chiefs and is better than some of the receivers getting snaps for them right now, including Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He showed some juice last season for the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers last season, averaging 12 yards per target. There's a contributor in there.
3. TY Hilton
Jarvis Landry and Sammy Watkins have put together solid NFL careers, but TY Hilton was legitimately one of the league's elite wideouts during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. Hilton was Andrew Luck's go-to weapon when the ex-Stanford star didn't have much around him. He made four straight Pro Bowls and even led the league with 1,448 receiving yards in 2016.
At this point, Hilton's decline has been steep. He got a look from the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, and there was some optimism he could play a key role in their high-octane offense. Instead, Hilton only got three games in.
For him, though, the biggest problem is just getting on the field. If you look at his numbers over the past few seasons, he's still making a "successful" play on well over half of his targets. As a mid-season, veteran free agent flier, you could do a lot worse than Hilton. Better yet, with a quarterback like Mahomes, Hilton has the upside to prove he has one more in him with a big season.
2. Marvin Jones Jr.
For his entire career, Marvin Jones has been underrated. Even when he started his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, he was overlooked. Jones was one of the most efficient receivers in the league, but he was always going to be overshadowed by Cincy's superstar AJ Green. Funnily enough, though, he would even get overshadowed by Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert, and Mohamed Sanu, probably because those guys were having hot streaks in fantasy.
The Detroit Lions noticed how good Jones was, and he flourished in the Motor City. After a couple of decent seasons in Jacksonville, Jones returned to Detroit in 2023 but had to leave the team last month because of family issues.
Hopefully, Jones and his family are doing okay, and you'd think that he would return to the Lions if everything improves at home and he's ready for football. They love him in Detroit, and he loves the organization. However, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. If Jones wants to return this season but the Lions don't see it as a good fit, maybe he'll want to hook up with Mahomes and the Chiefs for a Super Bowl run. He may be 33, but he's still a quality wide receiver.
1. Kenny Golladay
A more exciting option could be one of Marvin Jones' former teammates in Detroit, Kenny Golladay. The 30-year-old cleared 1,000 receiving yards in his second and third seasons, becoming one of the most promising young receivers in the NFL. His big-play ability always stood out in a great partnership with Jones, as Golladay led the league in receiving touchdowns with 11 in his lone Pro Bowl season of 2019.
After a trade to the New York Giants, Golladay's star faded, though it's hard to judge him too harshly because of the dysfunction that continues to reign in the Big Apple. Golladay is another guy who could have a late-career renaissance in the right situation. There's no better quarterback to work with than Patrick Mahomes. Golladay has the contest-catch ability and playmaking to offer something different to the Chiefs offense out wide.
