During 11-on-11 drills on the second day of minicamp, Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo threw a Cover Zero blitz at Patrick Mahomes.
But the Chiefs quarterback beat it, connecting on a deep touchdown to wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
“(I) put my head down, trusting that he was going to throw it,” Brown said, “looked up, the ball was in the air.”
A similar pass to Brown against the blitz did not work during organized team activities (OTAs). So although that minicamp score shows the deep threat potential of Brown, who beat Chamarri Conner on the touchdown, it perhaps more importantly reveals the connection Mahomes is forming with his new target, which began at the passing camp the quarterback hosted in his native Texas.
“From when we first started, going back in Dallas, to now, it just keeps improving,” Brown said, “and he’s trusting me more and more.”
That rapport is exciting news for the Chiefs, who hope Brown can bring back the deep pass to Kansas City.
Mahomes has one of the strongest arms in the NFL, but in 2023 he had the lowest yards per attempt (7.0) in his seven years, and it was only the second time it had been under 8.0 in his career as the Chiefs mostly operated a dink-and-dunk offense.
But Brown ran a 4.27 in the 40 at his Oklahoma Pro Day. Paired with rookie Xavier Worthy, who set the NFL Combine record with a 4.21 in the 40-yard dash, he could give the Chiefs a dimension they’ve missed since they traded Tyreek Hill away.
“Those guys are blazers,” wide receiver Justin Watson said. “They’re a different level of speed, and defenses are going to have to back up.”
Head coach Andy Reid, though, emphasized Brown is more than just a speed merchant who can spread the field.
“He can play inside or outside, and I stay away from saying ‘a deep threat,’ although he can do that,” Reid said. “He can play within the offense and do all of the different routes that we asked.”
Mahomes complimented Brown’s ability to get in and out of his cuts and feel for space and said those attributes will make him valuable over the middle of the field. He also praised how quickly he’s picking up Reid’s intricate offense.
The rub is that Mahomes and the Chiefs may have to enjoy Brown while they can.
Team brass alluded to the fact that they were surprised they were able to land a player, who has exceeded 700 receiving yards three times during his five seasons, at such an affordable price — a one-year deal with a base value of $7 million that’s worth up to $11 million.
“We were lucky that Hollywood’s situation played out the way it did,” Chiefs general manager BrettBrett -20.2% Veach said. “He’s going to be a great one-year addition for us and he’s going to set himself up nicely moving forward.”
Since the Chiefs signed Brown at that bargain price, the wide receiver market has exploded. Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Waddle each signed new deals exceeding $28 million a year.
Hollywood Brown may not quite be in the echelon of those receivers, but a year catching passes from the NFL’s best quarterback in Reid’s cutting-edge offense could result in a hefty pay raise the next offseason.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster experienced something similar, parlaying a one-year deal with the Chiefs into a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the New England Patriots.
But in the mean time, Chiefs fans can look forward to Mahomes’ shiny, new — and speedy — toy.
“We’re going to put a lot of pressure on people for sure,” Brown said. “It’s going to be exciting.”
