The Kansas City Chiefs are still determining the extent of the Rashee Rice injury, but a recent report suggests that won’t stop them from monitoring the wide receiver trade market. Despite winning the Super Bowl last year, Kansas City entered the offseason with a glaring need at the wide receiver position. Guys like Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore weren’t getting the job done, so the Chiefs spent the offseason aggressively trying to find reliable weapons for Patrick Mahomes.
For a while, it appeared as though the Chiefs added enough talent to keep this offense among the league’s elite. Speedy free agent Marquise Brown was a perfect fit for Andy Reid’s scheme, first-round pick Xavier Worthy offered elite upside, and 2023 second-round pick Rashee Rice was ready to build on his promising rookie season . However, the injury bug struck hard, as Brown and Rice are both sidelined indefinitely. With Rice set to visit a specialized orthopedic surgeon, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport recently reported that the Chiefs will be active on the wide receiver trade market.
Chiefs Expected to Be Active On Wide Receiver Trade Market
The 2024 season has been a relatively underwhelming one for Patrick Mahomes. Widely considered the best quarterback in the NFL, the two-time MVP has put up relatively pedestrian numbers through the first four weeks of the season. Entering Week 5, he ranks 16th in EPA/play, 13th in PFF grade, and 12th in passing yards while posting an unremarkable 6:5 TD:INT ratio. Mahomes didn’t forget how to throw a football, so a wide receiver trade should get the Chiefs offense back on track.
The only question is who the Chiefs will target. Brown and Rice are out of the picture for the foreseeable future, and while Xavier Worthy had his fair share of splash plays, he’s not quite ready for a full-time role. Mahomes is great, but he’ll need more help if he wants to become the first quarterback to win three Super Bowls in as many seasons. Fortunately for the Chiefs, they shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a wide receiver on the trade market, as several veterans are rumored to be available.
Possible Fits
The biggest name on the wide receiver trade market right now is Davante Adams, and he’s probably the top option for the Kansas City Chiefs. A three-time First-Team All-Pro, the 31-year-old wideout isn’t the same unstoppable force who dominated in Green Bay for years on end, but he remains one of the league’s better receivers. A dangerous route runner who can make plays on every level of the field, Adams is battling a hamstring injury that will likely clear up once he lands with a contender. Will the Las Vegas Raiders trade Adams to a division rival? Only time will tell, but it appears the Chiefs, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints are the frontrunners for his services.
If the Chiefs can’t trade for Davante Adams, then wide Amari Cooper would be a fine consolation prize. Another veteran with some gas left in his tank, the Browns will likely part ways with the former first-round pick if their season continues to go south. This roster is talented, but Deshaun Watson is singlehandedly ruining the entire team with his abysmal play. Seeing as his contract makes him unmovable, Cleveland will likely trade Cooper and hope they can use the draft pick to build a brighter future.
