Chiefs Urged To Re-Up $81 Million All-Po WR To Sustain Diminishing Receiving Corps

The Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to improve on the offensive and defensive lines after getting mauled in the trenches by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

The Chiefs’ o-line gave up 6 sacks in what became one of the biggest Super Bowl routs since Kansas City themselves were thoroughly beaten by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV – where they also had offensive line issues.

An area to work on that is looking up, however, is receiver. Not only is legendary tight end, Travis Kelce, likely to return to the fold after offseason retirement speculation, but the team has two excellent, young talents at WR in Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy.

The only problem for the Chiefs is that those two pretty much total the team’s entire receiving corps signed through 2025, with only 2023 undrafted free agent, Nikko Remigio, who had just 48 receiving yards last year, and former second rounder, Skyy Moore, who had none, keeping the pair company on the roster.

Chiefs Looking To Make Receiver Moves In The Offseason

Consequently, the team will have to look to either re-sign some of their current complimentary offensive weapons, or dip into the fairly lackluster WR free agent market.

Chiefs general manager, Brett Veach, has already outlined plans to bring back Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who missed the majority of this past season with a shoulder injury.

However, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon believes the team should go a step further and re-sign 5 x All-Pro and mid-season transplant to the mid-west, DeAndre Hopkins.

“Trey Smith is likely gone”, Gagnon writes, “and most of Patrick Mahomes’ pass-catchers could get away as well. In the interest of keeping one veteran weapon in Mahomes’ arsenal, Hopkins should take priority on a short-term deal.”

What Will The Chiefs’ WR Room Look Like In 2025?

Given that Kansas City are actively looking to bring back Hollywood Brown, it may seem a little puzzling to want to also bring back the potential future Hall of Famer.

But in a team still lacking strength and depth in the pass-catching department – at least until the return of Rashee Rice, who spent the majority of the past season out with a knee injury – Hopkins provides a reliable, experienced pair of hands, and had the joint 3rd highest amount of regular season receiving yards at 437, despite playing just 10 games.

“D-Hop” demonstrated in 2023, prior to last season at the Chiefs, that he is far from finished, managing to surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the 7th time in his career despite having to catch passes from a rookie Will Levis within a dysfunctional Tennessee Titans offense.

Spotrac,com projects that Hopkins will receive a 1 year deal with a renumeration just north of $15 million, but in reality this figure is probably heavily inflated given his age; going into his age-33 year – and mileage; this will be his 13th season in the NFL.

But there is no doubt there is still some gas left in the tank, even if he is not the bona fide WR1 he was a couple of years ago – and at a $7 million/year figure, he could be a an excellent bargain player to keep around for a Chiefs team looking to reach the Promised Land once again.