Chiefs depth chart: 3 backup plans after missing on DeAndre Hopkins

No. 1 Chiefs backup plan after missing on DeAndre Hopkins: Jarvis Landry

If the Chiefs wanted to get as close to the potential impact of DeAndre Hopkins by acquiring a receiver still on the free agent market, the answer is Jarvis Landry.

His numbers with the Saints last year weren’t particularly impressive. He caught 25 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown. However, he did that in only nine games while dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Remember how Sammy Watkins modest production from 2022 still outdid most of the Chiefs current options? The same applies to Landry.

Going after Landry comes with the risk of investing in a player who could never get over the injury struggles. Still, he wouldn’t be so expensive that it wouldn’t be worth the try.

It wasn’t so long ago that Landry was a perenial Pro Bowler with multiple 1,000-yard seasons under his belt. No one on the Chiefs roster at wide receiver has reached those heights.

KC was reportedly interested in Landry last year before he signed with the Saints. Circling back to that idea now would make a whole lot of sense.

So what will the Chiefs do at wide receiver? They have the early stages of training camp to get a better look at what they already have and what gaps they need to fill with outside options. The veteran free agents are out there. The hard part is deciding whether the youngsters can get the job done themselves.