5 dream scenarios for Chiefs in 2023 season
By Kristen Wong
Chiefs’ Dream Scenario No. 4: Wide receiver output improves substantially
“Substantially” is vague, but as long as the Chiefs wideouts stay healthy and gel quickly, this offense will stay at the top of the league.
Last offseason, the Chiefs decided to prioritize team-friendly receiver contracts as opposed to market-resetting deals for proven stars. The plan worked last year, and barring any schematic changes from newly promoted offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Kansas City should see growth and improvement from its wideout corps.
Of the team’s top six receivers, only two players are older than 24: Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson. Time for the young but notably unestablished group of Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross, and Rashee Rice to prove its worth.
Each player has his own unique strengths: Toney’s twitchiness, Moore’s YAC ability, Ross’ breakout potential, Rice’s high upside. The easiest recipe for the Chiefs’ offensive success is for one of those guys to molt into Mahomes’ top receiver, establishing a secure QB-WR link much like Mahomes did with Hill. In reality, that’s probably not going to happen; however, since we’re in dreamland some liberties can be taken.
Say Toney miraculously avoids injury in 2023 and emerges as WR1, going for 1,000 yards. MVS develops into an effective downfield target while Moore grows into his own as a do-it-all receiver and makes a consistent impact every week; Ross, Rice, and Richie James contribute as necessary.
The Chiefs didn’t pursue DeAndre Hopkins for a reason this offseason, and one has to assume Reid and Nagy know best.