Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Hollywood Brown came into the 2024 season with high expectations during his walk year. Brown was entering a Chiefs offense with the potential to be the clear WR1. Kansas City has Travis Kelce and top draft pick Xavier Worthy, but Brown was still looked at as a potential 1,000-yard receiver before the season began.
Unfortunately for both Brown and the Chiefs, the star pass catcher would suffer numerous injuries before he could ever take the field in a Kansas City uniform. He would end up making his regular season debut against the Houston Texans late in the year. Across two regular season games, he totaled nine catches for 91 yards.
Brown would play in each of Kansas City's three postseason games, gathering five catches on 13 targets for 50 yards. He didn't seem like the same receiver as he was before the injuries, which can be expected after missing so much time. Brown will now enter free agency with the potential to sign a deal with any team he would like.
If Brown opts to leave Kansas City following the disappointing and injury-riddled season, who are the top teams in pursuit of the potential star pass catcher?
3. New England Patriots
When looking at the teams in the league who may want to take a shot on Brown, there are a few that stand out. The first team is the New England Patriots for a few different reasons.
New England was connected to a few top pass catchers who found themselves on the trade block last season, but they didn't land any of them. It's obvious they are looking to upgrade at wide receiver, for good reason. In 2024, the team's leading receiver was tight end Hunter Henry. Nobody eclipsed 700 yards receiving. New England needs to add talent in the worst way possible.
Brown could be the secondary addition alongside a bigger addition, whether that be a talent in the draft like Tre Harris or a free agent like Tee Higgins.
The only thing that could hold this up is the fact that the Patriots might have too much money to land a wide receiver in Brown's price range. It's more likely that New England adds a pass catcher in the draft and signs a wideout of Chris Godwin or Tee Higgins' caliber than signing somebody like Brown. But, if the Patriots whiff on a few top options, Brown is far from a bad consolation prize.
2. Buffalo Bills
Another team that struggled with wide receiver depth in 2024 was the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen didn't struggle with his depth at pass catcher, as he won the NFL MVP in 2024, but the team could use some upgrades out wide, specifically one with the speed of Brown. Allen has some of the best arm strength in the entire league so adding somebody with 4.2 speed would allow Buffalo to stretch the field in the best possible way, opening the game up for James Cook, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and Allen in the short game.
Brown would also likely be very willing to take a deal with the Bills. If he's going to leave a team like the Chiefs, he'll need to land with a contender or on a nice-sized deal. Buffalo is exactly the kind of contender he would be willing to leave the Chiefs for.
There would be multiple reasons this could be a win for Buffalo. Not only would they be adding a very talented wide receiver, but they would be stealing him from an AFC rival that they continue to meet in the playoffs year in and year out. Weakening the Chiefs is a win for the Bills.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
The top team for just about every wide receiver in the league is going to be the Pittsburgh Steelers. This includes potential trades for pass catchers like Cooper Kupp. It also includes free agents like Brown, but also guys like Keenan Allen, Tee Higgins, and many others.
In 2024, the Steelers really only had one quality wideout, George Pickens, and there are already rumors stirring that Pittsburgh could look to part ways with him due to his reported attitude problems. While there have been no confirmed reports of this, it's still a rumor swirling.
It's obvious the Steelers need to replace the core of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and Mike Williams which could have attributed to the offensive struggles down the stretch in 2024.
If the Steelers can add two quality wide receivers alongside Pickens, they could be set up for a very successful 2025 season. Brown would be a quality boundary receiver for the Steelers, providing the ability to stretch the field on go-routes opposite of Pickens. Adding a prospect like Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State would give the Steelers another solid option, but adding Brown would be the first step.