Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chiefs need to bolster their wide receiver corps after Rashee Rice's absence leaves a major void in the offense.
- Kansas City's remaining cap space and urgency make this offseason pivotal for building around Patrick Mahomes.
- Three experienced free agents could dramatically reshape the team's offensive dynamics and playoff hopes.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to have to rebound from a seriously disappointing 2025 but the current roster makeup is nowhere near what it needs to be to do so. The solution to that starts at the wide receiver position.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes can elevate any receiver he plays with, but 2026 is likely going to be the most difficult campaign for him to do that. WR1 Rashee Rice is serving a jail sentence and dealing with a lingering knee injury, which means WR2 Xavier Worthy could wind up stepping into the top role. Worthy is fast but he can be double-teamed if guys on the depth chart like Tyquan Thornton and Cyrus Allen can't break out.
These three receivers, still very much available on the free agent market, can solve Kansas City's problem at the position. They may be aging but they've still got enough left in the tank for a short-term deal before the team's championship window starts to close.
Tyreek Hill
If the New York Giants can justify a reunion with 33-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. then the Chiefs certainly can do the same with 32-year-old Tyreek Hill. His displeasure and decline with the Miami Dolphins was more a symptom of the team's mismanagement and injuries. Hill is still a speedster with a high production floor.
Mahomes would benefit playing with a familiar face again. There would be much less of a buffer period in learning the playbook and transitioning into the system with Hill at training camp. He was nearly a 1,000-yard receiver in 2024 and that was with Tua Tagovailoa already missing significant time with his concussion problems. Do it for the fans, Kansas City, and bring Hill home.
Stefon Diggs
Diggs is the top free agent option by far and having been cleared of his off-field legal issues, his phone should be ringing off the hook. The 32-year-old posted 1,013 receiving yards last year, proving he's still got what it takes to be an effective weapon in the league. Given how thin Kansas City is at the receiver position, adding his services would immediately give it the deadliest trio next to Rice and Worthy.
There's a wide open hole on the Chiefs' roster with Diggs' name written on it and $4.5 million in salary cap space left unused this offseason. He instantly provides more offensive security for Mahomes and would take pressure of guys like Worthy and tight end Travis Kelce who is in the twilight of his own career. He should've been the team's first phone call as soon as he was cleared in court.
Deebo Samuel
It's been incredibly surprising to see Deebo Samuel go this long without being signed. His 727 yards and five touchdowns are nothing to sneeze at and belong in the proper context of being without QB Jayden Daniels for a significant portion of the 2025 season. He averaged 10.1 yards per reception as well which should be any offensive coordinator's dream given he's 30 years old.
Samuel would compliment the current cohort of receivers Kansas City boasts as he introduces another angle for the run game to take against opposing defenses. Samuel is a master of the jet sweep and despite Worthy being the Chiefs' fastest receiver, Samuel can provide another deep ball threat. Adding him would free up Worthy to sprint downfield and leave the middle of the field for Rice and Samuel to prey on linebackers. Samuel is the economic and smart choice for Kansas City to beef up the roster.
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