Chiefs can rub salt in the wounds of 3 biggest AFC rivals with 1 more WR signing

The Kansas City Chiefs have only lost three playoff games since quarterback Patrick Mahomes took the league by storm in 2018. Two of those losses, understandably, came against Tom Brady. The last loss came against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game following the 2021 season.

The game was a tale of Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare,” with Kansas City playing the role of the Hare. After jumping out to a 21-3 lead, Kansas City’s offense went into a slumber and the defense was unable to hold down the Bengals in an eventual overtime loss.

The Cincinnati Bengals offense — outfitted with wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd — was difficult to shut down for an entire game. As Chase and Higgins have developed into one of the best wide receiver duos in the league, Boyd became the forgotten man.

As most of the offseason focus has centered around Higgins’ contract stalemate, Boyd has quietly entered free agency.

Chiefs could sting AFC rival with wide receiver signing

With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview, Kansas City can turn its attention to the second wave of free agency. General manager Brett Veach has attempted to address the team’s receiver corps this offseason, but the unit still faces a lot of uncertainty. After a promising rookie campaign, wide receiver Rashee Rice could miss most of the 2024 NFL season with a lengthy suspension. 

Most of the premier free agents have already been signed, but Boyd won’t be on the market for long. The veteran wideout is visiting the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans later this week, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Spotrac estimates that Boyd’s market value is a two-year contract with an annual average salary of $7.9 million.

Boyd’s misleading statistical output could be causing him to be undervalued. The 29-year-old wide receiver was blossoming into an annual 1,000-yard wideout before the emergence of Chase and Higgins drastically cut into his target share. 

Along with the decreased target share, the Bengals offense sputtered and fell apart in 2023, leading to one of Boyd’s least productive seasons. He caught 67 passes for 667 yards and 2 touchdowns in 17 games. The Chiefs could present Boyd the best opportunity he has had to succeed since the 2019 season, when he recorded 90 catches for 1,046 yards.

The acquisition of wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown could be the most underrated free agent signing of the offseason. Kansas City also traded up to select Texas speedster Xavier Worthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While both of those wideouts are known for their speed, they don’t possess the size that Boyd could provide at 6-foot-2.  

By signing Boyd, Kansas City would complete the AFC rivalry trifecta:

Marquise Brown was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.

Xavier Worthy was selected with the Buffalo Bills’ draft pick.

Tyler Boyd, of course, has been with Cincinnati for his entire career.

By winning a Super Bowl with that trio of wide receivers, Kansas City could rub salt in the wounds of their three biggest AFC rivals all at once.

Still, the Chiefs may feel comfortable managing the early portion of the season with tight end Travis Kelce, Brown, and Worthy until Rice is able to return. Kansas City has approximately $15.1 million in salary cap space, although some of that will be needed to sign their rookie class.

Boyd was selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He compiled 513 catches for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns through his eight years in Cincinnati.