Chiefs Rumors: Hollywood Brown update, Suamataia optimism, Noah Gray fallout

The Kansas City Chiefs squeaked past the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football in what could very well be an early preview of the AFC Championship Game. Lamar Jackson was his standard, dynamic self, and Isaiah Likely blew up in the most unexpected fashion, but it was the Chiefs' spritely offense — led, as many expected, by Rashee Rice and rookie speedster Xavier Worthy — that won the day.

Andy Reid has another contender on his hands. Shocking. While the Chiefs are widely viewed as AFC favorites, there will be bumps along the way. No title pursuit is free of obstacles, as the 2023-24 Chiefs proved quite thoroughly. If Kansas City is going to three-peat, it will take a few lucky breaks and another historic campaign from future GOAT Patrick Mahomes.

Here are the latest rumblings from around the team as the Chiefs approach a Week 2 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Chiefs Rumors: Noah Gray contract quietly sets up Kansas City for future maneuverings

The Chiefs inked backup tight end Noah Gray to a three-year, $18 million contract extension before the season. It includes $10.1 million guaranteed. On the surface, that's a hefty investment in a reserve tight end, especially when one considers the volume of top-shelf salaries on the Chiefs' current payroll.

Nobody can deny Gray's impact in Kansas City, whether it's as a second-banana playmaker, a run blocker, or even as a fullback. He's extremely versatile and pretty much the idealized version of a 'TE2' behind Travis Kelce, whose value is rooted in the route-running. That said, a $6 million AAV is steep. Thankfully for Kansas City fans, however, it's not as substantial as it appears on the surface. Credit to Brett Veach and the front office for some sly financial gymnastics.

Gray's contract both increases his salary compared to the final year of his rookie contract and decreases his cap hit, writes John Dixon of Arrowhead Pride.

"Gray’s rookie deal was going to count $3.2 million against the cap in 2024, including a $3.1 million base salary and $78,000 from the pro-rated signing bonus of his rookie deal. The extension pays him $7.1 million in 2024. That comes in the form of a $1.1 million base salary — the minimum for an NFL player with three credited seasons — plus a signing bonus of $6 million. But since that signing bonus can be spread across four seasons at $1.5 million each year, his 2024 cap hit falls $550,000 to $2.6 million."

His base salary will rise to $3 million in 2025 and $4.7 million for 2026 and 2027, per Spotrac. For those last couple years, which Kansas City can get out of with relative ease, Gray will carry a cap hit of $7 million.

So, complications may arise down the line, but there's little guarantee that Gray actually reaches the final two years of his reworked contract — especially if rookie Jared Wiley lives up to expectations. In the meantime, Gray's deal actually frees up Kansas City to work the margins more effectively. There are many such examples of Kansas City getting creative to work around a dire cap sheet.

Chiefs Rumors: Kingsley Suamataia impresses Andy Reid in NFL debut

The Chiefs are starting 2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia at left tackle, a tall task for any rookie. Patrick Mahomes is both easier and harder to protect than your average quarterback. He's so good at evading pressure and delivering throws from awkward angles, but all that movement in and out of the pocket forces the offensive line to constantly adjust. There is also the inherent pressure of protecting Patrick Mahomes, arguably the greatest quarterback we have ever seen.

Suamataia, after an impress stint at BYU, appears up to the challenge. He was penalized once in Thursday's win over Baltimore, but he otherwise handled a challenging Ravens front seven with aplomb. After the game, Andy Reid was quick to shower praise on his rookie tackle.

"So I thought Kingsley [Suamataia] did some good things," Reid told reporters on Monday (h/t Chiefs Wire). "Some he’ll have plenty to work on going forward, but for his first time jumping in there, I guess [against] what I really think is a pretty good defensive line now. So I thought he held his own, but there are things he’s got to work on and needs to get. He’s got another big challenge coming up this week, as does our whole offensive line."

That upcoming challenge, of course, is the Bengals' defensive front, which should prove easier to manage than Baltimore's intense pass rush. Suamataia will go through his growing pains, the same as any rookie, but he appears to be cut from the same cloth as Creed Humphrey, Joe Thuney, and the Chiefs' otherwise excellent offensive linemen.

Any time your second-round pick is starting and succeeding out of the gate for a Super Bowl contender, it's a positive sign.

Chiefs Rumors: Andy Reid provides positive update on Hollywood Brown after Week 1 absence

The Chiefs' offense hummed along just fine without Hollywood Brown in Week 1, which should deeply terrify the rest of the NFL. Rashee Rice will continue to shoulder the broadest workload among Chiefs wideouts, but Hollywood Brown will provide a vertical spark that is typically very dangerous in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense.

There are plain-as-day similarities between Brown and Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy, who scored twice in his NFL debut last week. Both are small, slight speedsters who take the lid off of defenses with their straight-line speed and prove uniquely elusive in the open field, capable of slipping through small cracks like water through a sieve. Both are special talents, but Brown has more experience and should command a significant target share once he's back in the mix.

Brown was on the sideline for Week 1 with a shoulder injury, but according to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, the 27-year-old track star is on the verge of returning to the lineup.

"He’s getting close," Reid told reporters on Monday (h/t FOX4 Kansas City). "Know he’s feeling better. We’ve just gotta kind of see where it goes from here. They’ve been doing these periodic tests on him and making sure that he’s headed in the right direction and scans and all that. It looks like it’s heading in the right direction, now we just have to see where it goes from here."

This is bad news for the Bengals and the NFL at large, but great news for Kansas City.