Chiefs Rumors: Travis Kelce's priorities are straight, AFC outlook, wide receiver panic?
- The panic is real over the Chiefs wide receiver committee
- The Chiefs should be pleased with where they're at in the AFC after a Week 1 loss
- Travis Kelce distracted? Not even with the world's biggest new relationship
By Josh Wilson
Should Chiefs fans be in a panic over wide receivers?
Through four games, there has yet to be a single wide receiver that has emerged as Patrick Mahomes' definitive No. 1.
Travis Kelce is, of course, his favorite target (if you define favorite as most-targeted), but Kelce's role as tight end demands much of him outside the receiving game.
Mahomes and the Chiefs need a traditional wide receiver to step up and stand out in big moments should they expect to compete deep in the postseason.
No receiver grabbing more than three passes on Sunday night was part of the reason the Chiefs were struggling to score. Running back Isiah Pacheco and Kelce -- both, of course, not WRs -- were the only players to bring in 40 yards of receiving or more.
Here's what Jacob Milham said on Arrowhead Addict of the receiver issue (notably, this was in an "overreaction" column:
This team is tied for the league lead with 11 drops and leads it with a 7.4 drop percentage. Justin Watson, a free agency afterthought, leads the team with 163 receiving yards. This team ranks 26th in air yards before the catch per reception, showing how rare the Chiefs produce on the deep ball. How can this team have one of the best deep passers ever in Patrick Mahomes, yet 63.9% of the pass attempts are no further than five yards down the field? That is what happens when the receivers cannot win one-on-one.
He called for the Chiefs to look to the trade market. Not necessarily a bad idea.
Me, personally? I'm sticking to patience. Watson has the speed necessary to become a deep ball threat situationally by season's end. Rashee Rice is just a rookie and coming along nicely, lkely to progress more. Kadarius Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have been disappointing, but it's too early to write them off completely.
Plus, Mahomes has proven he can still win games even if all he has is non-WRs to get the passing game going. The Jets win wasn't pretty, but the job got done.
Should the Chiefs look to the trade market? Sure, why not. Surveying all options is always wise. But they shouldn't jump there just for the sake of trying to add to the locker room. This is a problem that can still be fixed internally.