This Chiefs-Jets trade could give KC the Rashee Rice insurance they need

The Kansas City Chiefs placed Rashee Rice on the IR as they await further testing on his injured right knee. He will miss at least four weeks as a result, with the potential for a much longer absence depending on the severity of the injury. Already without Hollywood Brown, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury, Kansas City's WR room is suddenly in dire straits.

It's hard to panic too much about a 4-0 Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid team, but the Chiefs offense hasn't been quite as explosive as we're used to. A soft schedule and a few lucky breaks have shielded the Chiefs from serious criticism, but with such a talent void in the WR room, Kansas City is teetering on the brink.

Kansas City should look for trade opportunities accordingly. Davante Adams is the popular name right now, but the Chiefs are in a perpetually tight spot financially with all the money tied up between Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, and Kansas City's other major stars. As such, the idea of paying Adams' salary for what is sure to be a half-season rental loses its luster.

Odds are Adams will end up with a different AFC contender, probably the New York Jets (his preferred destination). That said, if Adams does go to New York, that could open a new window of opportunity for the Chiefs. Adams and Garrett Wilson would demand a healthy share of Rodgers' targets in the Jets offense, which casts into question Mike Williams' future with the team.

Chiefs-Jets trade to shore up Kansas City WR room with Mike Williams

Williams, who inked a modest one-year, $10 million contract with New York in the offseason, has a compelling history as the WR2 opposite Keenan Allen with the Los Angeles Chargers. Now he's in a slightly more muted role with New York, having reeled in eight catches on 10 targets for 120 yards through four weeks.

At 6-foot-4, Williams is a towering red zone target with two 1,000-yard campaigns under his belt. Health is a factor, but when he's right, Williams can take the lid off a defense and win 50-50 balls at a high clip. One has to imagine he'd look better next to Mahomes with a healthy target share — most receivers do.

The Chiefs' WR room has been in various states of disarray pretty much since Tyreek Hill left. It's as bad as ever right now. Williams may not have the same top gear he did a few years ago — he led the NFL at 20.4 yards per catch in 2019 — but even so, an experienced wideout with dependable hands is something the Chiefs don't really have at the moment. Williams should be able to pick up the playbook quickly and make himself available for Mahomes, potentially rising as high as WR1 on the Chiefs' depleted depth chart.

Kansas City can continue pouring faith into rookie Xavier Worthy and their hodgepodge of underperforming, past-prime vets, but there should be a real emphasis on competing at the highest level with Mahomes in pursuit of that elusive three-peat. There's no reason to pinch pennies or get cute. The Chiefs can win without a quality WR room, but it becomes much easier when Mahomes can trust his options. Especially with Travis Kelce visibly in decline.

So, for what should be an affordable price, the Chiefs can take a flier on Williams after the Jets go all-in on Adams. It's a mutually beneficial trade, allowing the Jets to improve their draft asset cache after splurging on Adams, while the Chiefs get a veteran wideout to hold them over while Rice rehabs.