Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts after being sacked by Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs offense looks very broken right now. Throughout the season, the receivers have not stepped up in big moments. Kadarius Toney has been a mess with Marquez Valdes-Scantling also dropping passes. Skyy Moore hasn’t panned out as the team had hoped and Travis Kelce is starting to show his age (though he still is one of the best tight ends statistically this year.) The offense needs help. Here are three free agents the team should target this offseason.
How Did The Kansas City Chiefs Get Here?
When the Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill, many wondered if Patrick Mahomes could still be great without an elite wide receiver. They silenced critics by going out and winning the Super Bowl. Kelce had an elite season but JuJu Smith-Schuster was a big part of the offense. Mahomes leaned on him in key third-down situations. They also drafted young players with the idea they would develop.
Smith-Schuster left in the offseason. The goal was the Moore and other young players to take a year two leap and that didn’t happen. It isn’t all on the pass-catchers either. The team let Orlando Brown walk in the offseason and signed Jawaan Taylor. They moved him to right tackle and put Donovan Smith at left tackle. Smith and his backup got injured and Taylor hasn’t been worth the money. The Chiefs need help but the good news is that this free-agent class has some good players. Here’s who they should target.
WR Mike Evans
The team might have to get creative with their salary cap but the time is now. Mahomes is an all-time great quarterback and the Super Bowl window has to be maximized. Evans would be a perfect fit for this offense. After failing to reach an extension with the Buccaneers, the star receiver could be looking for a new home. The team would be getting one of the most consistent wide receivers in NFL history.
Evans has been in the league for 10 seasons. He has 10 seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards. This is the second most in NFL history behind only the great Jerry Rice. The pitch to Evans is simple. Do you want to break that record? Come to the Kansas City Chiefs where you will have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time throwing you the ball. The contract might be too rich but the Chiefs should absolutely give Evans a look.
WR Tee Higgins
There is a good rivalry between the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. Cincinnati made it no secret that they stole Orlando Brown from Kansas City in the offseason. This move would do two things for the team. It would give them a high-quality receiver and it would be a little bit of revenge for the Chiefs. He has had a down year due to injuries but when healthy, Higgins has shown that he can be a great receiver in this league.
The real question with Higgins is whether the Bengals will let him see free agency. They could use the franchise tag to try and extend the window with Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins being on the same offense. However, if the Bengals decide to go in a different direction, the Kansas City Chiefs would love to swoop in a nab Higgins.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
RB Saquon Barkley
This one is a little risky but I love it. The Chiefs double-down on their young receivers. Rashee Rice has shown promise and with another offseason with the team, he becomes a favorite target of Mahomes. Kansas City could look at cheaper receiver options like Darnell Mooney or Curtis Samuel. What I love about Barkley is that while he is a great runner he is a great pass-catcher too.
In his career, he has 283 receptions for 2,030 yards in his career and these were on Giants teams that weren’t exactly offensive juggernauts. I would love to see what Barkley could do with Reid scheming up plays. Jerrick McKinnon, another pass-catching back, has found great success with the Kansas City Chiefs and he is nowhere near the back that Barkley is. I have no clue if the two sides could make a contract work but it would be fun to see.
The Kansas City Chiefs will need to do some offensive retooling. They aren’t completely broken and if they could get one or two reliable pass-catchers, they should be one of the favorites going into the 2024 season.
