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Hollywood Brown never considered leaving the Kansas City Chiefs after just one season. Despite injuries limiting his impact, he had unfinished business and wanted another shot.
Brown’s Commitment to Kansas City
The Chiefs re-signed Brown to a second one-year contract before free agency began, showing their belief in his potential. Brown shared that returning was always his goal, and the team made it clear they wanted him back.
“I knew all along I wanted to be back,” Brown said. “They voiced their opinions, wanting me back … I know I had a great start to my camp [before] getting hurt. We all wanted to see it come together. So glad we got it done.”
Even in limited action, Brown showed flashes of what he could bring. He believes his speed and route running helped open up the offense in the few games he played.
“They know the type of guy I am, the type of work I put in and essentially that’s one of the reasons I got brought back is because a few games I played, I was able to open things up for the offense a lot,” Brown said.
A Missed Opportunity in 2024
The Chiefs acquired Brown last season with hopes that his speed, alongside rookie Xavier Worthy, would add explosiveness to the passing game. They envisioned a deep wide receiver group featuring Brown, Worthy, and Rashee Rice.
However, that trio never played together. Brown suffered a sternoclavicular injury on the first play of the preseason, sidelining him for most of the regular season. By the time he returned, Rice was out for the year with a knee injury.
Brown played in just two regular-season games, recording nine catches for 91 yards. He also appeared in all three of the Chiefs’ postseason games, adding five receptions for 50 yards.
Despite the limited production, Kansas City saw enough to make bringing him back a priority.
Why the Chiefs Still Believe in Brown
Patrick Mahomes praised Brown’s abilities, emphasizing that he is more than just a deep threat.
“What impressed me so much about Hollywood is that everybody told me he was a fast guy but not everyone told me how much he can actually do on the football field and you could see it,” Mahomes said. “He can run those over-the-middle routes. He can run really good routes and he can run deep. It’s not like fast is the only thing that he can do.”
The Chiefs want another shot at seeing Brown, Worthy, and Rice on the field together. Rice was leading the NFL in receptions with 24 before his Week 4 injury, while Worthy had a strong rookie season with 59 catches for 638 yards and nine touchdowns.
Brown believes this group has the potential to make history.
“The sky’s the limit,” Brown said. “We talk all the time about history … our history as a group, our history as individual players and that’s stuff we speak on and that’s stuff we’re striving for through the offseason, through our training. We’re trying to push each other to be the best. Ultimately I do feel like we could do something that’s never been done before.”
Can Brown Stay Healthy?
Brown, 27, hasn’t played a full NFL season since 2021 when he had a career-best 91 catches for 1,008 yards with the Baltimore Ravens. Injuries have plagued him, raising questions about whether he can be a consistent presence for the Chiefs.
Kansas City doesn’t need him to put up those numbers. With Rice, Worthy, Travis Kelce, and other weapons in the offense, Brown’s role will be about complementing the group rather than dominating targets.
For Brown, personal stats weren’t the biggest factor in his decision to return.
“I think just the environment,” he said. “The atmosphere every day coming to work just felt like for the first time in my career I was getting where I wanted to be every day, coming to work, getting better and getting better. So I knew that was a place and environment I wanted to stay in.”
Now, he just has to stay on the field to prove the Chiefs made the right choice.
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This report used information from ESPN.
