The Kansas City Chiefs have a serious wide receiver problem, and it’s not a new thing. Even after trading Tyreek Hill following the 2021 season, the need wasn’t as glaring because Travis Kelce was still playing at peak ability, and they had solid complementary guys like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Kadarius Toney. But things got dicey after 2022. Kelce started to fall off, losing the athleticism he needed to dominate the intermediate parts of the field. He just couldn’t generate those explosive passes anymore, and with the rest of the receivers unable to win downfield, the entire offense got cramped.
The Passing Game Has Devolved
For the last three seasons, it’s been the same story for the Chiefs’ passing game. They simply lack the receiver talent to beat man coverage or stretch defenses downfield. The offense has pretty much devolved into quick routes or Patrick Mahomes having to scramble and create every explosive play himself. Yeah, Mahomes can do that, but let’s be real, that’s not a sustainable way to run an offense. It puts way too much pressure on your star quarterback. To fix this, the Chiefs have tried using the draft. In 2023, they grabbed Rashee Rice in the second round, and then in 2024, they went big with a first-round pick on Xavier Worthy. The returns on those investments? Mixed, to say the least.
Mixed Signals from the Young Guns
Let’s talk about those two young receivers, starting with Rashee Rice. He’s been working his way back from a clean-up procedure on his knee back in May and has progressively gotten more involved in full-team practice settings. As a rookie, Rice wasn’t exactly tearing it up early, with 36 catches for 420 yards and four touchdowns over his first ten games. The staff hadn’t quite figured out his role, and he wasn’t getting as many snaps as some veteran receivers. But then something shifted in his last five games: he nearly outproduced his earlier output, grabbing 35 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns. He even had two 100-yard games during that stretch. His role changed drastically, with the staff using him much more on underneath routes, like screens or crossers, to get him the ball in space with blockers.
Then there’s Xavier Worthy. He’s been held out of practice for over a week due to a shoulder injury he picked up while finishing a downfield catch. Tough break, right? The good news is he’s been on the field in pads in a limited capacity for the last three practices. So, what does this all mean for 2026? The Chiefs desperately need these guys to step up and provide the receiving talent to beat man coverage and win downfield. The sustainability of Mahomes constantly having to play hero ball depends on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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