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In Week 6, Chiefs WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown had a coming-out party.
The Kansas City Chiefs will have some extra time to mold their roster for 2026, having missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Some of the team’s biggest decisions will come from the team’s pass-catching group, with tight end Travis Kelce potentially headed to retirement and a trio of wide receivers headed to free agency. The Chiefs are expected to part ways with one of those receivers who has failed to live up to the potential of his first-round pick.
Chiefs Could Turn Page on Wide Receiver Group
SI.com writer Fernando Alfaro-Donis suggested that it’s time for the Chiefs to end their experiment with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, the former first-round pick who missed the majority of the 2024 season and returned this year to mixed results.
Brown made 46 catches for 523 yards and five touchdowns this season, but his age and lack of production make it difficult to bring him back, Alfaro-Donis wrote.
“The Chiefs have given Hollywood Brown two years to establish himself as one of their premier offensive weapons, and it just hasn’t happened yet. I don’t think they’ll be bringing him back, nor do I believe they should,” Alfaro-Donis wrote. “They have limited cap money to deal with, and a receiver heading into his 30’s shouldn’t be one of their priorities.”
The speedy wide receiver has topped 1,000 yards in just one of his seven NFL seasons, failing to establish a strong connection with quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
The Chiefs have some other big decisions in their wide receiving corps, with regulars Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster also headed to free agency. Alfaro-Donis suggested the Chiefs could prioritize a new contract for Thornton.
“If there’s any receiver set to hit free agency who deserves another contract with the team, it’s Tyquan Thornton,” Alfaro-Donis wrote. “He didn’t have the flashiest of seasons, but he just had a career year and stepped up for Patrick Mahomes when he needed a reliable pass-catcher to throw to with his big three injured earlier in the season.”
If Kelce doesn’t head off to retirement, the Chiefs would need to sign him to a new contract as his current one will expire after the conclusion of the season.
Another Big Question Looms for Chiefs
The Chiefs also face a big question mark for Mahomes, who underwent season-ending surgery for a torn ACL and LCL and will be headed for a long recovery. The complicated nature of his injury could lead to a long rehab process, putting him in danger of missing the start of the season.
If that’s the case, the Chiefs may need to find a new quarterback who will be available to start the season. Backup Gardner Minshew didn’t get much of an audition, suffering an injury in his first game starting after Mahomes was injured. The veteran quarterback is also headed to free agency and would need a new contract to return to Kansas City.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid shared praise for third-stringer Chris Oladokun in his relief starts, but the team may look for a more trusted veteran to start the season if Mahomes is not ready.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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