The Kansas City Chiefs have secured their new starting wide receiver to pair with 2023 breakout rookie Rashee Rice and superstar tight end Travis Kelce, and it’s a player that the franchise has been connected to for years.
“Source: [Arizona] Cardinals WR [Marquise] Hollywood Brown is signing with the Chiefs,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport relayed late on the evening March 14, adding: “Another high-octane target for Patrick Mahomes.”
Continuing: “One of the most talented WRs available, Brown lands in a perfect spot on a 1-year deal worth up to $11M with a chance to cash in next year.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported this story around the exact same moment as Rapoport, with his own personal touch on the news. “During his final season in Baltimore in 2021, Brown had 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns,” Schefter noted. “During 26 games over two seasons in Arizona, Brown had 118 catches for 1,283 yards and seven TDs.”
Despite this reveal occurring after 10:30 p.m. EST on Thursday night, one person was seemingly ready for it — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He reacted with one simple emoji after seeing that the deal was finalized: “😁.
😁
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) March 15, 2024
The Chiefs QB restructured his contract once again in 2024, but the front office hasn’t typically utilized newfound money at wide receiver. It’s nice to see Kansas City finally land a pass-catcher in NFL free agency that puts a big old smile on Mahomes’ face.
A durable and consistent staple of the Chiefs defense since 2018, Nnadi is not known to fill up the stat sheet. He plays his role as a gap-clogger next to Chris Jones and that gameplan has led to three Super Bowl rings for the pair of interior D-linemen.
In 2023, Nnadi started all 17 outings, finishing with 29 total tackles, one sack, one tackle for a loss and one pass defense. As stated above, it’s not a flashy job, but there’s a reason defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo keeps bringing the former third-round pick back.