Mandatory minicamp isn't even finished, but Hollywood Brown is already thrilled with the role he's set to play for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions' most prized free agent acquisition expressed excitement about the varied role Andy Reid envisions for him in Kansas City's offense.
“They're letting me play. They're letting me be a weapon,” Brown said, per Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports. “I'm not stuck in this room or that room. They're letting me be a weapon for the offense.”
Brown signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Chiefs in mid-March, $7 million of which is guaranteed. He's poised to enter training camp come late July as Patrick Mahomes' top target at wide receiver.
The No. 25 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, Brown spent the first three seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, quickly establishing himself as a favorite target of Lamar Jackson. His breakout season came in 2021, when the former Oklahoma Sooners star finished with 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns.
Brown requested a trade during the following offseason, ultimately landing with the Arizona Cardinals courtesy of a draft-night trade. He wasn't nearly as productive in Arizona, beset by the team's poor play at quarterback upon Kyler Murray tearing his ACL in Week 11 of the 2022 season. Murray's absence loomed largest for Brown in 2023, as he managed just 51 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns, barely hauling in more than half of his targets.
Chiefs' wide receivers remain question mark heading int0 2024
The Chiefs won a second straight Super Bowl last season despite deploying arguably the worst group of wide receivers in the NFL. Drops, turnovers and penalties from Kansas City's wideouts cost the team multiple wins during the regular season, with Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, especially, struggling to live up to preseason expectations.
Andy Reid ultimately pared down his playbook as the season wore on and rookie receiver Rashee Rice grew more comfortable in the offense, setting the stage for the Chiefs' epic run to their third Vince Lombardi Trophy in five years. Future Hall-of-Fame tight end Travis Kelce saved his best football for the postseason, too, catching 33 of his 37 targets en route to 355 yards and three touchdowns across four games.
In Kelce, Brown, Rice and rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy, Kansas City boasts perhaps the deepest collection of pass-catching talent of the Mahomes era. The question now is when that quartet will actually be available to take the field together.
A lengthy suspension surely awaits Rice, who was arrested and charged by Dallas authorities in April for his role in a street race that left several people injured. Reports suggest the former SMU star could be forced to miss at least half of the regular season. Worthy, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring injury on the first day of rookie mini camp in early May and has yet to re-take the field with his teammates. The 21-year-old will enter training camp with an extremely limited number of reps under his belt as a result, missing crucial time that would've allowed him a firmer grasp on Reid's notoriously complex offensive attack.
No one is crying for Kansas City. It's abundantly clear by now that Mahomes doesn't need one of the league's most dynamic groups of pass-catcher to lead his team to success in the regular season or the playoffs. The Chiefs' defense also figures to rank among the NFL's best in 2024.
Still, Kansas City could open the regular season against Baltimore on September 5th with journeyman wideout Justin Watson as Mahomes' most reliable option behind Kelce and Brown if Rice is suspended and Worthy is slow to learn the playbook and build chemistry with the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Needless to say, keep an eye on the Chiefs' pass-catchers once 2024 kicks off in a couple months.
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