The Kansas City Chiefs addressed perhaps their biggest weakness this offseason and gave Patrick Mahomes two weapons in Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy.
That now gives Mahomes some much-needed depth at the position, but there is still some uncertainty surrounding his receivers.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell questions if the younger players on the roster can help propel the offense forward.
“Can the young guys be building blocks? Rashee Rice is likely to face some sort of suspension for off-field misconduct, which limits his chances of breaking out in Year 2,” Barnwell writes. “Rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy’s range of outcomes includes everyone from Hill and DeSean Jackson on the high end to Troy Williamson and John Ross on the low end, who might be more of a situational player than an immediate every-down starter. The advantage here is more about depth than any one player being a star; the Chiefs have three potential standout wide receivers and only need one of them to be an impact player at any given time. Anything they get from Toney & Co. would be an added bonus.”
If there is a quarterback who can elevate a group of receivers, it is Mahomes, and while Kadarius Toney has his detractors, so too does Mecole Hardman; both can potentially play key roles on offense alongside Brown, Worthy, Rice (maybe) and Kelce in 2024.
One gets the sense that the Chiefs were a little lucky to get by with their offensive play last season, but when push came to shove in the playoffs, everything clicked.
With the Chiefs chasing history, the front office gave Mahomes the weapons he needs to go and claim a third successive Super Bowl. But while the household names will play pivotal roles in 2024, so too will the depth players and it will perhaps be them that Kansas City’s season rests on.