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One of Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s top assistants could be on the move.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of work to do after a disappointing 6-11 season in 2025.
They have multiple positions of needs, such as running back, defensive line, cornerback, and wide receiver. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus recently identified each NFL team’s biggest roster decisions of the offseason, and what he came up with for the Chiefs is a position group that has been a need for several years now.
What to do at WR named Kansas City Chiefs’ biggest roster decision
It’s frustrating that wide receiver is still one of the top areas of concern for the Chiefs. It has been ever since they traded Tyreek Hill following the 2021 season. Here’s what locker wrote about the state of Kansas City’s wide receiver group.
“The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons, with the team’s lack of reliable options at pass-catcher not helping the charge. Kansas City now faces a crossroads of what to do with various players at receiver and tight end. The headliner is, of course, the future of Travis Kelce. Kelce’s PFF receiving grade has dipped below 75.0 in each of the last two years, but his 1.48 yards per route run still sat in the 62nd percentile.
Further, Tyquan Thornton, Marquise Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are all free agents. Even the returning Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy aren’t sure bets, with both still having room to develop into consistent game-breakers. The Chiefs will have to boost a group that produced the 21st-ranked receiving grade for Patrick Mahomes, although they won’t have much cap space to do so entering March with the lowest amount of any team.”
Chiefs can take simple steps to solve issues at WR
There is certainly room for improvement at wide receiver, but it’s not as glaring of an issue as some may think. In fact, two of the Chiefs’ biggest obstacles that Lock points out could actually end up working out in their favor.
Whether or not Kelce retires is a huge variable. Although he hasn’t publicly revealed his decision yet, the odds of him returning seem greater than not. With Kelce back, it would reduce the need for another dynamic pass catcher.
Next is Kansas City’s salary cap situation. At first glance, it appears that the Chiefs are in a terrible position as they sit approximately $58 million over the cap. However, when you start doing some digging, it’s easy to see how they can not only get under the cap, but actually accumulate a nice chunk of spending money for free agency.
That would enable the Chiefs to sign a solid free agent wide receiver. They could also bring back Thornton, Brown, or Smith-Schuster for a reasonable price if they so choose. The cupboard isn’t exactly bare at the position, as Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are still on the roster. Rice is stepping into a contract year, and Worthy is entering his third season in coach Andy Reid’s offense. The Chiefs will also look to get second-year receiver Jalen Royals up and running after he basically redshirted his rookie season.
Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch
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