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KC Chiefs: It’s Time To Let Dwayne Bowe Go

By Michael Tavis

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The KC Chiefs have a tough off-season ahead of them, with a difficult decision to make on the future of Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, and Dwayne Bowe, and trying to resign the NFL’s sack leader Justin Houston. The Chiefs will likely have to let go of a fan favorite, and here is the case for the Chiefs to part ways with Bowe.

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The KC Chiefs drafted LSU Wide Receiver Dwayne Bowe with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Bowe had a great rookie season, setting multiple Chiefs rookie records including, receptions with 70, and yards with 995. Bowe never looked back and continued to elevate his game through his sophomore season.

In 2009 Bowe was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Bowe finished the 2009 season with a lackluster 589 yards and four touchdowns in eleven games.

Bowe continued his roller coaster career in 2010, when Bowe scored in seven straight games, setting the Chiefs team record for receiving touchdowns in a season with 15, while leading the Chiefs to an AFC West Division title and earning a Pro Bowl appearance.

Bowe slightly regressed in 2011, finishing with 1,159 yards, but only five touchdowns. Prior to the 2012 season the KC Chiefs franchise tagged Bowe, and Bowe entered a lengthy hold out that would span five months (March-August). In week 14 Bowe injured his ribs and was place on injured reserve by the Chiefs ending his season. Through the 13 games in 2012, Bowe finished with 801 yards and only three touchdowns.

In the off-season following the 2012 season, Bowe signed a five year $56 million contract with the KC Chiefs. With a big new contract in hand, Bowe produced a less than impressive 2013 campaign, finishing with 673 yards and five touchdowns.

Entering his second season under his new contract, Bowe was suspended for one game following his arrest for possession of a controlled substance. Bowe missed the first week of the season, and when he came back he was unable to be produce the way a franchise Wide Receiver should be able to. Bowe finished 2014 with 724 yards and zero touchdowns.

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2015 will be the third season on his five year contract and Bowe is due $11 million, but only $1.75 of that is guaranteed. $11 million is a lot of money to pay a guy who over the last three seasons has only produced 2,198 yards and eight touchdowns.

In comparison, Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown led the NFL this year with 1,698 yards and also had 13 interceptions, and that is just from one season. Nobody expects Bowe to lead the league in anything, but his production is just not worth the money, no matter how big of a fan favorite he is.

Football is a business as well, and Bowe has been suspended twice and has been an average NFL Wide Receiver for the last three years. Bowe is a good blocker, but the only way to justify paying someone $11 million to block is if they were on the offensive line. The Chiefs should cut Bow and look to free agency and the draft to fill the void.

The other side of the argument would be that Bowe could take a pay cut and sign a new contract with the Chiefs. While that is a plausible scenario, Bowe’s statistics the past three seasons suggests that the Chiefs would be better off parting ways with the 31 year-old receiver and rolling the dice with the emerging Albert Wilson, and trusting John Dorsey to find someone in free agency and/or the draft to play next to Wilson.

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