Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has never been known to keep more than six wide receivers on the 53-man roster, so eyebrows were raised when the franchise elected to retain eight going into Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday.
Of course, we now know that Rashee Rice's suspension was a driving force for the decision and while Patrick Mahomes and the other leaders on the team are putting on a brave face, it's going to be difficult to replace Rice's production in the first six weeks of the campaign.
One player that will have to step up in Rice's absence is Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown, and Reid specifically identified him as someone who the offense will rely on. That's a sign of respect, but fans know that Brown hasn't exactly earned the benefit of the doubt during his time in Kansas City.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid on Hollywood Brown not getting work in the preseason: "He's a veteran guy that kind of knows how to go about it. He should be fine. We've got guys who can rotate in, too. We'll mix and match as we go."
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) August 31, 2025
Chiefs HC Andy Reid Gives Unearned Trust to WR Hollywood Brown
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Reid gave Brown praise while discussing the Rice suspension.
"He's a veteran guy that kind of knows how to go about it," Reid said. "He should be fine. We've got guys who can rotate in, too. We'll mix and match as we go."
It's good that Brown has the faith of his coaching staff, yet his past makes it difficult to trust him. He's entering his second season with the organization after missing nearly all of 2024 with an injury. This is a player with a 1,000-yard season under his belt so the potential is obvious, but keeping him on the field is another story. Brown has missed multiple games each of the last three years, and his 5-foot-9 stature has clearly made it difficult to stay healthy.
Fortunately, the Chiefs have other guys they can rely on should Brown go down again. Xavier Worthy looks like a future star, then players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Royals, and even the rising Jason Brownlee can handle snaps. Regardless, the best version of this offense has Brown on the field, and he'll be a deadly third option behind Rice and Worthy if all three of them are able to play together.
Reid clearly has faith in Brown and Mahomes does too. Now, it's just a matter of whether or not Brown can play 17 games for the first time in his career. He did start 16 in 2021 but otherwise has been inconsistent, so Kansas CIty is relying on him to do something he hasn't done in nearly five years.
It's a risky move, but clearly the Chiefs are confident in the 28-year-old wideout.