The Kansas City Chiefs have a clear need to upgrade their receiver depth this offseason.
Rashee Rice isdealing with off-field concerns again, while Xavier Worthy failed to meet expectations last season. Add in the fact that Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Hollywood Brown are all free agents, and it's clear that the Chiefs will need some pass-catching help.
With this in mind, fans should be paying attention to NBC Sports' Kyle Dvorchak's recent cut candidates list that included Tennessee Titans receiver Calvin Ridley. A potential release would give the Chiefs a new option to address their wideout woes without breaking the bank.
Chiefs Would Be Perfect Landing Spot if Calvin Ridley Is Cut by Titans
It makes a level of sense for the Titans to move on from Ridley after an injury-shortened season. The veteran playmaker had zero touchdowns and only 303 receiving yards, and with a new coaching staff arriving in Tennessee, both sides could use a fresh start.
A potential split would give the Chiefs the perfect opportunity to buy low on Ridley and see what he has left in the tank. Even playing in an underwhelming Titans' offense with rookie Cam Ward, Ridley was on pace to finish with over 700 receiving yards before suffering a season-ending injury.
As solid as his career has been, Ridley has never played with a quarterback who is as physically gifted and accomplished as Patrick Mahomes.
The 31-year-old has been forced to make the most of less-than-ideal QB situations, with the most recent example coming when he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard performances with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Titans in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Imagine what he could do with Mahomes in his corner?
Ridley is an accomplished receiver and should fit perfectly within K.C.'s limited budget, despite Mahomes' recent contract restructuring. The former Alabama WR is known for his ability to run a full route tree at a high level while offering great hands, making him an ideal low-risk, high-reward candidate.
Even if Ridley's best days are behind him, it isn't hard to imagine how joining the Chiefs could provide his career with a spark. Even if he only marginally improves on what he did with the Titans last season, the Chiefs could benefit from having another 700-800-yard receiver in the system, especially when no one at the position even reached 600 in 2025.
Again, nothing is set in stone, but the Chiefs can't ignore the possibility that the Titans might release Ridley. If that happens, general manager Brett Veach can't hesitate to pull off the low-risk move that could put Kansas City's offense back on track.