The Kansas City Chiefs have a clear pecking order when it comes to the target share in the passing game, with wideouts Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, as well as tight end Travis Kelce, being the top options.
With this in mind, it has become incredibly clear that veteran receiver Hollywood Brown doesn't have a huge role in the offense. After starting Week 1 as the focal point of the offense with 10 catches and 99 receiving yards, Brown's production has predictably declined as superior options have gotten healthy, averaging just 2.8 catches and 32.7 receiving yards in the last 11 games. Despite that decline, he still keeps seeing around 30 snaps per outing.
With the playoffs not exactly being guaranteed, changes must be made in Kansas City.
It's Time for Chiefs to Switch Things Up with Hollywood Brown
The Chiefs would be wise to continue to move Brown's snaps down and give other options a more consistent chance. Tyquan Thornton has been quiet each of the last two weeks, but remains a superior option to Brown based on the speed that he brings. Thornton's quickness has resulted in six catches of at least 33 yards this season, per Pro Football Focus, whereas Brown only has two of those instances.
Thornton is a burner who can stretch the field and consistently put pressure on the defense, allowing Rice and Worthy to work the rest of the field. Whether it is Thornton or getting rookie Jalen Royals healthy and giving the pass catcher a chance, it is clear that it is time to move Brown out of the offense and begin to focus on the pieces you have locked up beyond this season.
Even JuJu Smith-Schuster makes more sense to have in the lineup a bit more consistently based on his ability to create a mismatch and box out defenders.
Brown is an incredibly limited player after the catch, averaging 3.4 YAC per reception. For what it's worth, that's only better than Nikko Remigio (3.0) on the Chiefs this season. When speed is supposedly his best weapon, the fact that Brown does very little with the ball in his hands is concerning.
Needless to say, it is time for the Chiefs to begin to phase Brown out of the offense until he proves he's ready to deliver. Kansas City no longer has any margin for error, so anyone who does more harm than good to the team's outlook — including Brown — needs to ride the pine.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the year, the clock is ticking for Brown to change the perception surrounding him. If not, he'll likely be entering his final days as a Chief beginning in Week 14.