Chiefs Must Sign Former All-Pro WR After Surprising Week 15 Release

The Kansas City Chiefs may be 12-1, but you're not going to find many fans who tell you that this team doesn't need any additional help as the postseason approaches. KC may have the best Super Bowl odds among any AFC team (+500 on FanDuel Sportsbook), but the team's recent play has raised about as much concern as is possible while still winning games.

One position that needs definite improvement, especially in terms of depth, is the wide receiver spot. And luckily for KC, they were just gifted the perfect signing after a release from an AFC bottom-feeder.

Odell Beckham is Perfect Fit for Chiefs

Since most Chiefs fans don't need to be sold on the idea that KC needs wide receiver help, let me start off with why Beckham isn't as washed up as you think.

Did he struggle in Miami this year? Absolutely. But that is also not an offense that has any desire to spread the ball around. A whopping 73% of their passing targets went to either Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Jonnu Smith, or De'Von Achane. It's not an offense designed to make use of three wide receivers. That's not just about Beckham, either. We saw that last year when 69.6% of their targets went to Hill, Waddle, their top RB committee (Achane and Mostert), and their top tight end (Durham Smythe).

But it hasn't been that long since Beckham did get some opportunity with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. And while it wasn't as highly publicized as his early-career success, he absolutely showed he could still play. He posted a quiet 565 yards, and his average of 8.8 yards per target was tops among all Ravens wide receivers.

His 78.0 receiving grade from PFF ranked 27th among 85 graded wideouts.

He's obviously not the superstar he was at the beginning of his career, but don't let one down season being terribly miscast in the wrong offense fool you. Beckham can still ball.

It also doesn't take much to upgrade the Chiefs' current wide receiver depth. Behind DeAndre Hopkins, who PFF has ranked 27th among 128 WRs in 2024, Xavier Worthy (83rd), JuJu Smith-Schuster (94th), and Justin Watson (119th) are making life far more difficult on Patrick Mahomes than it needs to be.

Rival fans would probably mock a Beckham signing, but that's because NFL fans' memories are way too short. He proved beyond a doubt in 2023 that he still has something to offer a Super Bowl contender, and he would address one of the Chiefs' biggest needs just in time for the playoffs.

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