When the Kansas City Chiefs got Marquise "Hollywood" Brown last season, it seemed that he was going to become the deep-play threat Patrick Mahomes had been missing since Tyreek Hill left the building.
An injury kept him on the shelf for most of the season, and he wasn't much of a factor in the playoffs. Even so, the team chose to bring him back on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $11 million based on incentives. He may get the 'playing time' $1.5 million bonus, but the performance-based bonus might not be there. And his next contract is going to make him regret only signing a one-year deal.
Brown's Production Not Even Close to Living Up to the Hype
To say that Brown's production this season has been underwhelming would be a massive understatement. He hasn't done much to prove that he's worth bringing back, unless it's on a much cheaper deal. And even if the Chiefs don't want him back, it's hard to believe any other team will be willing to break the bank to get him.
In nine games, Brown is up to 34 catches on 53 targets for 389 yards and four touchdowns. He failed to step up when the team was without Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, and he was outplayed by backup Tyquan Thornton, who has 311 receiving yards and three touchdowns despite having just 14 receptions and being stuck behind Rice and Worthy on the depth chart.
Brown hasn't gotten much going after the catch, and the explosiveness and shiftiness that got him to the league seems to be long gone after so many injuries. That's another factor, as there will be some durability concerns with him, even if he hasn't missed time this season.
The Chiefs will need to be extremely careful with the way they allocate their resources next season. They will most likely go after a running back in free agency, given that they tried to trade for Breece Hall.
Financials Won't Be Favorable On His Next Contract
If Brown doesn't take a leap in the second half, it will be hard to make a case for the Chiefs to keep him around for much longer, especially when they can probably bring back Tyquan Thornton for far less money.
He's currently ranked in the middle of the pack (35th out of 38) with a 70.5 PFF grade, and while that's not necessarily bad, the Chiefs could get that type of production at a far more reasonable price. He hasn't shown anything to prove that any team should give him a long-term, big-money deal.
Even just comparing his $7 million salary in 2025, with no bonuses, he could be in for a pay-cut next spring. Consider the six receivers who inked deals worth more than $7 million per year last offseason:
- Davante Adams ($22.0 million per year)
- Stefon Diggs ($21.2 million per year)
- Cooper Kupp ($15 million per year)
- Darius Slayton ($12.0 million per year)
- Dyami Brown ($10.0 million per year)
- Josh Palmer ($9.7 million per year)
At this stage of his career, Brown compares a lot more to the next-highest group of WR salaries that were handed out:
- Brandin Cooks ($6.5 million)
- DeAndre Hopkins ($5.0 million)
- Mack Hollins ($4.2 million)
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4.0 million)
- Tyler Lockett ($4.0 million)
- Demarcus Robinson ($4.0 million)
Brown is unlikely to find a team willing to give him more than a one-year "prove it" deal at this point, and the dollar value on that contract is going to be a lot lower than we'd usually see from a 28-year-old former first-round pick WR hitting free agency during what should be the peak of his career.