At 15-2 with another Super Bowl appearance, the Kansas City Chiefs felt like a dominant team last season. But there was something missing as they got clobbered by the Philadelphia Eagles in a 40-22 loss in New Orleans.
Many pointed to the offensive line as the culprit and the Chiefs addressed it by signing Jaylon Moore in free agency and taking Josh Simmons in the first round of the draft. The Chiefs running game was also a problem but the Chiefs added former San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell in free agency and SMU standout Brashard Smith in the seventh round of the draft.
Both of these are great ways to make the Chiefs explosive again but they need one more piece. Receiver is one area where the Chiefs could add another weapon to bring everything together and there’s a playmaker on the market that Kansas City can save from the free agent wasteland.
Chiefs Should Consider Signing Amari Cooper to Bolster Receiving Depth
Amari Cooper is still available in free agency and the Chiefs should consider bringing in their formal rival. Cooper began his career with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders but has floated around the league over the past six seasons, spending time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.
Most people will probably look at Cooper’s 2024 season and decide he’s not worth the trouble. After spending his first six games with the Cleveland Browns, Cooper caught 20 passes for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns in eight games with the Bills and was an afterthought with six catches for 41 yards in the playoffs. Part of that also coincided with a wrist injury but teams aren’t willing to pay Spotrac’s $18.7 estimated market value to bring him in.
If Cooper is set on that number, the Chiefs won’t be able to bring him in with $12.7 million in cap space. But the closer the season gets, that number could go down and give Kansas City some interest.
The Chiefs will get Rashee Rice back from a season-ending knee injury and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown returned from an injury-marred 2024 campaign before free agency began. Xavier Worthy had a solid rookie season but Cooper’s presence could provide depth if there’s a setback while also allowing Worthy to move around in Andy Reid’s offense.
The odds of Cooper signing aren’t great due to the current financials, but adding a receiver is something they should consider. Keenan Allen is another name at the top of the list but other options such as DJ Chark, Tyler Boyd and Jamison Crowder could be used as cheaper insurance policy.
If the Chiefs want to contend, they’ll need to rediscover their explosive identity and another receiver would do the trick.