Looking at potential Kansas City Chiefs free agency fits, one consistent theme emerges. Kansas City could use additional weapons for Patrick Mahomes and a Kansas City offense that often struggled in the 2024 season. It was an odd reverse watching the defense carry the franchise while Mahomes did just enough to win games in the final moments. This luck ultimately ran out at the worst possible time and left plenty of motivation for the Chiefs to reclaim the title in 2025.
Still, there is reason to wonder if the team could look at bringing in cheap pass-catching depth. One potential option could be veteran tight end Hayden Hurst. The veteran has bounced around the league and is coming off the worst season of his career. Hurst managed only 73 receiving yards and was an afterthought for Justin Herbert.
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The Chiefs would be bringing Hurst in as additional depth with Travis Kelce and Noah Gray being trusted targets. Signing Hurst is a reclamation project that you hope allows Kelce a chance to take a backseat in the first weeks of the season. At this stage of the veteran's career, it is paramount that the Chiefs save his best for when it matters most.
Gray has been a solid backup option, but could benefit from having the improved depth that Hurst would bring. He isn't long removed from being an impact player, having played an important role in the Bengals' offense in the 2022 season.
Rewind two years earlier, and Matt Ryan and Atlanta's offense relied on Hurst, with the veteran catching six touchdowns and ended the season with 571 yards. There isn't any reason to believe in the right system with a far more talented franchise quarterback. Hurst cannot repeat this production if needed.
For Hurst, it would be a chance for the veteran to continue his career with the obvious Super Bowl favorites. A chance to play with the greatest quarterback in the league and to put his career back on track after a frustrating 2024 season. It is a fit the Chiefs should at least explore as the team enters the summer.