One of the early free agency losses the Kansas City Chiefs suffered was parting ways with veteran receiver Hollywood Brown. The 29-year-old opted to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, while the Chiefs prioritized re-signing Tyquan Thornton and betting on their youth at the position. For Brown, as the offseason has worn on, it has become increasingly clear just how much of a career downgrade it was to choose the Eagles after spending the 2025 season as one of Kansas City's primary receivers.
While Brown wasn't the team's number one option by design, the inconsistent ability to stay on the field from Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy opened the door. Travis Kelce would finish the season as the team's leader in both yards and touchdowns. Brown led all Chiefs wideouts with 587 receiving yards and five scores on the year. These are numbers the veteran can now only dream of reaching, as the Philadelphia depth chart clearly is going to leave Brown in a limited role.
DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, and Dallas Goedert remain the Eagles' top offensive weapons after the trade away of A.J. Brown, while rookie Makai Lemon and newcomer Dontayvion Wicks project to play large roles as well. All are going to be heavily favored in Philadelphia's offense ahead of the former Chief. Not to mention the downgrade of quarterback play, going from Patrick Mahomes to Jalen Hurts.
Hollywood Brown's new destination is a clear downgrade from KC
Hurts has an incredible playoff resume and shouldn't be underrated when it comes to career accomplishments. In truth, Hurts has a more compelling case of being a viable rival to Mahomes than Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, who are yet to actually beat the quarterback when it matters. With that said, there is no debating that Hurts is less talented and not close to being as consistent a passer as Mahomes.
Brown would be lucky to be the team's fourth option and is more likely to be a sixth offensive weapon, targeted only on occasion. Philadelphia's offense is also expected to feature a heavy run package due to the presence of Barkley and Hurts.
This makes it clear that not only is Brown in a lesser role, but within that role, there will be far less opportunity to run meaningful routes. It's clear the Chiefs didn't want Brown back on a big contract, but he still made a mistake choosing the Eagles, and would've been wise to attempt to take a bargain deal to remain in KC or find a more desperate offense that would offer more consistent targets. As things currently stand, Brown has set himself up for a 2026 regression season.
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