The Kansas City Chiefs are in a period of change. While some of the familiar faces remain from their dynastic run in the early 2020s, the Chiefs need to make some adjustments after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
While the Chiefs know that their time with some players has run out, those players will have an added benefit when they hit free agency next month. As former Super Bowl champions, rivals will want to grab a piece of Kansas City’s organization, hoping that it could give them a lift as they look to bring home their own Lombardi Trophy.
In many cases, it’s buyer-beware, and teams should use caution if they pursue wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Chiefs WR Marquise Brown Could Be Sneaky Free Agent Trap
Brown came to Kansas City hoping to fill a void created by Tyreek Hill’s departure in 2022. While Kansas City was able to jerry-rig a deep passing attack during Super Bowl runs in 2022 and 2023, they didn’t have a downfield burner, which they figured Brown could provide.
A former 1,000-yard receiver with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021, he failed to reach the mark in two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Brown’s first year with the Chiefs was derailed by a collarbone injury that limited him to two games and nine catches for 91 yards, but he returned to Kansas City to make things right after his one-year deal expired.
Brown wasn’t terrible in 2025, catching 49 passes for 587 yards and five touchdowns, making Over The Cap’s valuation of $6.2 million close to the one-year, $7 million contract he signed to have a second season with the Chiefs. But it also wasn’t fitting for a player that’s supposed to be a downfield mercenary.
According to Pro Football Focus, Brown hasn’t cracked 1.60 yards per route run since the 2021 season. While his 1.49 yards per route run last season was his highest since 2022 and his average depth of target of 11.8 was in line with his 12.4 career average, he’s not the player who can elevate an offense as much as he is a quality role player.
This is where buyer’s remorse could set in. Teams are always looking for receivers in free agency, and it usually leads to an inflated market. While Spotrac’s projected market value of $5.5 million seems reasonable, a team may overpay due to Brown’s reputation and bypass options with more upside.
Perhaps a team feels like signing Brown for $5.5 million is better than overpaying for Romeo Doubs ($12 million projection), Mike Evans ($13.3 million), or Rashid Shaheed ($14.1 million). It could also be seen as a worthy gamble compared to Tyreek Hill, who has a $14.4 million projection and is recovering from a dislocated knee cap and torn ACL suffered last October.
But if a team expects Brown to burn opposing corners in a No. 1 or 2 role, they’re bound to get burned themselves. Brown isn’t the receiver many expected him to be at this stage of his career and is likely to give his next team more headaches than it’s worth.