The Kansas City Chiefs' offense will look quite different next season. Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown will all be free agents, and Rashee Rice could ultimately face discipline from the league for another off-field scandal.
With that in mind, the Chiefs must keep an eye on any potential upgrades that may become available. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons intend to release Darnell Mooney in a salary-cap-cleaning move, and Chiefs GM Brett Veach should give him some strong consideration as free agency inches closer.
Pursuing Darnell Mooney Makes Too Much Sense for the Chiefs
Mooney's tape doesn't always match his production. He's incredibly gifted, and that shows through when watching his film, but he hasn't been as consistent a contributor as his former teams would've wanted. That will probably allow the Chiefs to get him at a discount.
This past season, Mooney regressed with just 32 receptions on 72 targets for 443 yards and one score, posting a career-worst 44.4 percent catch rate. He was coming off a 64-catch, 992 receiving yard, five-touchdown season in the previous campaign, so this was a rather significant dip.
That said, the 28-year-old has proven to be a solid weapon when given enough opportunities. Eric Bieniemy's offenses feature explosive passing attacks, and he'd be an upgrade over what the Chiefs have right now. Kansas City's need for weapons on the outside to help make life easier on Mahomes should be enough to pique the interest of Veach and the front office.
For his career, Mooney has hauled in 31.0 percent of his contested catches, according to Pro Football Focus. He has a career 6.9 percent drop rate, and he averages 4.4 yards after contact per reception. Doing this with quarterbacks who aren't names Patrick Mahomes should only add to the potential excitement a Mooney signing could bring to Kansas City.
Speaking of Mahomes, he is still working his way back from the first major injury of his career. The Chiefs still need to operate as if their star quarterback is going to be ready for Week 1, and they desperately need to upgrade their receiver corps to put the All-Pro QB in a position to succeed.
Losing Brown and Smith-Schuster might not move the needle much, and they would be wise to keep a cost-controlled option like Thornton in town. They might also consider making a run at a veteran on a short-term deal, with Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs as potential options.
Other than that, the Chiefs can put all their hopes on Xavier Worthy finally breaking out, Travis Kelce turning back the clock, or Rice simply being available. They have to leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of more talent for the pass-catching department.
Mooney can be the low-risk/high-reward pickup that could elevate this team's ceiling. Consistency will always be a concern, but he's had some strong seasons, and he shouldn't be as expensive as other potential options.