6 free agent options that could further strengthen the Chiefs' wide receiver corps

Although the Kansas City Chiefs are the last undefeated team in the league after seven weeks, the team needs some offensive weapons due to the massive injuries to the receiver and running back room. Chiefs GM Brett Veach addressed that issue early Wednesday morning when he traded receiver Deandre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, but this season has shown that it's better to be more prepared for further injuries.

For weeks, everyone in the Chiefs Kingdom has been clamoring for the Chiefs to trade for a receiver after losing Rashee Rice and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown this season before losing Juju Smith-Schuster to a hamstring injury last week. Now the Chiefs' receiver room needs to get Hopkins up to speed quickly, while the rest of the core essentially consists of just a rookie speedster (Xavier Worthy), a veteran in Mecole Hardman, a solid role player in Justin Watson and the cardio machine Skyy Moore.

For this reason, Veach should do more than just call out teams with poor win-loss records. He should sign several free agents still hoping for a comeback like Smith-Schuster had just two games ago against New Orleans. Now is the perfect time for Veach to double-dip and try to bring some new faces into the receiver room so Mahomes has the best possible chance of leading Kansas City to the NFL's first-ever three-peat.

Who could add a realistic pulse to a dying wide receiver room? And who might have the best chance of staying healthy despite jumping off the couch and putting on a Chiefs uniform? Let’s examine the free agent market.

Hunter Renfrow

The former Las Vegas Raider is a slot dealer who played against Kansas City for five years and learned what makes them tick on both sides of the ball. His breakout season in 2021 seems like ages ago, but the Chiefs could use whatever is left of that 1,038-yard season from the former fifth-round pick out of Clemson.

Renfrow is nearing his 29th birthday and has been looking for a team since being released by Vegas last offseason. So he's not nearly as unprepared as some of the other names on the free agency list. However, if Veach were to bring in Renfrow within a few days and get him a playbook, he could gain some advantage over his former team in Week 8.

Renfrow is also more than just a skilled receiver who fits perfectly in the slot – something the Chiefs like to utilize on every drive. Renfrow would also come in and immediately be one of the best route runners Mahomes has ever thrown. Additionally, Renfrow has reliable hands and has only recorded two drops on 87 targets since 2021.

Richie James

As we've seen so far this year (and past years), Andy Reid is all about comfort, which is why Kansas City is constantly bringing back or extending players like Mecole Hardman, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and JuJu Smith. cobbler. Reid does this because he loves the fact that he may not have to teach his notoriously complex offensive playbook while also trying to coach a team to its fourth Super Bowl victory in six seasons.

That makes the former New York Giant a great choice in free agency. James originally signed with the Chiefs in April 2023 before an MCL injury in Week 2 kept him out of eight games. While the team let him leave in free agency, now might be the time to give him a call. Upon returning in 2023, he finished the season with 10 catches for 114 yards – with half of his receptions resulting in first downs.

James is just two years removed from his best season as a Giants, in which he completed 57 of 70 targets for 569 yards and four touchdowns. Plus, he just turned 29 and can be used on special teams again before being used to help the demoralized and depleted receiver core.

Michael Thomas

Given his age (31, now 32), injury history and lack of familiarity with the team, this might be one of the most unlikely free agents. However, Michael Thomas would be one of the tallest receivers in the Chiefs uniform at 6'3″ tall and 200 lbs. Those 50-50 balls that Mahomes would like to throw to Smith-Schuster or even some of his bigger tight ends could go to Thomas over the middle or to the sideline, saving some of the other Chiefs for the playoffs.

Unlike the other free agents on this list, Thomas' best days were several years ago. His last full season came in 2019, when he was named Offensive Player of the Year. That year, he caught 149 balls for 1,725 ​​yards and 9 touchdowns before injuries would prevent him from continuing his path to the Hall of Fame.

Since then, he has played in just 20 games in four seasons, catching 95 passes for just over 1,050 yards. But after eight years in New Orleans, Thomas is still looking for a team. If anyone can find the right fit for an aging player looking for a solid one-year deal, it's Andy Reid.

Isaiah McKenzie

The Chiefs don’t need that another A bit of a speedster in the receiver room considering that's pretty much all they have left, but McKenzie is ready to play and has caught a glimpse – particularly in Buffalo – of impactful talent being deployed in Reid's system could be.

Russell Gage

The former Atlanta Falcon has had more than 770 receiving yards in consecutive seasons (2020, '21) and is just 28 years old. Gage has a career 50% success rate on contested catches, which would be helpful for Mahomes, but he's also proven he can play QB every now and then if Reid wants to throw in a trick or two for him.

Chase Claypool

I know, I know. Claypool was a cancer on every team he was on. Luckily, Reid is known for redeeming bad behavior and cocky behavior, and he's done wonders for villainous talent in recent years. Claypool is amazingly only 26 years old. He's also 6'3″ tall and had his two best seasons when he was right next to Smith-Schuster on the field. So a reunion between the two could bring out the best in the former Notre Dame superstar.