The NFL preseason exists for starters to get a few reps in to prepare for the upcoming season. Unfortunately, Saturday’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars came at a cost, with wide receiver Marquise Brown leaving the game with an injury.
Kansas City listed Brown, their top free-agent signing, as questionable to return with a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, the Chiefs news on Brown’s shoulder after the game wasn’t promising. As reported by Adam Teicher of ESPN, Brown suffered a dislocation of the sternoclavicular shoulder joint and needed to be taken to the hospital following the game.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters the injury is similar to what Tyreek Hill suffered in 2019, which cost him 4 games. So, while this isn’t a season-ending injury, Kansas City might want to look into adding a wide receiver before the regular season. With that in mind, here are a few potential targets.
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
We’ll start with the most unrealistic option. The Denver Broncos would prefer to keep Courtland Sutton, especially if it’s the Kansas City Chiefs calling, but teams in a mini-rebuild can’t afford to be picky. Sutton is also an appealing target for Kansas City because his skills are a contrast to what Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy provide and Patrick Mahomes could certainly benefit from having a big-framed receiver who can make contested catches. With that said, the acquisition cost (Day 2 pick) probably drives the Chiefs away.
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Hunter Renfrow, free agent
The market for Hunter Renfrow has been pretty quiet since the Las Vegas Raiders moved on from him. He’s certainly not the player who earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 with 13 receptions, 1,038 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. With that said, the veteran slot receiver could provide Mahomes with another one of those underneath weapons in defenses are trying to prevent him from attacking deep. Plus, Renfrow would be a cheap acquisition.
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Bo Melton, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers receiving corps is remarkably deep, which could make someone like Bo Melton expendable. In just 5 games last season, he finished with 218 receiving yards on 16 receptions, averaging 2.79 yards per route run (Player Profiler) with 3 eep targets and a 94.1 percent true catch rate. Plus, his 40 time (4.34) is in the 97th percentile for wide receivers.
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Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
If the Kansas City Chiefs want a short-term replacement for Marquise Brown, Michael Thomas could be an option. The 31-year-old hasn’t popped up in NFL rumors once since the New Orleans Saints cut ties with him. That might be due, in part, because he last eclipsed 500 receiving yards in 2019. The veteran also brings a volatile personality to a locker room. With that said, Kansas City could bring him in on a flier for a few weeks. If Brown returns ahead of schedule, Thomas can be cut.
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