Marquise Brown

The Kansas City Chiefs want to re-sign impending free agent wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, but members within the organization believe that Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen would like to play with him, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"The Chiefs very much want to keep receiver Hollywood Brown, who should have a good market due to teams' desire for speed options on the outside," Fowler reported.

"Mahomes advocated for signing Brown last year and will likely do so again. Will another star quarterback -- like Josh Allen -- be next? People with the Chiefs I spoke to this week believe that Allen has long wanted to play with Brown."

Brown was limited to two regular-season games after suffering a sternoclavicular injury during the preseason. He returned in Week 16 and has been featured in the Chiefs' run to the Super Bowl.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have dealt with a number of injuries to their offense this season, but they are reportedly set to get one of their key playmakers back for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans.

Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown will be activated off injured reserve and make his Chiefs debut on Saturday.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler initially reported Thursday that Brown will be activated for that contest "assuming everything continues trending positively this week."

Brown is yet to play a game this season because of a shoulder injury.

While the Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl last season, it was clear as the 2023 campaign progressed they needed to address the wide receiver position outside of Rashee Rice.

And signing Brown this offseason was a step toward doing just that, but a shoulder injury has prevented him from taking the field. What's more, Rice was lost for the season after just four games because of a knee injury.

In a testament to Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, the defense and the overall infrastructure in place, Kansas City is still 13-1 on the campaign and in position to land the AFC's No. 1 seed and first-round bye that comes with it even though health has been a lingering question mark.

Running back Isiah Pacheco was also sidelined by a fractured fibula, although he has since returned. Brown would give the Chiefs another option in the offense as the unit is slowly getting healthier ahead of the stretch run even though Mahomes is working through an ankle injury going into the Texans game.

At his best, Brown is someone who can stretch the defense with his speed and create openings underneath because of his ability to draw safeties his way.

That could open up routes for Kelce and others, and the speed combination of Brown and Xavier Worthy will be difficult for opposing secondaries to counter. Worthy leads all Chiefs wide receivers with 494 receiving yards this season, which is a solid-but-unspectacular number for the rookie and also underscores the need for more healthy playmakers at the position.

Brown previously played for the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals and tallied 1,008 receiving yards during the 2021 campaign for the former. It was one of three straight seasons with more than 700 receiving yards, and he has never finished with fewer than 574 since he entered the league as a first-round pick in 2019.

Having Brown on the field makes the Chiefs all the more dangerous as they look to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Lombardi Trophies.

The Kansas City Chiefs are close to getting another playmaker back for the final stretch of the regular season.

Marquise "Hollywood" Brown has had his practice window activated after missing the entire season to this point with a dislocated SC join suffered back in August.

On Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Brown had a "positive" meeting with his surgeon ahead of practice window being opened.

The Chiefs also activated Harrison Butker's window to return from a knee injury that put him on injured reserve.

Injuries have been an issue for the Chiefs at receiver this season. Rashee Rice is out for the season with a knee injury, while JuJu Smith-Schuster has missed time. The emergence of rookie Xavier Worthy and the midseason trade for DeAndre Hopkins helped, giving Patrick Mahomes weapons on the outside to go along with tight end Travis Kelce, but getting back the field-stretching capabilities of Brown will be a bonus for the 12-1 Chiefs.

Brown, 27, had his best season back in 2021 for the Baltimore Ravens, catching 91 passes for 1,008 yards (both career highs) and six touchdowns. He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals ahead of the 2022 season and never quite reached his Baltimore success despite being reunited with college teammate Kyler Murray, catching 118 passes for 1,283 yards and seven scores across two seasons (26 games).

The hope coming into the 2024 season was that Brown would provide Mahomes with another downfield threat after the receiver position was Kansas City's biggest weakness during the 2023 campaign. That didn't keep the Chiefs from winning a Super Bowl on the back of an excellent defense and the elite playmaking of Mahomes, but it did make them far easier for defenses to slow down.

The Chiefs responded to those issues in a major way, drafting Worthy, signing both Brown and Smith-Schuster and eventually trading for Hopkins.

"That's probably what I'm excited about the most being here is to just put my best foot forward and show what I could do," Brown told reporters back in March. "I feel like I'll be able to showcase my skill set. I feel like I can affect all three levels of the game—short, intermediate and deep. I feel like [at] times in Baltimore and in Arizona, I showed facets of things that I could do, but not on a consistent basis. So I feel here guys are interchangeable. We can complement each other and that way the best can come out of everyone."

Soon, the Chiefs should finally get the chance to see that in action.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who has missed the entire regular season with a sternoclavicular joint dislocation suffered during an Aug. 10 preseason matchup, could potentially return to practice soon.

"According to multiple sources, the Chiefs are optimistic that Brown will rejoin his teammates on the practice fields in mid-December," Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported.

Brown signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Chiefs this offseason. The 27-year-old caught 51 passes for 574 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games for the Arizona Cardinals last year.

The Chiefs have had terrible luck with injuries to key players aside from Brown. Of note, Isiah Pacheco suffered a fractured right fibula in Week 2 and missed nine games. Rashee Rice is out for the season after suffering a damaged LCL in Week 2. Kicker Harrison Butker is currently on IR with a knee injury.

But there's good news ahead. Pacheco is a full participant in practice this week leading into Friday's matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Butker's injury isn't expected to be a season-ender, giving him a chance to get back for the regular-season stretch run. And now Brown could be in the mix as well.

Brown's been quite productive in the past, notably catching 91 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. Injuries curtailed Brown in 2023, namely a heel ailment that ultimately ended his season early and forced him to miss the final three games.

But now Brown could be nearing his Chiefs debut, a welcome sight for a team looking for the first-ever Super Bowl threepeat in franchise history.

Marquise Brown's 2024 season may not be over.

The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver hasn't played this season due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the offseason. While the initial reports suggested he would miss the entire season, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the team has not yet ruled out a possible return for him.

"And the Chiefs haven't totally ruled out a return for Hollywood Brown (shoulder) at some point. Kansas City coaches have been checking in with him, and the picture should become more clear over the next three to four weeks."

Brown signed a one-year contract with the Chiefs in the 2024 offseason and was expected to be a major target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the team's quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl.

Kansas City has been fine without Brown, currently sitting at 9-0. However, wide receiver Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending injury several weeks ago and the team had to venture to the trade market to add wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the position group.

Having Brown return would boost the team even more, especially if he was available for the postseason. His presence could take pressure of Hopkins, rookie Xavier Worthy, veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Travis Kelce and would make the offense even more of a matchup nightmare for opponents.

Fowler's report shows hope for Brown and the Chiefs and the team will be sure to monitor his progression over the next several weeks.

The Kansas City Chiefs reportedly may consider a move for Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins amid the team's mounting injuries at wideout.

Appearing Saturday on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the Chiefs wanted to sign Hopkins "badly" when he was a free agent prior to the 2023 season, but they couldn't get a deal done, and D-Hop signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Titans instead.

While Fowler stopped short of reporting that the Chiefs are actively trying to trade for Hopkins, he said, "Maybe they at least make the call," on the heels of receivers Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice being placed on injured reserve.

After the Arizona Cardinals released Hopkins, he was a hot commodity on the free-agent market, and the Titans ultimately secured him on a two-year deal.

Although the Titans struggled to a 6-11 record last season, Hopkins recorded the seventh 1,000-yard season of his illustrious career, finishing with 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns.

The 32-year-old veteran built a solid rapport with quarterback Will Levis, who was a rookie in 2023, but the connection hasn't been quite as present so far this season, as Hopkins has just 10 grabs for 121 yards and one score through four games.

A big reason for that is the fact that the Titans signed both Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in free agency, meaning there have been far fewer targets to go around.

Fowler noted that the Titans "don't really want to sell pieces off right now," but they are only 1-3 on the season, and if things continue to go south, it stands to reason that they will be more open to moves closer to the trade deadline on Nov. 5.

The Chiefs overcame their shortcomings at wide receiver last season to win a second straight Super Bowl, but they addressed the situation during the offseason by signing Brown and using a first-round pick on speedster Xavier Worthy.

Brown has not appeared in a game this season, though, and it is expected he will miss the entire regular season due to a shoulder injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Rice was carrying the pass-catcher load for the Kansas City offense through three games with 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns, but he suffered a knee injury last week when quarterback Patrick Mahomes accidentally fell into his legs while trying to make a tackle following an interception.

Schefter (h/t ESPN's Adam Teicher) reported that the Chiefs feared Rice had suffered a torn ACL after he was ruled out for the remainder of the game. That has yet to be confirmed, so while it is possible the Chiefs avoided the worst-case scenario, Rice will miss at least the next four games after going on IR, and he will undergo additional testing after swelling in his knee subsides.

Regardless of the severity of Rice's injury, Hopkins could be an ideal addition for the Chiefs as a big, physical, experienced receiver opposite the speed demon in Worthy.

The 4-0 Chiefs also represent Hopkins' best opportunity to win the first Super Bowl of his career, so it is possible there could be some mutual interest as the deadline approaches.

The wide receiver who cried wolf?

Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill had fans wondering if he might be on the move with a pair of cryptic tweets on Wednesday.

But it turns out that Hill, in his own words, just loves trolling NFL fans.

The speculation that the Chiefs may try to reunite with Hill isn't terribly surprising—Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is currently on injured reserve with a sternoclavicular injury and hasn't played yet this year, while Rashee Rice suffered an injury this past week that is feared to potentially be a torn ACL, though the full nature of the injury remains unknown.

Either way, that has left the Chiefs incredibly thin at the wideout position. Don't expect Hill to wind up in Kansas City this season, however, even as the Dolphins have limped to a 1-3 start.

Despite the injuries to Rashee Rice as well as other members of the Kansas City Chiefs' receiving corps, one rival coach isn't worried about Patrick Mahomes' ability to remain effective without them.

"I don't think it's a big deal," the coach said, per Mike Sando of The Athletic. "What was Mahomes' average air yards when targeting him?"

Rice was carted off the field with a leg injury during the Chiefs' 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Head coach Andy Reid said that his outlook moving forward was "not good."

The 24-year-old was off to a strong start to the season, recording 24 catches for 288 yards through four games. It's worth noting that he averaged just 4.6 targeted air yards, the 13th-lowest mark among all qualified players (via Next Gen Stats).

The coach also expected the Chiefs to utilize their tight ends moving forward.

"They will incorporate the tight ends and go back to what they were doing last year," the coach said, per Sando. "I don't think it's going to impact their trajectory much. They were going to have a natural regression this year, in my opinion, based on how many games they have played in recent years, but they are 4-0, so obviously they are in good shape."

With Marquise Brown potentially missing the remainder of the regular season after undergoing surgery for a sternoclavicular injury, Kansas City's offense heavily featured the team's tight ends once Rice exited Sunday's contest.

After a slow start to the year, Travis Kelce hauled in seven of his nine targets for 89 yards. Backup Noah Gray finished as the team's third-leading receiver, catching four passes for 40 yards.

With the Chiefs attempting to build upon their 4-0 record to open the season, expect Mahomes to target Kelce and Gray more often moving forward.