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The Kansas City Chiefs have a big problem this season. Despite their undefeated start to the season, there was one major issue looming at the back of their fans’ minds. On Sunday night, these fears were realized after the Seattle Seahawks completely dominated the Chiefs in prime time. The strengths they played to early in the season were nowhere to be seen, and the offense floundered.
They can’t ignore these issues any longer. The Chiefs badly need to trade for a wide receiver to complement their roster, even when their injured wideouts return from injury.
Chiefs’ wide receiver room still in jeopardy amid injuries, poor play
The Chiefs’ wide receiver room was heavily criticized at the start of the 2026 season, and for good reason. It was already considered one of the worst units last season. Rashee Rice was a good, if not a bit underwhelming, WR1, and the rest of the wide receivers felt like they just weren’t meshing with Patrick Mahomes. Speedsters Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton were inconsistent pass-catchers, and the depth after that was nowhere to be found.
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That being said, the Chiefs started the 2026 season well, thanks in large part to their wide receivers stepping up and their brand-new addition taking the attention off of them. Kenneth Walker III has been one of the best running backs in the league, and his presence in the run game has opened up opportunities for Rice, Thornton, and Worthy to run rampant down the field. Thornton and Worthy, in particular, worked well as the vertical threats needed to open up more opportunities for Walker in the ground game.
However, in just one game, the Chiefs lost two of their best wide receivers. Rice has been dealing with injuries his entire career, and he was ruled out of Week 7 due to that hamstring injury. Thornton suffered a brutal ankle injury that has him out for an indefinite period of time. Worthy is a good wide receiver, yes, but he’s ill-suited to be the top wide receiver of an offense. Training camp standouts Cyrus Allen and Jalen Royals are good, but still need more time in the oven, so to speak.
Even when this team is fully healthy, the wide receiver room still needs a lot of help. You can’t help but feel that this wide receiver room would benefit from having a true bona fide WR1 on the team. Travis Kelce is well past his prime, and you need someone else to open up opportunities for the wide receivers other than Kenneth Walker III.
The good news for the Chiefs is that they can always find this player in the trade market. The prices may be steep, but it should be a small price to pay for the chance to elevate their game. A player like George Pickens, for example, will cost a lot of money. However, he’s proven to be one of the best contested-catch guys in the league, something that the Chiefs really lack this season.
Another potential name is Jerry Jeudy. While Jeudy’s name has lost luster over the last few years, he hasn’t had a quarterback as talented as Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball and a coach like Andy Reid scheming guys open. He could be a fascinating reclamation project for the Chiefs if they do decide to trade for the former Broncos wide receiver.
And, of course, we have to talk about the biggest fish in the pond. Brian Thomas Jr. flashed WR1 potential early on in his career, but his career has taken a downward turn since his 2024 rookie campaign. He’s slowly sunk to the depths of the Jaguars’ depth chart, being outplayed by Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers this season. Thomas Jr is one of those players who could do better with a change of scenery, and the Chiefs have the perfect pond to help Thomas Jr find his groove again.
Truly, the Chiefs badly need help at the wide receiver position. With how competitive the AFC is this season, they cannot afford to rest on their laurels and hope that everything gets better once their injury situation clears up.
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