The Kansas City Chiefs looked like a shell of themselves Sunday night in Seattle, falling 20-3 to the defending champion Seahawks.
Patrick Mahomes and the offense struggled to get anything going, finishing with just 213 total yards and failing to reach the red zone for the first time in the Mahomes era. Mahomes finished 19 of 33 for 165 yards and zero touchdowns with one interception, while Kenneth Walker III managed just 36 yards on 14 carries against his former team.
The loss dropped Kansas City to 5-1 and exposed problems that were easy to overlook during their hot start to the season, particularly the glaring hole at wide receiver.
On Monday's episode of "Get Up," ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky argued that the Chiefs need to make a big move before the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 10, suggesting the current receiving group isn't good enough to support a Super Bowl run.
"When it comes to throwing the ball to a wide receiver, right now Patrick's a bottom-10 quarterback. And that's not a Patrick thing, that's a receiver thing," Orlovsky said. "You're going to have to beat Jacksonville, you're going to have to beat Cleveland, you're going to have to beat Denver, you'll have to beat New England. Those are really good secondaries. Really good secondaries. So, is Brian Thomas Jr. an option? Is Garrett Wilson an option? Is George Pickens an option? I know this is outrageous, but if you're the Chiefs, you're not good enough."
NFL insider Adam Schefter then jumped in and said, "If we're having this conversation a year ago and you said, can you go get Quinnen Williams? Can you go get Sauce Gardner? People would have laughed. So when you bring up these names, Garrett Wilson, I will say that's the first time I've heard that name. I wouldn't have thought about it. It's not a name that's in everybody's circles. But if you're the Chiefs, you should be calling the Jets, and if you're the Jets, you should be listening."
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Kansas City's receiving group has been devastated by injuries and inconsistent production. Rashee Rice missed Sunday's game with hamstring and knee issues, while Tyquan Thornton is on injured reserve. Xavier Worthy, meanwhile, managed just 11 yards on six targets against Seattle, and had some bad drops. Travis Kelce remains a key part of the passing game, but he's also 37 and no longer the elite weapon he once was. The Chiefs could use another dependable option on the outside.
Thomas has been involved in trade rumors dating back to last season. After exploding for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns during his 2024 rookie season, he's fallen out of the rotation in Jacksonville. Through six games this season, he has just 102 yards and one touchdown on nine catches. Maybe Mahomes and Andy Reid can still help get the most out of the former first-round pick, and at 24 years old, he has more upside than a lot of wideouts on the market.
Wilson has been floated in trade rumors as well, but isn't considered as gettable an option. He's a bona fide true No. 1 wide receiver, the Jets' best player, and the face of their franchise. He's now in his fifth season in New York, and the Jets have already signed him to a massive four-year, $130 million extension to keep him around through 2030. But few thought they would move off Quinnen Williams or Sauce Gardner, two pillars of the franchise, a year ago as well.
Pickens, meanwhile, is arguably the most intriguing option. He had a career year last season, his first with the Cowboys, hauling in 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl. Yet, Dallas refused to give him a long-term deal and instead franchise-tagged him, meaning he'll be a free agent at the end of this season. He's still playing at a high level, with 428 receiving yards through six games, and his big-play ability could be what Kansas City is missing.
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The Chiefs have little time to waste if they want to go get one of these receivers with the trade deadline just two weeks away. Their upcoming schedule includes the Broncos in Denver next Sunday, followed by the Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals, two of which will be in Kansas City, before a brutal stretch of road games against the Bills, Rams, and Bengals.