The Kansas City Chiefs have made a move to help their depleted wide receiver room.
In their Week 4 win over the Raiders, the Chiefs lost Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton to injury. Thornton is set to miss the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury, while Rice is dealing with a hamstring issue. Coming off a bye week, the front office has finally made an addition to that room.
The Chiefs are reuniting with Justin Watson, signing him to the practice squad on Monday. But it can’t be the only move Kansas City makes to address this hole. Watson is a band-aid to the overall issues currently in the wide receiver room.
The 6-foot-2 receiver was decent across three years in Kansas City. He caught 64 passes for 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns. His previous rapport with Patrick Mahomes and familiarity with the system will help. But at 30 years old, Watson can’t be the savior of this room.
Brett Veach needs to make a bigger swing. Marvin Harrison Jr. is off the board after being moved to Houston. But there are still options out there to help a beleaguered room.
Tyreek Hill is a popular name, given his history in Kansas City and explosiveness when healthy. However, he’s coming off a serious knee injury and is also 32 years old. There’s upside there, but it’s a risk.
Darius Slayton, Curtis Samuel and Deandre Hopkins are all currently free agents. They wouldn’t be game-changing pickups, but each is a solid veteran with a proven track record. Hopkins is also a former Chief who’s caught passes from Mahomes in the past.
Veach could also choose to monitor the trade market. Guys like Calvin Ridley, Kendrick Bourne, and Chris Godwin could be available if the season slips away from their respective teams. Those moves could offer a little more upside than the current veterans in the free agent market.
The Chiefs are 4-0 and fancy themselves as Super Bowl contenders. If they’re serious about that assertion, Watson can’t be the only addition to a banged-up wide receiver room.
