Kansas City Better Off Without Trading For A.J. Brown | Heavy Sports
Brown has been a disruptive force in the locker room for the best part of two seasons – even as the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX – as the All-Pro wideout continued to complain about his lack of targets in Philadelphia’s run-first offense.
And whilst that kind of energy may be able to be stifled by the elite play of Drake Maye and the no-nonsense style of head coach Mike Vrabel, in KC the juice may not have been worth the squeeze.
Although it is rare for receivers to be discontented whilst having passes thrown to them by Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs already have receivers with tenuous off-the-field records in Rashee Rice, and adding more controversy to that room would be a risky endeavor at the very least.
Whilst Rice’s status for 2026 is technically unknown, there is little chance that he may face league consequences for breaking his parole by failing a drug test, given that it is not possible for the 26-year old face an actual league suspension for simply testing positive for marijuana per the new collective bargaining agreement that came into effect in 2020.
Smith-Schuster, 29, first entered the league as a second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 NFL Draft. After five seasons with the Steelers, Smith-Schuster signed a one-year deal to join the Chiefs in 2022.
That year, Smith-Schuster had 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season. The receiver’s most memorable game for the Chiefs was Super Bowl LVII, when he became Patrick Mahomes’ go-to target as Kansas City stormed back from a 10-point deficit in the second half.
In that half alone, Smith-Schuster made six receptions for 48 yards. On the Chiefs’ game-clinching drive, he drew a defensive holding penalty on Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry that put Kansas City in field-goal range.
After a couple of kneel-downs, kicker Harrison Butker connected on a 27-yard field goal to give the Chiefs a 38-35 Super Bowl victory.
Offensive Breakdown
This side of the ball is much more similar to last year’s collection of players. Four of the five starting offensive linemen are back, as is future Hall of Fame man Travis Kelce at tight end. At the receiver spot, the trio of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton returns. What’s different, then?
The run game, and for good reason. Kansas City lacked any remnant of explosiveness in 2024 or 2025, so Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are both out. In is Kenneth Walker III, who is already making a good impression.
Upside is there for this unit, but it’ll take a lot going the right way. That starts with quarterback Patrick Mahomes bouncing back from a torn ACL and LCL, as well as the coaches around Walker helping him be his best self. That’s without even mentioning Rice staying out of trouble and getting back to full health.
Crazier things have happened, but this is a dice roll and a bank on head coach Andy Reid being able to make up for some things.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid has a reputation. His practices are known for rigorous on-field work and fast pace. There aren’t two-a-days in the NFL anymore, so they have to make the most of their on-field time. The players will run a lot and move their bodies during individual and team drills. It doesn’t matter if it’s a padded practice in July or a padless practice in May.
“It’s been good. I say it’s a lot of running, probably. Somebody could have warned me a little bit about that,” Delane joked. “But naw, just like I said, it’s a very well-conditioned team, and obviously, I can see why people are so ready for the season. Because we come in here, we handle our business, and it’s definitely not easy. So, really just a lot more running than that, though.”
With the running in OTAs being a big surprise, Delane is certainly in for a treat when the Chiefs get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp. Those days can be extremely daunting, with temperatures in the 90s with 100% humidity. There’s also Coach Reid’s staple long-drive drill. Delane told Cody and Gold that he’s already been warned about training camp, and he’ll be prepared for it nonetheless.
“Naw, for sure, I’ve definitely heard,” Delane said of training camp in St. Joe. “Got my fair share of warnings, but I wouldn’t even be surprised now. Really just trying to prepare as best as I can, to be ready for that, those circumstances and those climates and environments.”
Most Important Position Battle: Wide Receiver
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is working his way back from a torn ACL, but it’s looking increasingly likely that he’ll be ready to go within the first few weeks of the regular season.
“He’s way ahead of schedule,” GM Brett Veach told SiriusXM Radio in early May (h/t NFL.com’s Kevin Patra).
While Mahomes’ recovery timeline is still somewhat uncertain, things are even murkier at wide receiver. Rashee Rice was practically Kansas City’s only dependable wideout in 2025, and he’s recovering from knee surgery while serving a 30-day jail term tied to a probation violation.
Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals, Nikko Remigio, and rookie Cyrus Allen will all be competing for roles in camp, and the Chiefs may look to add more to the position.
Patrick Mahomes will win his third MVP
Last season, the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in Mahomes’ nine-year career, and he underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left knee. No matter. The three-time Super Bowl winner will return with a vengeance. He’ll benefit from a formidable offensive line and a rushing attack led by Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. — Jason Reid, Andscape senior writer
The Rams acquired Garrett in a blockbuster deal on Monday, the teams announced. In return, defensive end Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-rounder are heading to Cleveland.
The star defensive end is the all-time single-season sack leader. Garrett set the record with 23 sacks in 2025, surpassing Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, who each had 22.5 sacks.
Garrett was drafted with the first overall pick in 2017 by the Browns. He was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and 2025.
The defensive end has played in 134 career games over his nine-year career and heads into 2026 with 125.5 career sacks, already good enough for 20th all-time since the stat was first recorded in 1982.
The Eagles agreed Monday to trade star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots for a first-round draft pick in 2028 and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The fifth-round selection will be the better of New England’s two picks in that round of next year’s draft, sources told ESPN.
The trade, which has been discussed and anticipated across the NFL for months, reunites Brown and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
“Playing for this city has been an honor, and I’m thankful for every moment I had in midnight green. Thank you, Philly. Much love always. God bless,” he wrote.
Brown, who turns 29 on June 30, gives Patriots quarterback Drake Maye a No. 1 target as part of a revamped top of the receiver depth chart alongside free agent signing Romeo Doubs.
The big change in the Chiefs’ linebacker room is the loss of Leo Chenal, who never carved out a high-snap count as Spagnuolo’s SAM linebacker. When he was on the field, however, Chenal frequently delivered splash plays in a situational role.
The Chiefs largely left the position group alone despite Chenal’s departure to the Washington Commanders. Part of that may be that they simply did not think there was a comparable replacement to Chenal’s skillset available, as fellow linebacker Drue Tranquill explained to reporters on Thursday:
“I don’t know that you can replace Leo. I think he is kind of one of one in what he can do. If you just throw on the tape, you can see all the different positions he lined up at for us. They do a really good job here of creating competition. Obviously, that SAM ‘backer role is kind of up for grabs, and we have a lot of guys in our room competing hard for it, and they’ll do some creative things. He’s a great player, and Washington is definitely lucky to have him.”
Tranquill went on to praise how McDonald, Bassa, and Cochrane have looked in OTAs. He did not mention Christiansen, who has been on and off of Kansas City’s roster for four seasons without ever taking a defensive snap.
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