It hasn’t been pretty, but the Kansas City Chiefs are 12-1 on the year and have won the AFC West for the ninth consecutive season. 10 of those wins arrived in one-possession games. Not to mention, this is happening with Patrick Mahomes not putting up his usual flashy numbers.
There are issues on the offense. As mentioned, Mahomes only has 3,189 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions to his credit. He is dealing with issues on his offensive line, particularly at tackle. Then there are the countless injuries on the wide receiver depth chart. Thus far, Rashee Rice is out for the season, while Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore are on the injured reserve. Well, there is help on the way.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown received final clearance to practice. With that, Brown is on the verge of returning at some point towards the end of the regular season.
This past offseason, the Chiefs prioritized bolstering their wide receiver depth chart, especially with all of the issues they faced last season. Signing Brown to a one-year, $7 million contract, the Chiefs believed they would get a true speedy option downfield to help go over the top of opposing defenses.
But early in a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brown left early with a shoulder injury. It was later determined he suffered a sternoclavicular shoulder joint injury that required surgery. The expectation was that he could miss the entire regular season, but return for the playoffs. But based on this new update, Brown is getting that much closer to returning.
It couldn’t come at a better time for the Chiefs. Sure, they clinched the division, but they really do need as much help they can get this season. Yes, the wins are there, but they are far from convincing wins, like they were accustomed to picking up in years past.
On the year, the Chiefs offense is averaging 338.2 yards (16th in NFL) and 23.7 points (12th). In terms of passing, the Chiefs average 227.6 yards per game, which ranks 13th in the league. Sure, they are in the top half, but they are far from as dominant as playoff contenders like the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
Getting Brown back in time for the playoffs will provide a huge boost for Mahomes and the entire offense. Now, it’s just a matter of which game Brown will be activated for.
