Analyst: Former Cardinals WR Set for Bounce-Back Season

Hollywood's lights will shine bright next season after moving on from the Cardinals.

Sep 17, 2023; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown (2) carries the ball past New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock (27) in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals didn't quite maximize the talents of WR Marquise Brown during his time in the desert, though new beginnings could see Hollywood's lights shine with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brown was acquired for a first-round pick on draft night a few years back, and the hope was he and former Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins could form a dynamic duo for Arizona to lean on for years.

That didn't come to fruition, and now Brown finds himself on a back-to-back Super Bowl winning team with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball.

There's plenty of reason to expect Brown to bounce back in 2024, says PFF - at least in terms of fantasy football production.

"Playing through injury for the Arizona Cardinals last year, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ new field-stretching wide receiver Marquise Brown delivered half-PPR and PPR WR5 results in both season-long and per-game scoring. Fantasy managers should expect Brown to bounce back via positional top-36 results operating as Kansas City’s largely uncontested deep threat," wrote Nic Bodiford, who explored Brown's volume target totals after going through the various names Kansas City failed to replace Tyreek Hill with.

"Brown has efficiently earned high-volume target totals in each of the last four years despite regularly running routes past the sticks. His catch rates leave some to be desired but his 2023 down year inaccurately reflects his moderate surehandedness.Among 34 NFL wide receivers with at least 280 targets from 2020-to-2022, Brown’s 64.5% catch rate ranks 25th.

"Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is a notable upgrade on Brown’s former starting quarterbacks, Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson and Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray. ... Fantasy managers should expect Brown to bounce back as a WR3 or better in 2024."

Even in the realm of actual football, there's reasonable belief that Brown can emerge as a top weapon in Kansas City despite the presence of others around him. Mahomes has an arm like no other quarterback, and if Brown can remain healthy in 2023, the Chiefs may have gotten a steal on the market.