Sorting Through the Kansas City Chiefs' 2023 Wide Receiver Room
Through five weeks of the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs' wide receivers have been underwhelming to say the least. There was initially a lot of hope that one of the young receivers would emerge as a reliable weapon for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Over a quarter of the season has passed, and no one has been able to solidify themselves as that guy for the Chiefs' offense. It may be time for the coaches to shake things up and try to find solutions before it becomes too late.
The problem for the room starts with the two players getting the most snaps. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore are the only two wideouts on the Chiefs to play over 45% of the snaps, yet they both have a yards per route run (Y/RR) of under 1.00. They both rank in the bottom five in Y/RR for starting receivers across the league. That's very concerning for an offense that thrives through the air.
The early portion of the season has raised questions about Moore specifically. Many folks gave him a pass as a rookie for his lack of production. In his sophomore season and with the departure of receivers previously ahead of him, he was expected to take a step forward. That doesn't seem to be the case, though. Moore has already had two games with zero catches and another — Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings — with less than 15 yards. That shouldn't be the case for what many expected to be the second or third option in the passing game. Moore is still young, but how much longer can Kansas City justify playing him 60% of the snaps when those playing less than that are outproducing him?
The players exceeding Moore's output include Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross and rookie Rashee Rice. Each of them has shown high-level flashes that make Chiefs fans want to see them on the field more, and it's probably time for the coaching staff to make those changes.
The change begins with making Rice the focal point of the wideout room. Unlike many rookies and young players in Reid's system, Rice shined during his first few weeks. He already has the trust of Mahomes and has been incredibly productive when he's seen the field. He currently has the highest target-per-route rate of any NFL wide receiver with at least 50 routes run. Kansas City has made an effort to get Rice the ball when he's on the field, but he's only been present for 36% of the snaps. That's the first adjustment the Chiefs should look to make, as Rice has proven he deserves a more significant role in the offense.
Toney isn't far behind Rice on the aforementioned list, as he ranks third. For all the talk about Kansas City potentially viewing Toney as a 'WR1,' they sure haven't used him as such. He's been limited to a gadget role, seeing most of his production on those plays. Early-season injuries may have factored into the reduced workload but with him seemingly getting healthy, it's time for the Chiefs to expand the dynamic weapon's responsibilities and prove that he can be more than just a niche player.
Lastly, Ross has shown his ability on minimal snaps. On Sunday, he saw the most targets of his young career, including a huge play down the sideline. At 6-foot-4, he presents a matchup problem for the defense, and the Chiefs have begun to exploit that. They ran a slot fade to him on a critical second-and-17, where he elevated to high-point a ball that Mahomes trusted him to get. Ross brings a different element as a playmaker, and the Chiefs should look to use him more often in the coming weeks.
Kansas City's upcoming opponents don't have the strongest defensive units on paper. It would be an excellent opportunity for the offense — specifically the wide receiver room — to find its identity. There is enough evidence showing that the current plan has been underwhelming, and it may be time to shift things around. Giving the more productive receivers a majority of the snaps could improve the unit's struggles thus far.
