One Position Chiefs GM Brett Veach Should Consider Upgrading (And Who's Available)

At the end of last season, it was abundantly clear that the Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver room had some questions to answer. Some of those responses won't go on the record until the start of the 2026-27 campaign, but general manager Brett Veach's actions are making one thing clear.

Kansas City was content with most of the group it had, allowing both Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster to depart in free agency. Not much talent was added to replace that duo, with fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen being the only significant name to note. Is running things back and banking on an unproven group the right move?

There's a chance it works out, but this could also turn out to be an unforced error by Veach and company. With marquee names like Stefon Diggs, Jauan Jennings, Keenan Allen and Deebo Samuel off the market, it's slim pickings should KC opt to improve its receiver depth chart for the regular season.

That doesn't mean the Chiefs shouldn't try. Who could make sense? Let's dive into some possible options from the available free agent pool.

Tyreek Hill

Let's get one thing out of the way: Tyreek Hill isn't the same player he once was during his heyday in Kansas City. He's now 32 years old and coming off a complex leg injury that will likely leave him out of action — and a landing spot — until partway through the regular season:

"I don't expect Tyreek Hill to sign before the season..

He sent me videos of him running hills yesterday & he looked great..

I do think when he does sign he will be the kind of guy that will impact the playoff race & will certainly be successful" ~ @DrewJRosenhaus #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/FOUdOc9cYF
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 21, 2026

That's an obvious red flag, but it could be a green light for a team like the Chiefs. Hill will surely be on a discount for the 2026 campaign, and him taking his time could afford the coaching staff and front office time to evaluate whether an addition is necessary. The eight-time Pro Bowler also knows the offense like the back of his hand and would be able to come along at whatever pace is needed.

In three full games before his injury, Hill averaged five receptions and 66 yards. It's a major "if," but even if he's 80-85% of his prior self, it'd add another threat to the Chiefs' passing attack.

DeAndre Hopkins

It seems forever ago that DeAndre Hopkins made an awesome early impression with eight catches for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns in just his second game as a Chief. In reality, it hasn't been two full years since that point. The downside is that Hopkins, who'd be entering his 14th NFL season if he played in 2026, was already behind the aging curve and is now 34 years old.

Further complicating things is that Hopkins never quite got a premier opportunity in Kansas City after the aforementioned breakout game. He's also currently serving as Georgia Tech's assistant wide receivers coach. While he isn't shutting the door on a return to the pros as a player, he doesn't exactly seem dead-set on extending his illustrious career.

The Chiefs can probably pass on this one, as it remains to be seen whether Hopkins would entertain a reunion. At this point in his career, the juice isn't really worth the squeeze for either side.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

This one seems so realistic that it might be scary if you don't reflect on Smith-Schuster's last year in KC fondly. Not only did the veteran wideout manage to appear in all 17 regular-season games for head coach Andy Reid's crew in 2025, but his 620 snaps accounted for 56% of those available. He was a legitimate contributor on that side of the ball in terms of opportunity.

The problem lies with the quality of those contributions. Smith-Schuster recorded just an 84.0 passer rating when targeted and, per SumerSports, was the only Chiefs receiver with 100-plus routes but a yard-per-route-run mark worse than 1.0. The former second-round pick was a "he knows where to be and when to be there" mercenary through and through.

Still, this version of Smith-Schuster could benefit the Chiefs as an insurance policy and end-of-depth-chart piece. The issue with that is Reid's tendencies and the rest of the coaching staff potentially not checking him if he fell back in love with giving the pass catcher too many snaps.

It's a fitting possibility, albeit not the sexiest one.

Curtis Samuel

The Curtis Samuel era never truly got rolling in Buffalo, as he combined for 38 receptions, 334 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 20 regular-season contests with the Bills. Now 30 years old, it's no longer worth banking on him to restore some of the reputation he constructed earlier in his career.

Adding Samuel, whom the Chiefs expressed interest in during the 2024 offseason, would be a buy-low opportunity on someone who can line up in various spots on offense. According to Pro Football Focus, he's played just under 46% of his career snaps out wide and just over 51% in the slot. That's something that could appeal to Reid and Co.

Similar to Smith-Schuster, this writer could see a Samuel signing happening in the event of an injury, but it wouldn't turn many heads.

Brandin Cooks

One of the older players in this group, Brandin Cooks will turn 33 early in the 2026 regular season. He's set a somewhat consistent baseline for himself at this stage, averaging 25 receptions for 269 yards over the last two regular seasons.

The 2014 first-round pick has been around the block in the NFL and seemed to be bringing his career near a close, but then he ripped off a 101-yard showing in Week 17 last year and doubled back with a nice 58-yard effort in the AFC Wild Card Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the event that Cooks wants to latch on with a contender and chase a ring in the twilight of his career, there could be worse places to do so than Kansas City.

Honorable Mention: Cedric Tillman

This is easily the most intriguing name of the pre-regular season group.

Cedric Tillman is entering his fourth NFL season, and the Cleveland Browns parted ways with him due to a roster crunch after he missed some training camp time due to injury. The former third-round pick has multiple reasons for a team to put in a waiver claim for him (he doesn't have enough accrued time to be a vested veteran) soon.

Standing a legitimate 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds with a respectable 4.54-second 40-yard dash time, Tillman combines his size and vertical athleticism to be a theoretical mismatch against opposing defensive backs. The big-bodied wideout can line up on the outside and threaten teams in the intermediate area of the field, evidenced by his +6.8% catch rate over expected on throws of 10-19 air yards in 2025, via NFL Pro.

Add in that current Chiefs receivers coach Chad O'Shea spent time with Tillman during his Browns tenure, and you could get a sneaky-interesting flier on someone who's only 26 years old and has flashed upside.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google