The Chiefs' Worst Move of the Offseason is One They Didn't Make

For much of the 2026 offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs seemed likely to make a significant investment at the wide receiver position. Instead, the team made smaller moves to address the room, keeping Tyquan Thornton in KC on a two-year deal and drafting Cyrus Allen in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Now, presumed No. 1 receiver Rashee Rice is in jail and recovering from a recent knee surgery. Rice is reportedly still on track to return for training camp this summer, but it's hard to confidently project how his recovery and return to the team will play out.

Even before Rice's tumultuous week, Jordan Foote of Chiefs On SI made the case for Kansas City to consider adding veteran receiver Stefon Diggs for 2026.

Will Kansas City's lack of wide receiver investment come back to bite them?

Bill Barnwell of ESPN took a look at all 16 squads in the AFC to determine the best and worst moves each team made ahead of the 2026 season. Barnwell's favorite move of the Chiefs' offseason was the addition of cornerback Kader Kohou. His least-favorite decision came on the other side of the ball.

What was the Chiefs' worst move of the 2026 offseason?

Barnwell's choice for the Chiefs' worst move of the offseason doesn't come from a signing or draft pick. Instead, it's a move they didn't make: "Not addressing wide receiver."

"General manager Brett Veach is mostly running things back at receiver in 2026," Barnwell wrote. "Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are gone, but the only addition the Chiefs made at wideout or tight end this offseason is fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen. Kenneth Walker III should play some role in the passing game as the team's new lead halfback, of course, but there are no substantial additions at receiver.

"The Chiefs can talk themselves into this working. Rashee Rice was excellent by the end of his rookie season before having his 2024 and 2025 campaigns disrupted by injuries and suspensions, respectively. He had another knee surgery this offseason. Xavier Worthy had a big game in the Super Bowl as a rookie, suffered an injury on the opening drive of the 2025 season and might never have been healthy afterward. And Travis Kelce was actually more efficient in 2025 than he was in 2024, averaging nearly 3 full yards more per catch. As long as he wanted to play in 2026, the Chiefs were always going to find a role for the future Hall of Famer."

Barnwell goes on to note that an investment in a No. 2 tight end could have lessened Kelce's burden in 2026 while also giving the team a chance to lean on more multi-tight end sets. Tight end Noah Gray has played more than half of the Chiefs' offensive snaps in each of the last four seasons but has averaged roughly 30 receptions and 305 yards across those four years.

It's hard to argue with Barnwell's takeaways, even before the recent Rice developments. Of course, spending money on a free agent receiver would have come at the cost of a financial investment elsewhere, and drafting a pass catcher highly would've prevented Kansas City from securing one of their new defensive building blocks. Still, with so many questions surrounding Mahomes' array of weapons, it's hard not to wonder how those decisions will impact the Chiefs in 2026.

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