Three Splashy Wide Receiver Trades Chiefs Could Consider Making This Preseason

One of the most glaring Kansas City Chiefs-related questions with the 2026-27 season on the horizon is whether the current wide receiver room is good enough to influence championship football in a positive way. The club invested minimally in the group throughout the offseason, and now there's one less free agent on the market with Stefon Diggs signed.

Training camp hasn't exactly managed to provide any glimmers of real hope. Fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen looked awesome before pads came on at training camp, yet he has a long way to go before becoming a real contributor. Rashee Rice is progressing slowly after offseason knee surgery. Lastly, fellow starter Xavier Worthy isn't dominating the competition at practice.

As the free agent pool narrows down, could trading for someone be the solution if Kansas City senses a need? Three candidates, regardless of a realistic path to a deal, seem to be intriguing Chiefs fans. Matt Lane and Sterling Holmes discussed that and more on an August episode of the 21 Questions podcast on KC Sports Network.

Brian Thomas Jr.

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Rome Odunze
Brian Thomas Jr.… pic.twitter.com/gVJGLmIjDk
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) June 1, 2026

This is a classic buy-low opportunity that was floated around earlier in this offseason, when K.C. had pick No. 40 in the 2026 NFL Draft and folks wanted it to be dangled. After an 87-catch, 1,282-yard, 10-touchdown rookie year that saw him make the Pro Bowl, Brian Thomas Jr.'s numbers across the board fell in 2025. Now entering year three, the former first-rounder is entering a pivotal campaign.

There's a lot to like about Thomas, such as his ability to win vertically and outside the numbers as needed. He'd bring something to the Chiefs' offense that it's desperately missing, but rumor has it he looks fantastic at Jacksonville Jaguars training camp.

At this juncture, it appears Jacksonville would prefer to keep Thomas. If he struggles out of the gate and grows unhappy, however, that may change. Pair that with him carrying just a $2.13 million cap hit for 2026 and another year of control for 2027, and you get a very enticing trade chip.

Jordan Addison

Speaking of first-rounders, Minnesota Vikings wideout Jordan Addison is going to be making $18M in fully guaranteed money next season. For this year, though, his $2.62M cap hit in a trade scenario is more than manageable, even for a cash-strapped team like the Chiefs.

Like Rice, Addison has some baggage in the form of past off-the-field issues. He's also gotten worse each year from a statistical standpoint and has seen his snaps decrease along with that. Drops and inconsistency are significant problems for the 24-year-old.

Still, Addison's small frame doesn't prevent him from lining up on the boundary and torching opposing defensive backs. According to Pro Football Focus, 33.8% of his 2025 targets were 10-19 yards from the line of scrimmage. Another 27% were on deep-ball throws. The ability to threaten beyond short range isn't something the Chiefs currently have.

Leaving the winner of the Kyler Murray-J.J. McCarthy quarterback battle without one of the club's top weapons does seem counterintuitive, but desperation could lead to a team like the Chiefs considering throwing an offer Minnesota's way.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

This is the biggest and least likely swing to make. Even with how much he's disappointed relative to the hype he generated as a prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr. probably has another year to realize his potential with the Arizona Cardinals. It'd also require a bit of flexibility on the Chiefs' side, as acquiring Harrison would put them over-so-slightly over the cap.

With that said, it's hard to imagine a world where Patrick Mahomes is throwing to a 6-foot-3, 200-plus-pound receiver and see his life not instantly becoming easier. Harrison aligned on the outside on nearly 77% of 2025 snaps and posted a 94.9 PFF receiving grade on deep targets. Additionally, per SumerSports, he led Arizona with a 1.75 yards per route run mark on late downs.

As a former No. 4 overall pick and someone who's entering just his third season, there's no doubt that the Cardinals' asking price could be unreasonable. There's a reason this is the long shot option before Kansas City has even played a 2026 preseason game.

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