The Kansas City Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season to the Seattle Seahawks, a game that exposed a potentially major flaw for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense.
The Chiefs could still have time to address the deficiency, with one NFL insider predicting they will take a swing for one of the most coveted wide receivers ahead of next week’s NFL trade deadline.
Chiefs Predicted to Give Patrick Mahomes the Missing Piece
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen broke down some potential trades, predicting the Chiefs will land Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs for a fourth-round pick. Nguyen noted that Seattle’s dedication to stopping Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III last week exposed some major flaws in their passing game, which Downs could help fix.
“The Seahawks’ defense took away the Chiefs’ run game and none of Kansas City’s receivers could create separation,” Nguyen wrote. “They’re relying on Xavier Worthy as their man-beater, but nickel Nick Emmanwori easily covering Worthy on a slot fade should tell you whether he can be relied on in that role.”
Nguyen predicted that Downs could provide the deep threat the Chiefs are currently lacking, and come at a relatively affordable price compared to other, more far-fetched targets.
“The Chiefs desperately need a receiver who can separate against man coverage,” Nguyen wrote. “George Pickens would be the dream trade for the Chiefs, and they should be willing to trade significant capital for him if the Cowboys put him on the market, rather than potentially losing him in free agency next year, but Jerry Jones is unpredictable. The next best option would be Downs, who could be significantly more productive in the Chiefs’ offense.”
Josh Downs Pushing for a Trade
With the Colts already shedding assets and headed toward what appears to be a full rebuild, Downs has reportedly asked the team for a trade. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that several teams are already interested.
Downs did not speak publicly about the report, saying only that he’s staying focused on next week’s game.
“I’m here right now,” he said. “I’m here right now. I’m where my feet are. We got the Jags this weekend and so I’m in the game plan. So, I’ve got to be ready to go.”
But Downs also expressed frustration at the team trading away Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.
“Anytime you lose guys like that, it hurts,” he said of the trades of Nelson and Buckner. “But that’s the NFL and that’s the hard part about it. That’s what we signed up for.”
Chiefs Predicted to Give Patrick Mahomes Deep-Threat WR at Trade Deadline