Getty Free agent wide receiver Kenny Golladay (pictured with football above) was suggested as a wide receiver option for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs need another wide receiver for Patrick Mahomes and company. It’s the worst-kept secret around the league entering Week 14 and yet, the WR rumor mill is somewhat quiet.
The reason? Few wide receiver upgrades are available at this stage of the season — unless you’re willing to take a gamble on a player who other franchises have discarded. One such option was suggested by Bleacher Report’s NFL staff on December 4: Former Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Kenny Golladay.
“The Chiefs are obviously among the select few teams that are going to be favored to lift the Lombardi at the end of the season,” Bleacher Report wrote. “However, the inconsistency among their receivers is concerning. Rashee Rice seems to be separating himself, but they’ll need more than him and Travis Kelce to step up in the postseason.”
“There’s some irony to proposing Kenny Golladay to address inconsistency,” they admitted, “but the options are limited and Golladay has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume.”
Assuming the former third-round talent wants to continue his career, this relationship could be mutually beneficial too — considering Golladay’s name appears to be tarnished after an unproductive $36 million stint with the New York Giants.
“If he can’t contribute on a team with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, then he truly is done in the league,” Bleacher Report concluded. And the same might be said for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl hopes if they don’t figure things out at wide receiver.
Kenny Golladay Fits Chiefs’ Specific WR Need
The Chiefs don’t just need any old wide receiver, they need a bigger body and a red zone target that can play on the outside. Golladay displayed all of those traits and more in his prime.
One issue of this WR corps is that it has too many similar skill sets.
Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and Richie James are all slot receivers or gadget options at heart — with the ability to run a burner-route from time to time. None of them are built to thrive against physical corners on the outside, however.
Then you have Rice, who’s another possession receiver that makes an impact with the ball in his hands. The rookie has some Kelce to his game, but he’s not a natural “wide-out” either.
The only two on the roster who fit that description are Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson, and both have struggled mightily with catch percentage. It’s hard to fathom how Mahomes and the Chiefs can continue trusting “MVS” in big moments in spite of his recent track record.
Going into the year, Justyn Ross was supposed to be that bigger, perimeter threat. Due to off-the-field issues, that plan never truly got off the ground though.
Instead, why not take a chance on Golladay at this stage of the season?
Is Kenny Golladay Still Motivated to Continue NFL Career?
Golladay’s two 1,000-yard campaigns came in 2018 and 2019. Despite turning 30 on November 3, one could argue that the fallen star has less tread on the tires than some.
He only entered the league at age 24, and his 2020 season was limited to just five starts due to injuries. Then in 2022, Golladay was practically benched with the Giants, logging a similar amount of snaps as in 2020.
The ex-Lions breakout has really only had three full seasons of use (taking the field for 600 or more offensive snaps). Two of them were worth 1,000-plus yards and one included 11 receiving touchdowns.
No one is expecting Golladay to come back and be that guy with the Chiefs, but a player half that talented might be better than what they currently have at the position. It all comes down to motivation.
If Golladay still wants to show the league what he can do and potentially compete for a Super Bowl, then there’s no better landing spot than Kansas City. But he has to buy into the Chiefs way first. That’s the key in making this work.