Chiefs Proposed Trade Pairs Patrick Mahomes With $15 Million Pro Bowl WR

The Kansas City Chiefs may have lost Tyquan Thornton for the season, while Rashee Rice is dealing with a hamstring injury that could cost him some time following the team's bye in Week 5. Those two developments have left the AFC's only undefeated squad as a strong candidate to buy ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 10.

Multiple reports have connected Kansas City to a reunion with Tyreek Hill whenever he is healthy enough to play, which may not be until November. However, Dan Graziano of ESPN believes the Chiefs need considerably more help than Hill can provide as a replacement for Thornton, even if Rice returns healthy sooner than later.

"Stop me if you've heard this before, but the Chiefs could use another wide receiver. I'm not buying that Tyreek Hill is much of an upgrade over what they have at this point in his career," Graziano wrote on Wednesday, October 7. "If players such as Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., Jerry Jeudy or Calvin Ridley become available, the Chiefs should poke around."

Chiefs Should Consider Longevity if Team Trades for Wide Receiver in Coming Weeks

Veterans like Jeudy and Ridley make some sense for Kansas City because, as Graziano noted, the wide receiver room was already thin before the injury issues currently impacting it.

The Chiefs are resetting around quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he transitions into the second half of what is already a Hall of Fame career coming off of the worst injury of his professional tenure — a torn ACL last December.

Adding running back Kenneth Walker III looks like the move of the offseason through four weeks, as he leads the league in rushing yards and has opened up the pass game for Mahomes in ways that did not exist over the past couple of years when defenses didn't have to respect the explosive potential of the Chiefs' run game.

So while the acquisition of any reasonable pass-catcher is a needed upgrade in K.C., going after a younger player with higher longterm upside makes the most sense for head coach Andy Reid and his offense. Harrison certainly qualifies, though it Thomas who has actually proven himself in a big way at the NFL level — at least for one year.

Brian Thomas Jr. Can Offer Chiefs Buy-Low Swing on WR

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Thomas out of LSU with the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 draft. He is currently in the third season of his four-year, $15 million rookie contract that includes a team option for a fifth season in 2028.

Thomas hauled in 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 TDs on his way to the Pro Bowl during his rookie campaign. However, he fell off inexplicably the following year, producing a little more than half of the catch totals and yardage while finding the end zone only twice.

The 24-year-old wideout has just nine grabs for 105 yards and one score through four games played in 2026, which includes only two starts. He has fallen down the depth chart in Jacksonville and profiles as a trade candidate over the coming weeks.

His value is disputable, but the Chiefs can probably buy low if Thomas becomes available. And given his cost over the next year and a half, with an option to hold onto him for another season after that, Thomas makes sense as a swing for Kansas City.