🔥 The Kansas City Chiefs are being pushed toward another major wide receiver move — and this one would give Patrick Mahomes a proven playmaker at a critical time.
After missing out on Jauan Jennings earlier this offseason, Kansas City still has options on the free-agent market as it tries to repair an offense that looked far too thin in 2025.
One name now being floated is Deebo Samuel, the former San Francisco 49ers star who most recently played for the Washington Commanders.
Samuel is no longer the unstoppable all-purpose weapon he was during his peak, but he remains a dangerous yards-after-catch threat — exactly the kind of player who could help Mahomes if the Chiefs’ receiver room continues to look uncertain.
🏈 The argument is simple: Mahomes needs help.
FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox suggested that after strengthening the running back room with Kenneth Walker III, the Chiefs should consider adding Samuel to give Mahomes more reliable receiver support.
That point feels especially important because of the situation surrounding Rashee Rice.
Rice’s off-field uncertainty and injury concerns have left Kansas City with major questions at wide receiver. Meanwhile, Xavier Worthy is still trying to prove he can become a consistent NFL weapon after a difficult, injury-affected year.
For a team trying to bounce back from offensive struggles, standing still would be risky.
⚡ Samuel would bring something Kansas City currently lacks: toughness with the ball in his hands.
The 30-year-old wideout is not a classic deep threat.
He is not the kind of receiver who simply stretches the field with elite vertical speed.
But he remains highly effective in short and intermediate areas, where he can turn simple completions into bigger gains.
That could matter a lot for Mahomes, especially if the quarterback is forced to work through pressure, limited receiver separation or situations where Travis Kelce is covered.
Samuel can be a safety valve.
A screen-game weapon.
A motion player.
A physical runner after the catch.
And in Andy Reid’s creative offense, that kind of versatility always has value.
📊 Samuel’s 2025 season in Washington showed he can still produce.
He finished the year with 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
He also added 17 carries for 75 yards and one rushing touchdown, showing that teams can still use him in multiple ways.
Across 16 games, including 12 starts, Samuel remained involved and productive enough to attract interest.
His best days may have come in 2021, when he earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honours, but he is not simply a nostalgia signing.
He still has a role to play.
💰 The question is whether the price makes sense.
Samuel played last season on a one-year deal worth $17.5 million with Washington.
Spotrac now projects his market value at around $31.5 million over two years heading into the 2026 season.
That is not cheap.
For the Chiefs, every major contract decision matters, especially while trying to keep a championship window open around Mahomes.
Samuel could help the offense, but Kansas City must decide whether his current production justifies that projected cost.
⚠️ There are fair concerns.
Samuel ranked as more of a league-average receiver last season by advanced metrics.
He also had five drops on 99 targets, giving him a drop rate slightly above five percent.
His average depth of target was only 5.5 yards, one of the lowest among qualifying receivers.
That means he would not solve Kansas City’s need for a true downfield threat.
The Chiefs already have Tyquan Thornton, who averaged a huge 27.8-yard depth of target last season, but Thornton’s role was limited. He caught only 19 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns while playing 275 snaps.
So the Chiefs’ issue is not simply finding one type of receiver.
They need reliability, explosiveness and depth.
Samuel answers some of those questions — but not all.
🌟 Where Samuel stands out is after the catch.
He averaged 6.5 yards after the catch per reception last season, ranking sixth in the NFL.
That is the strongest case for Kansas City.
Mahomes has spent years thriving with players who can turn quick throws into real damage. Reid’s offense can create space, use motion and force defenders into bad angles.
Samuel fits that world.
He can take a short pass and make it matter.
He can punish smaller defensive backs.
He can give the Chiefs a different kind of physical edge.
❤️ He could also fill part of the role Kansas City seemed to want from Jauan Jennings.
Jennings was not a pure deep threat either.
His appeal came from toughness, blocking, contested catches and reliability in important areas of the field.
Samuel is different stylistically, but he could serve a similar purpose as a trusted underneath option when Mahomes needs a quick answer.
If Kelce cannot shake a defender and the deep routes are covered, Samuel could become the bailout target.
That kind of player may not always make highlight reels, but he can keep drives alive.
🔥 However, Stefon Diggs may be the more attractive option.
Diggs is another veteran receiver still being discussed as a possible Chiefs target, and his projected price is actually lower than Samuel’s.
Spotrac projects Diggs at around $27.6 million over two years, roughly $4 million less than Samuel.
Diggs will turn 33 in November, so age is a concern.
But his 2025 production was stronger, as he went over 1,000 receiving yards for the seventh time in his career and helped the New England Patriots reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC.
If Kansas City wants the better traditional receiver, Diggs may be the cleaner fit.
If it wants a more versatile yards-after-catch weapon, Samuel becomes more interesting.
🏆 Either way, the Chiefs appear to need another weapon.
Mahomes cannot be expected to carry an uncertain passing game by himself, especially with Kelce entering his 14th NFL season.
Worthy still has upside, but he needs consistency.
Rice’s situation remains complicated.
The receiver room needs more certainty.
And after Kansas City’s disappointing 2025 campaign, the margin for error feels much smaller than it used to.
💥 That is why the Deebo Samuel idea is gaining attention.
He may not be the perfect answer.
He may not be worth every dollar of a $31.5 million projection.
But he is experienced, physical and dangerous with the ball in space.
For a Chiefs offense trying to rediscover its rhythm, that matters.
✨ Kansas City must decide whether nostalgia, versatility and short-area explosiveness are enough to justify the investment.
Samuel would not fix every problem.
Diggs may be cheaper and more productive.
But if Andy Reid believes he can unlock Deebo’s best remaining football, the Chiefs could suddenly have a new weapon built for chaos.
And for Mahomes, any real receiver help right now would be more than welcome.
