Adding banished Bears WR would be a gamble worth taking for the Chiefs

While the reigning Super Bowl champions may be sitting atop the AFC West, their aerial attack has regressed this season — averaging 41.8 passing yards per game fewer than they did in 2022. Being outdueled through the air by a Zach Wilson-led Jets team as they were on Sunday night does not bode well for Kansas City's hopes of repeating. 

Of course, the pairing of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will continue to strike fear into opposing defenses. However, the lack of a reliable weapon at receiver has limited Kelce's effectiveness this season. Through three games, Kelce is averaging 51.6 yards per contest. He has not averaged fewer than 70 receiving YPG since 2017 (69.2). 

Kadarius Toney was supposed to emerge as a go-to target out wide for the Chiefs this season. Instead, the former first-round pick has been relatively nonexistent, pacing for fewer than 40 receptions and 243 receiving yards. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and rookie Rashee Rice have shown slightly better promise. Nevertheless, the receiving corps remains mediocre as a whole. 

Rice paces the group with 13 receptions this season. In comparison, four players across the NFL have had single-game catch totals of 13 receptions or more this year.

Acquiring Claypool is not the lone solution to fixing Kansas City's deficiencies at receiver. Yet, the 6-foot-4, 238-pound pass-catcher does fit the mold for the type of receiver Andy Reid has gambled on in the past. Big-bodied receivers Josh Gordon and Kelvin Benjamin have each had stints with the Chiefs during Reid's reign. More recently, the team seriously entertained signing Deandre Hopkins in free agency this past offseason.   

Claypool flashed legitimate big-play potential as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, accounting for 873 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. Diminishing production and character concerns have since tainted his shine. 

Inserting Claypool into a Super Bowl-caliber locker room with an all-world quarterback could be exactly what the wideout needs to re-establish his once-promising career trajectory.