The Chiefs are once again right in the middle of the NFL trade deadline conversation, and for good reason. With the league’s later deadline now set for Tuesday, November 10, teams have a little more time to sort out whether they’re buying, selling, or just trying to survive. Kansas City looks firmly like a buyer, and an aggressive one at that.
The roster issues are obvious enough that the rumor mill has been spinning around the Chiefs for weeks. This is a team with postseason ambitions and holes that keep showing up at the worst possible times. If Brett Veach is going to make a move, there are several spots where help would make immediate sense.
Wide receiver sits at the top of the list, and it isn’t close. Tyquan Thornton’s injury slowed the offense for weeks, Xavier Worthy left in Week 9 with a hamstring injury, and Rashee Rice has never exactly been a model of availability. That kind of uncertainty makes it easy to see why the Chiefs could even take multiple swings at the position.
Offensive tackle is another area that could pull Kansas City into the market. Josh Simmons is on injured reserve and hasn’t played all season, while Jaylon Moore suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s win over the Jets after already missing two games with a concussion.
That has left Kahlil Benson starting every game on the left side and Josh Ezeudu filling in on the right when needed. With half the season still ahead, adding experience up front would make sense.
The secondary and the linebacker room also deserve attention. Injuries have hit Chamarri Conner, L’Jarius Sneed, and Mansoor Delane at different points, and while the Chiefs have managed to keep things together, safety depth and overall health remain concerns.
At linebacker, Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton are carrying the group, but the depth chart gets shaky fast after that. The Chiefs’ reluctance to play Jeff Bassa and Cooper McDonald stands out, and a real upgrade there would give the defense more flexibility.
There’s also a curveball possibility at tight end. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell’s predictions for deadline deals kept Kansas City out of the wide receiver market entirely and instead sent Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert to the Chiefs as a sensible offensive addition at the right price. It’s an interesting idea, and one that could also give Veach another option if Travis Kelce hangs up the cleats in a few months.
Among the names worth watching, Josh Downs stands out as a logical fit. The Colts have already fired their general manager and begun selling off pieces, and Downs has requested a trade while set to become a free agent after the season.
His game may overlap with some current Chiefs receivers, but the bigger issue in Kansas City is simple: they need healthy bodies. Downs has averaged 98 targets per season over the last three years, which would be a major boost to the depth chart.
Rashod Bateman is another receiver who could make sense if Baltimore decides to move pieces. The Ravens are 4-5, in last place in the AFC North, and were just beaten by 23 points to open Week 9 with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley out.
Bateman would bring the kind of field-stretching ability Kansas City lost when Thornton went down. He’s 27 and signed through ’29, so Baltimore has reasons to keep him, but he would clearly mean more to the Chiefs right now.
Brian Thomas Jr. is the bigger swing. He’s a former first-round pick whose rookie surge has cooled under a new scheme and head coach, making him a classic buy-low target.
The problem is obvious: would Jacksonville really help another AFC contender? Still, the Chiefs have at least made the exploratory phone call, and Thomas would give them a deep threat with real upside.
Daiyan Henley is the longshot linebacker name to keep in mind. With Jack Cochrane playing a startling number of snaps, it’s easy to imagine Veach trying to upgrade that role. Henley is a well-round linebacker headed for free agency on a winless team, and even with the rivalry factor, the Chargers should be selling.
Tony Jefferson is another secondary option who could fit. Alohi Gilman, Jaden Hicks, and Chamarri Conner are still settling in as a trio after Conner opened the year injured, but the unit still feels thin enough that one more veteran could help. Jefferson’s experience and production would give the Chiefs a steadier look top to bottom.
Kansas City also has the draft capital to get something done. The Chiefs have a healthy stash of 2027 picks available, including a first, second, third, a third from the Rams in the Trent McDuffie trade, a fourth, a compensatory fourth, a fifth, a sixth from the Falcons in the Wanya Morris trade, a sixth from the 49ers in the Skyy Moore trade, and a compensatory sixth.
And there’s one player who could be part of the conversation if the Chiefs decide to deal from their own roster: Kristian Fulton. Kansas City is clearly in buyer mode, but Fulton is the kind of corner who could be viewed as both expendable and useful in the right player-for-player deal. The extra cornerback depth has helped with multiple injuries, but Veach could still consider moving him if the return made sense and brought some cap relief.
Veach also has every one of the Chiefs’ original draft picks available for the 2028 NFL Draft.
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