The Kansas City Chiefs spent the offseason trying to patch up a team that just took a rare step backward, but the offense still looks like it could use one more proven playmaker for Patrick Mahomes.
That’s why Deebo Samuel keeps popping up as a name worth watching. He’s still sitting in free agency after a productive 2025 season with the Washington Commanders, and the fit in Kansas City is easy to see.
Samuel played 16 games last year and led Washington in catches with 72, receiving yards with 727, and touchdown receptions with five. For a player who can line up on the perimeter, work the slot, and even take handoffs out of the backfield, that kind of production still carries real value.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently listed eight moves that need to happen before Week 1, and one of them was the Chiefs signing Samuel. Moton pointed to Andy Reid’s creativity as a major reason the move makes sense.
“Reid can flex his creative play-calling chops with Deebo Samuel. The versatile playmaker can pick up yards as a receiver on the perimeter or in the slot and occasionally take handoffs out of the backfield.
Last season, Samuel led the Washington Commanders in catches (72), receiving yards (727) and touchdown receptions (five). He can match or top those numbers in Kansas City's pass-centric offense.”
The connection to Reid is obvious. Samuel’s best seasons came with Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, another offense built around creativity and movement. That’s part of why Kansas City feels like such a natural landing spot.
There’s also the simple matter of opportunity. Washington was not a good team last season, and Samuel would have a chance to join a contender again. Playing alongside Mahomes would be a huge draw, too.
He may be past his peak, but Samuel is still a productive player. His best year came in 2021, when he made the Pro Bowl after catching 77 passes for 1,405 yards and rushing for 365 yards and eight scores. Outside of an injury-shortened 2020 season, he has posted at least 600 receiving yards every year.
For Kansas City, the appeal goes beyond just adding another name. Samuel would give Mahomes a dependable option and some insurance if Rashee Rice or Xavier Worthy are unavailable. With the Chiefs’ current top receivers being a player coming off a 30-day jail stint and another who is often hurt, the case for another steady weapon is hard to ignore.
In Other News...
Andy Reid May Be Rethinking A Chiefs Tendency Fans Hate
A Pro Football Focus look at the Chiefs first-down tendencies offers a familiar reminder about how Andy Reid has been shaping the offense: when the down and distance are fresh, Kansas City has leaned hard into the run and into more traditional quarterback alignments. The Chiefs have also shown a different look on first down than they do later in series, lining up under center more often and using the shotgun in a way that stands out from the rest of their playbook.
For a team that has long lived on Patrick Mahomes ability to stress defenses in space, that kind of early-down balance is worth watching as the season unfolds. The bigger question is whether the Chiefs keep leaning into those opening-script runs and the heavier first-down structure, or whether the offense trims back some of the run-pass option work early while adjusting to what this version of the roster can and cannot do. [Read more 🡒]
Ex Chiefs Star Makes Bold Mahomes Debate Call That Fans Will Argue Over
A familiar quarterback debate has spilled back into the Mahomes conversation, and this one comes with a former Chiefs guard in the middle of it. Geoff Schwartz pushed back on ESPN analyst Ryan Clarks assertion that Lamar Jackson is the NFLs most accomplished quarterback outside of Patrick Mahomes, making the case that Aaron Rodgers still owns that spot on the strength of a resume that includes three MVP awards, a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl MVP.
The argument is the kind that never really dies in NFL circles, especially when Rodgers remains a topic of weekly discussion even at this stage of his career. Colin Cowherd has also called Rodgers undervalued, and with Rodgers set for another season with the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike McCarthy, the backdrop only adds another layer to a debate Chiefs fans know well: who, if anyone, is actually closest to Mahomes in the leagues quarterback hierarchy? [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Fans Will Get A Kick Out Of Clark Hunt Here
A street-side interview outside MetLife Stadium during the World Cup final turned into a little crossover moment for Kansas City fans, with a Kalshi reporter asking attendees and notable figures how much they paid to get in. The answers ran the gamut, from people who shelled out eye-popping sums to others who were invited or said they did not pay at all, giving the clip a mix of sticker shock and big-event theater.
Then came Clark Hunt, the Chiefs chairman and CEO, who was among the suited figures caught up in the scene and made clear he was enjoying the spectacle. For Chiefs fans, it is the kind of cameo that lands with a grin, a reminder that Hunt can show up in some pretty unexpected places when a major sports moment is unfolding. [Read more 🡒]