The Kansas City Chiefs need more talent and depth at the wide receiver position and profile as a candidate to make a blockbuster trade if one comes along in the next several weeks.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is approaching an inflection point entering his fourth NFL season, and the franchise that drafted him in the first round in 2023 must soon make a decision on whether to keep the potential star on a longterm extension or move him for an asset(s) at some point over the next year.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote on Thursday, July 16 that Addison remains worth a first-round pick in trade. The NFL at large may not agree with Barnwell’s assessment of Addison’s trade value, though team circumstances would likely factor heavily into which franchise(s) might be interested.
One group that makes perhaps the most sense is the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is coming off the worst injury of his career — an ACL tear he sustained in Week 15 last season. The team has not added a high-end receiver this offseason, while Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice are each coming off injury concerns of their own.
Kansas City Needs to Consider Adding More Pass-Catching Talent for Patrick Mahomes
GettyQuarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The veteran market at the wide receiver position is somewhat shaky with one or more factors including age, salary, health and off-field issues impacting the free agency of most of the top candidates.
Addison would slot in as an immediate starter and contributor for Mahomes, potentially elevating to the No. 1 role depending on how Rice progresses following knee surgery and a 30-day jail sentence earlier this summer for violation of his probation, which interrupted his rehabilitation schedule.
The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls and played in five of them during the nine-year Mahomes era, eight of which he has been the starter.
Kansas City does not appear interested in wasting a year of his prime on a rebuild that does not include playoff prospects, which renders the Chiefs an excellent suitor for a player like Addison, as well as one willing to potentially pay a premium to secure him for two years at relatively reasonable salary cap numbers.
Jordan Addison on Affordable Contract for Next 2 Seasons
GettyMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison.
The Vikings exercised the fifth-year option on Addison’s deal earlier this offseason, which pays him $18 million in 2027. However, his cap hit for the Chiefs in 2025 would be just $2.6 million.
As such, if Kansas City flipped a first-rounder for Addison, his total price would be that pick plus $20.6 million over two years, which equates to an annual average salary of $10.3 million.
That APY is more than affordable for the Chiefs, with tight end Travis Kelce potentially in his final season and Rice’s future beyond this year entirely uncertain.
Addison played in 17 games as a rookie, recording 108 targets, 70 receptions, 911 yards and 10 TDs. His numbers and appearances have declined in each campaign since, and the 24 year old has also dealt with multiple off-field issues.
Those issues include a DUI charge as well as dropped charges of misdemeanor trespassing and misdemeanor reckless driving. The DUI resulted in a three-game suspension from the league.
Minnesota also suspended Addison for the opening quarter against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 in London last season for missing a team walkthrough.
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