Chiefs Lean On Two Familiar Faces to Lead Their Reimagined Passing Game

Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster had big nights Monday to help Kansas City defeat New Orleans in the wake of several injuries to offensive playmakers.

Kelce is helping the Chiefs stay on track despite injuries to wide receivers Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Sometimes, the best friends are old ones. Such is the case for the Kansas City Chiefs.

On Monday, the day started with somber news of star receiver Rashee Rice likely lost for the season due to a torn LCL. With Rice sidelined for the foreseeable future alongside fellow wideout Marquise Brown, Kansas City is in dire need of a boost. 

Enter JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce. 

In the Chiefs’ 26–13 win over the New Orleans Saints, Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 130 yards, while Kelce had a second consecutive strong game, going for nine receptions and 70 yards. 

The duo helped Patrick Mahomes have his best game of the season, throwing for 331 yards on 8.5 yards per attempt.

Without Rice and Brown, the Chiefs shifted their personnel groupings. They consistently played with two and three tight ends, utilizing backups Noah Gray and Jared Wiley. Occasionally, Kansas City went to four-tight-end sets, bringing in the newly signed Jody Fortson, another old friend who played with the Chiefs from 2019 to ’23 before joining the Miami Dolphins as a free agent this offseason. 

But it was Smith-Schuster who, despite dropping a would-be touchdown that turned into an interception, made the biggest surprise splash. The veteran was signed by Kansas City in 2022 as part of an effort to replace Tyreek Hill, and produced 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns. The end result was a victory in Super Bowl LVII over the Philadelphia Eagles. 

After that triumph, Smith-Schuster left for a three-year deal with the New England Patriots, only to play 11 games before being released earlier this spring. He then signed in late August with Kansas City as a big slot receiver who was seen as little more than an insurance policy.

Suddenly, with much of Rice’s production coming from the slot, Smith-Schuster has been thrust into a significantly larger role. 

Smith-Schuster had his first 100-yard game in nearly two years on Monday. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

As for Kelce, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer turned 35 years old Saturday and earned whispers about his football demise. Through three weeks, he had just eight receptions for 69 yards. Over the past two games, he’s amassed 16 receptions for 159 yards, constantly finding holes in zone coverage while also beating man coverage against underneath linebackers. 

With Kansas City now on a bye, general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid will get together and discuss the future. 

Even if they believe Smith-Schuster can be a meaningful part of the offense on a weekly basis, he’s far from being enough on the outside. Beyond him, the only reliable weapon is rookie Xavier Worthy. Worthy has been excellent with four touchdowns while stretching defenses, giving players such as Kelce and Smith-Schuster room to operate in the short and intermediate areas. 

To that point, the Chiefs should be scouring the league for a possible replacement for Brown’s role more than Rice’s. 

Kansas City would be wise to call the Cleveland Browns about Amari Cooper. Cooper, 30, has seven 1,000-yard seasons to his credit. He’s also on an expiring contract with Cleveland, which sits 1–4 in a year seemingly doomed for disaster.

The Browns, barring a shocking turnaround, will likely deal Cooper before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. The cost shouldn’t be obscene considering the general belief is Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams is being shopped for the price of a second-round pick. 

If Veach wants to go another route, DeAndre Hopkins makes sense. Kansas City tried to acquire Hopkins after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals before the Tennessee Titans signed him prior to the 2023 campaign. Hopkins has been good for Tennessee despite subpar quarterback play, notching 1,057 yards and seven scores last season. 

Either Cooper or Hopkins would give Mahomes a veteran, high-end weapon on the perimeter who can play opposite Worthy while fitting in nicely with the skill sets of Kelce and Smith-Schuster. 

For now, the Chiefs have the luxury of greatness and time. They’re 5–0 and at least two games clear of every team in the AFC save the one-loss Houston Texans. The AFC West appears a foregone conclusion, a division title that would be the ninth consecutive for Kansas City. 

That said, while it’s a week to rest for the players, it should be a week of activity for Veach.

The Chiefs are the favorites and rightfully so. Smith-Schuster looks like an asset. Kelce is back on track.

But while old friends are perhaps the most reliable, a new friend never hurts.