Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes Praise Marquise Brown's Development

With OTAs and minicamp in the rearview mirror, Brown is doing a nice job developing a rapport with his superstar QB.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Only so much can be gathered from OTAs and minicamp. After all, the former is a time for players to get acclimated again and the latter is famously dubbed a passing camp for obvious reasons. Positive developments during May and June don't always translate to September and beyond.

With that said, the Kansas City Chiefs' duo of Patrick Mahomes and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown may not apply to that. Both veterans in the NFL, this is neither player's first rodeo. The quarterback and wide receiver pairing is off to a good start building chemistry during the offseason program, even as Brown adjusts to life in Kansas City.

According to Mahomes this week, the former first-round wideout is a quick learner and helps everyone else with his mere presence on the field.

"He's done a great job," Mahomes said. "It's hard to learn this offense, and I feel like he's done a great job picking it up very fast. And then, obviously, you see the ability. Honestly, I don't know how he's here in our place because of how talented he is. I can just see that it's going to be a great season for him and just take pressure off other guys. I think it's going to help get Trav (Travis Kelce) open, help get Rashee (Rice) open, it's going to help get all these guys open because you're going to have that speed threat that can run routes and do all those different things. I'm very excited to get him out there in the regular season."

It's been a quiet couple of years for Brown, who broke out in 2021 with the Baltimore Ravens but didn't make the same impact upon being traded to the Arizona Cardinals. For numerous reasons (quarterback play and injuries, namely), he failed to establish himself as a star-level player. Nevertheless, his flashes were promising enough to entice the Chiefs to sign him to a one-year deal.

For the back-to-back reigning champs, the hope is acquiring Brown will help in their pursuit of another Super Bowl win. The 2023-24 campaign ended in triumph, but not after plenty of struggles from the receiver group. Head coach Andy Reid thinks Brown could help smooth things over, especially if he can continue to get on the same page as Mahomes.

That process is ever-changing, but it's also ever-growing.

"As a coach, you look for the communication part, are they willing to share what they're thinking with one another?" Reid said. "And they've got a good connection with that part of it, they're talking. Once Patrick knows what Hollywood is thinking and Hollywood kind of knows where Patrick physically can get the ball to, not as much depth as location of the field, then that's a good thing."

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In the first phase of the offseason program, Mahomes hosted his pass-catchers down in Texas for workouts and throwing sessions. Since then, three separate OTA periods allowed everyone to further construct a rapport with the two-time NFL MVP. Now, there's a long break from mid-June to training camp that's assumed to begin in mid-to-late July. Minimal tangible progress will take place between now and then, although everyone will hit the ground running once the team arrives in St. Joseph, MO.

That certainly includes Brown. Mahomes has witnessed his offseason progress firsthand, bringing up a Cover-0 defensive look from OTAs that went from a miscommunication and flop on offense in May to a touchdown this week. For everything Brown brings to the table athletically, it may be his mental acumen that's stood out the most.

Given how things went last year, it's sensible to conclude that Mahomes and Reid wouldn't have it any other way.

"That's the stuff that I'm talking about," Mahomes said. "It's not only the physical ability that he has, but he's a smart football player. I'm excited to get him out there and have a great training camp going up against Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) — I think you get to learn everything you can possibly learn — and then get into the regular season and get ready to roll."

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