Chiefs Training Camp Breakout Candidate: Why a Perhaps-Obvious Choice is the Right One

Choosing one of the Chiefs' top two wide receivers as a "breakout candidate" may not be terribly risky, but his ceiling could dictate how far the offense can go.

Aug 11, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown (2) looks on against the Denver Broncos at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Can a team's likely No. 1 wide receiver be a training camp "breakout candidate?" I'm arguing for it.

Sports Illustrated's On SI publishers got together to pick one "breakout candidate" from all 32 NFL teams, and my choice for the Kansas City Chiefs was wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. If you think that's a bit of a bland pick considering Brown's status as a well-known NFL wide receiver, I understand. Stick with me.

Brown has a chance to improve his stock more than any other (plausible) individual Chiefs player in 2024. Here's what I wrote for the On SI piece:

Entering his first year with the Chiefs, Brown is in the best position a wide receiver on a one-year deal could ask for. With a likely suspension looming for Rashee Rice and a rookie learning curve ahead of Xavier Worthy, Brown projects as Kansas City’s surefire No. 1 wideout, even in his first year with Andy Reid. In 2022, JuJu Smith-Schuster had 933 yards receiving in his first and only year with the Chiefs. Brown projects as an even better fit in K.C.’s offense as the team tries to bring back the deep ball.

Right now, Brown is understandably viewed as a good wide receiver, but not a great one. Through five years in the NFL, he's only broken 1,000 yards once, going for 1,008 with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. He's recorded 3,644 receiving yards in five seasons, putting him around a 700-yard annual average. With Reid choosing how to use Brown and Patrick Mahomes throwing him the football while Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy and (eventually) Rashee Rice demand defensive attention, I'm bullishly anticipating another 1,000-yard season for Brown in Kansas City and the type of year that puts him into conversations with some of the league's excellent and often-underrated wide receivers.

Brown won't be fighting for a roster spot or even for name recognition in 2024, but I think he'll push to elevate his standing in the eyes of the rest of the league — breaking out of the box much of the NFL has put him in.

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