Patrick Mahomes and Hollywood Brown Partnership Off to Good Start

After one week of OTAs, KC feels good about where its prized free agent signing stands in the offense and with his quarterback.

October 15, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown (2) before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

For the first week of OTA practices, a lot of what the Kansas City Chiefs did was centered around getting back in the swing of things. With so many veterans returning to the reigning Super Bowl champions, there's already continuity on the roster. Some folks merely needed a refresher to dip their toes back into the water a bit.

There are some newcomers, however, who find this time extremely valuable. Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, the Chiefs' big-ticket free agent signing on offense, is one of those players.

Brown is no stranger to playing in a high-octane offense, as his last two teams claim Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson as their franchise signal-callers. With that said, the former first-round pick has never been in a place like Kansas City. This is a pass-happy system that boasts one of the league's best play-designing minds and quarterbacks to ever step on a field.

Expecting a learning curve is only natural. Brown will continue to have one. Despite that, head coach Andy Reid doesn't think it's much of a challenge. Speaking on Wednesday, the future Hall of Fame head coach praised Brown's football smarts and alluded to his relationship with Patrick Mahomes being a fast-burning fire.

“He’s another one, a smart kid and he just kind of gets it," Reid said. "Pat and he — there’s so much talking going on, which I look at, and I think that’s important. As long as the receivers are willing to listen and then share what they saw and it’s accurate, you normally can develop a pretty good relationship relatively quick as you go.”

Kansas City's hope is that Brown, who doesn't turn 27 until June 4, will offer a nice blend of athleticism, vertical field-stretching ability and crisp route-running chops. He's coming off a down 2023 with the Arizona Cardinals, which must have contributed to him inking a one-year 'prove it' deal with the Chiefs. Mahomes and Co. will benefit from that, in conjunction with the draft pick of Xavier Worthy in round one back in April.

One element the Chiefs want to get back in their arsenal with more regularity is the deep ball. Following the organization's 2022 trade of longtime wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Mahomes was forced to accept short and intermediate passes more than ever. Last season, his average depth of target and intended air yards per attempt cratered. In desperate need of more talent at the receiver spot, general manager Brett Veach went after two dynamic pieces.

According to Mahomes, the elder of the two has endeared himself this offseason already.

“I’ve seen it the entire offseason from working in Texas to here," Mahomes said. "I remember the first day I told guys like Drue (Tranquill), ‘He (Brown) tracks the down the field well and he can really go.’ I think y’all saw it today, I’m giving him chances downfield, and he’s making the plays happen. The more plays he makes, the more we’ll continue to give him those chances. (He’s) a good addition to our offense.”

Up next for the Chiefs is another OTA session from May 28-30, then one from June 4-7 before mandatory minicamp from June 11-13. These workouts will provide more opportunities for players like Brown to further understand his new enviroment before July's training camp.

Things are off to a good start, which is the best-case scenario for everyone involved.

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