Lately, many people have assumed that the Kansas City Chiefs‘ budding dynasty is dead. After losing in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs played subpar football this season, and to add injury to insult, they lost superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL in Week 15.
They ended up finishing with a 6-11 record and missing the playoffs. It was the first time since Mahomes became their starter under center that they didn’t at least reach the AFC Championship Game.
With future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce mulling retirement, Kansas City badly needs to land another proven pass-catching threat if it is going to reopen its championship window. Up in the Delaware Valley region, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has seen his name come up in trade rumors since early this past season, as he has reportedly been unhappy about his usage in the team’s offense.
If the Eagles, who lost in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs last month to the San Francisco 49ers after defeating Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX, trade Brown, a bunch of teams will surely look to land him. According to Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated, the Chiefs would make a nice landing spot for the three-time Pro Bowler.
“K.C.'s pass-catching group is thin heading into 2026, with Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquise Brown and Tyquan Thornton, among others, set to hit free agency. Brown would immediately become the Chiefs’ No. 1 target on offense, and with Mahomes potentially missing the start of the season due to last year's season-ending knee injury, would provide a reliable security blanket for whoever is under center to open the campaign.”
Right now, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are the Chiefs’ only real wide receiver threats who will be on their roster for Week 1 in September. While Kelce, who had 76 catches for 851 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, may have enough left in the tank for another season, the team is reportedly preparing as if he will call it quits.
Rice has shown promise in his three NFL seasons but hasn’t been consistently available, while Worthy may be more of a gadget wideout than a true, consistent threat. Brown is someone who could give Kansas City its biggest pass-catching threat since Tyreek Hill left following the 2021 season.
His production dipped a bit this past season, but he still caught 78 balls and posted 1,003 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. If he’s unhappy about not being targeted enough in Philly, he would certainly be targeted at least as often with the Chiefs.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni hinted that Brown could end up getting traded at some point this offseason when he was asked if Brown will remain put for 2026.
"Will A.J. be here next season?" he asked back before adding, "I think we’re still in a spot, like I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season. I’m thinking I’m going to be the coach next season, but you can’t guarantee anything past tomorrow."
While Mahomes is now 30 years of age, he could have up to 10 more years of high-level football in him if he avoids any more major injuries. Brown will turn 29 on June 30, and he could allow the Chiefs to contend for at least one more Vince Lombardi Trophy over the next few years.
For more on the Chiefs and Eagles, as well as general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.