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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs missed out on the Jauan Jennings sweepstakes earlier this offseason, but a couple of wide receivers who would be solid fits in the offense remain available via free agency in early June.
One such option is Deebo Samuel, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers and most recently of the Washington Commanders.
“[The Chiefs] already beefed up their running back room with Kenneth Walker III and now adding Samuel would mean [Patrick] Mahomes has real receiver help,” Wynston Wilcox of FanSided wrote Thursday. “Until Rashee Rice gets his off-the-field version of himself figured out, he’ll be a liability. Xavier Worthy is still a work in progress, so getting immediate help is the only thing that will begin to solve these offensive woes.”
Deebo Samuel Could Serve as Safety Valve for Patrick Mahomes in Chiefs’ Offense
GettyWide receiver Deebo Samuel, formerly of the Washington Commanders.
Samuel, a one-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro (both in 2021), is coming off a 2025 campaign in Washington that saw him amass 72 receptions for 727 yards and five scores. He also added 17 rushes for 75 yards and one TD on the ground across 16 games played (12 starts).
He played on a one-year deal worth $17.5 million for the Commanders last season. Spotrac projects Samuel’s market value at approximately $31.5 million over a new two-year contract heading into 2026, when the wideout will play at age 30.
Samuel was essentially a league-average receiver last year, ranking 44th out of 81 qualifying players at the position based on advanced metrics calculated by Pro Football Focus.
His greatest weaknesses were five drops on 99 targets, which is slightly more than a 5 percent drop rate (54th in the league), and an average depth of target of just 5.5 yards (77th). Worthy has explosive potential, but the Chiefs could use a more consistent deep threat in the WR room.
Wideout Tyquan Thornton averaged a 27.8-yard depth of target last season, but he only made 19 catches for 438 yards and three scores. Thornton played just 275 snaps and did not qualify for a WR ranking from PFF due to his lack of action across 14 appearances.
However, while Samuel is not a deep threat in any real sense, he is adept at earning yards after the catch (YAC) in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He averaged 6.5 YAC across his 72 receptions last season, which ranked sixth in the NFL.
Stefon Diggs Might Be Superior, Less Expensive WR Option for Chiefs
GettyWide receiver Stefon Diggs, formerly of the New England Patriots.
Jennings isn’t a deep threat, either. Instead, he is a tough blocker who can catch the ball in traffic and has a nose for the first-down marker and the end zone when inside the opposing defense’s 20-yard line.
Samuel could serve as something of a bailout option for Mahomes when tight end Travis Kelce, entering his 14th pro season in 2026, can’t shake his defender and no one else is open downfield. Samuel wasn’t quite as sure-handed as Jennings last year (who had three drops on 88 targets), but could serve in the same kind of role the Chiefs were looking to fill with Jennings.
That said, Samuel’s salary projection is a bit steep considering what he brings to the table and some of the other options remaining in free agency. Among those players is Stefon Diggs, who went for north of 1,000 yards for the seventh time in his 11-year career in 2025 and helped the New England Patriots reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC.
Spotrac projects Diggs’ market value at $27.6 million over a new two-year contract, roughly $4 million less than Samuel. Diggs will turn 33 years old in November.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible