The Kansas City Chiefs will enter 2022 with a new group of wide receivers.
After trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City is relying on a collaborative effort to replace the star wideout. The AFC West champions brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Skyy Moore to compete with Mecole Hardman and Josh Gordon for significant reps.
During Thursday’s press conference, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons, head coach Andy Reid said he’s been impressed with how free-agent signings Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling have performed this offseason.
“They’ve got a nice connection with Pat [Mahomes] up to this point,” Reid said. “I’ll be curious to see how [that continues] when it’s live bullets and all that stuff. So we’ll see how that rolls. But I wouldn’t expect anything much different than what I’ve been seeing.”
He also complimented Hardman, the team’s longest-tenured receiver at age 24, and Moore, this year’s second-round pick.
“Mecole has upped his game here and done a nice job,” Reid added. “And our young kid, Skyy, mixed there has been good. So I like the mixture of what we’ve got going.”
Throughout his career, Mahomes has relied heavily on Hill and tight end Travis Kelce without Kansas City establishing a second star wideout. However, Hardman set career highs in catches (59) and receiving yards (693) last season. He could receive a meatier role in his fourth season.
Yet Kansas City appears to be opting for a mix-and-match approach rather than banking on one player to replace Hill. Hardman offers speed, Valdes-Scantling can take the top off of opposing secondaries, and a healthy Smith-Schuster can help move the chains as a reliable possession receiver.
Moore, meanwhile, is a potential wild card. Reid called the rookie “a good route runner” who “catches everything.”
The passing offense won’t be the same in Arrowhead this season, but that’s not necessarily all for the worse.