Chiefs' Top Free-Agent WR Options After JuJu Smith-Schuster's Patriots Contract

The Kansas City Chiefs will be in the wide receiver market for the second straight offseason after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to the New England Patriots in free agency on Wednesday.

Smith-Schuster, who joined Kansas City for the 2022 campaign after five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Patriots after winning Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs in February.

The 26-year-old was impressive in his lone season in Kansas City, catching 78 passes for 933 yards, which led all Chiefs wide receivers. He also caught three touchdown passes.

But with Smith-Schuster now out of the picture, and possibly Mecole Hardman, who is also a free agent, the Chiefs are undoubtedly going to need to make some upgrades at wide receiver.

The top receivers currently on the Kansas City roster are Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Of those four, only Valdes-Scantling totaled more than 500 receiving yards in 2022, catching 81 passes for 687 yards and two touchdowns.

According to OverTheCap, the Chiefs only have $6.8 million in cap space. It's reasonable to believe they could clear some cap space to add an elite wideout, but let's take a look at some more likely options for Kansas City in free agency.

Odell Beckham Jr.

The Chiefs were among the teams to attend Odell Beckham Jr.'s workout last week in Arizona, so Kansas City is certainly among the reasonable destinations for the veteran wide receiver.

Beckham missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the 2021 season's Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, and he's not expected to receive a massive contract this winter because of that.

When healthy, the three-time Pro Bowler is one of the best receivers in the NFL, having posted five seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards across his eight-year career. During the 2019 season, which he spent with the Cleveland Browns, he caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games.

While Beckham's stock is down, there's no doubt he'll mesh well with Patrick Mahomes, who has been able to link up consistently with just about every wide receiver he has played with since making his debut as Kansas City's starter in 2018.

If the Chiefs can get Beckham locked up on a deal in the $10-$13 million range for 2023, they should absolutely pull the trigger.

Adam Thielen

Adam Thielen spent 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, but he's now a free agent after the franchise released him last week.

Like Beckham, the 32-year-old's stock has dropped over the last few seasons, but there's optimism that he can return to the Pro Bowl player he once was with a fresh start in a new destination.

Thielen hasn't posted a 1,000-plus yard receiving season since the 2018 campaign, and his production has dipped since Minnesota drafted superstar receiver Justin Jefferson in 2020. During the 2022 season, he caught 70 passes for 716 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games.

The Minnesota state product's production is still at a respectable level, and there's no doubt he could reach the 1,000-yard mark in 2023 with Mahomes as his quarterback.

However, it's unclear what kind of contract Thielen is looking for in free agency, and a deal for the veteran might be more lucrative than Kansas City can afford.

Jarvis Landry

After one season with the New Orleans Saints, Jarvis Landry is back on the market.

When Landry was on the market last offseason, the Chiefs, along with the Saints, were among the teams to have expressed the "most interest" in the veteran wideout, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

It's possible Kansas City could be in the Landry market again this winter despite a difficult 2022 season that saw him catch just 25 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown in nine games.

When healthy, Landry is a very capable receiver. During the 2019 season with the Cleveland Browns, he caught 83 passes for 1,174 yards and six touchdowns in six games.

Should he stay healthy, the five-time Pro Bowler would instantly become a go-to option for Mahomes alongside Travis Kelce.

Like Thielen, it's unclear how much Landry would cost, though he shouldn't have a high price tag as he's undoubtedly past his prime.