Patrick Mahomes He’s obviously driving that effort, but the former MVP and Super Bowl MVP is still adjusting to a new-look receiving corps. Kansas City’s fifth-year starter did a lot to bring that group together, starting shortly after Hill’s extension talks took a turn that led to the locker room trade with Miami.

Chief GMs Brett Veach informed Mahomes in mid-March of the increased likelihood Hill would be dealt, The Athletic’s Nate Taylor notes, with the perennial Pro Bowler’s request for a significant raise becoming an untenable proposition for the Chiefs (subscription required). The Raiders Front Adams The contract changed Hill’s focus, and the Chiefs added their two free-agent wide receiver targets shortly after Adams’ extension (JuJu Smith-Schuster) and the hill trade (Márquez Valdés-Scantling).

While it looked a bit like the Chiefs brought in Smith-Schuster to complement Hill, because the team’s No. 1 wideout was still on the team when the Steeler signed him for a long time, Taylor adds that Mahomes had begun recruiting Smith-Schuster shortly after learning of Hill. he could go Smith-Schuster had been on Kansas City’s radar for two seasons. The Chiefs pursued him in 2021, but the former second-round pick of the Steelers opted to stay in Pittsburgh for one more year. A report in January indicated that Smith-Schuster was also interested in returning to the Chiefs. Mahomes helped move that deal, a one-year, $3.76 million deal, across the finish line, eyeing Pittsburgh’s slot as a player who could excel in a myriad of capacities at Kansas City.

Valdes-Scantling didn’t have the Chiefs on his radar to start free agency, according to Taylor, but Mahomes called the former Packers a deep threat shortly after the Hill deal began. MVS visited the Chiefs and signed with them a day later. The Packers had made a late push to retain their former fifth-round pick, but Taylor notes that they offered a one-year deal. However, MVS had hoped to get a one-year deal, and the Chiefs only guaranteed $8.56 million of the three-year deal and $30 million of the wide out at the signing.

Combined, the salaries of the Chiefs’ top four receivers are also factored in Michael Hardman i skyy mooresecond-round contracts: They come within a fraction of Hill’s league-record $30 million a year in Dolphins mass. Hill has gotten off to a fast start in Miami and is a better fit on a Dolphins payroll without a franchise-QB salary. Travis Kelce still leads the Chiefs in receiving by a wide margin, which should probably be expected to be the case at the end of the season barring injury, while Smith-Schuster, MVS and Hardman have combined for 21 receptions in two parties Moore is coming along more slowly, having played just 15 offensive snaps in two weeks.