Former Chiefs QB suggests ridiculous trade to replace Rashee Rice

The Kansas City Chiefs have made it through the first four games of the 2024 season with a flawless record, but their roster hasn't escaped unscathed either.

The reigning Super Bowl champions were missing the explosive element of their offense in 2023, and Chiefs general manager Brett Veach tried to fix that problem in the offseason. The Chiefs bolstered their wide receiver room by signing veteran Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in free agency and signing rookie Xavier Worthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Along with second-year tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Rashee Rice, the new additions should bolster Kansas City's offense. Instead, poor performances and injuries have put the Chiefs in a difficult position. Brown suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason that will sideline him for most of the regular season, and running back Isiah Pacheco is at risk of missing the season with his fibula injury.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce both struggled in the first four games of the season.

Kelce has lost a step with age, and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has played poorly, often reverting to the sloppy footwork and poor pocket awareness that worried scouts during his pre-draft process.

Mahomes' poor start to the season was summed up by one particular play in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Mahomes attempted a pass to Kelce, but the ball sailed over Kelce and was intercepted by Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton. While Mahomes' poor accuracy led to the interception, his subsequent tackle attempt led to Rice suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Rice's injury could prove to be a major blow to the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Kansas City's dwindling number of wide receivers has led to trade speculation. In most cases, the idea that Kansas City could land an All-Pro talent is nothing more than a pipe dream.

During Tuesday's episode of the “Scoop City” podcast with The Athletic's Dianna Russini, former Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel suggested the absurd idea of ​​trading Kansas City for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens.

“George Pickens is kind of a guy in the closet,” Daniel said. “Is there any chance any of these guys, including George Pickens, make it to the Chiefs?”

Russini kindly dismissed the idea that there is a realistic chance of the Chiefs acquiring Pickens.

“I don’t think this name seems obvious right now, but when you think about how it could fit into the Chiefs’ offense, it makes a lot of sense,” Russini said. “Do the Pittsburgh Steelers want to do this? That's the question I can't answer. All I can do is read the tea leaves and make my own observations. I'm obviously having conversations with people in this building. What will it take? What could they get back in compensation? And they need weapons.”

Pickens has become a rising star since the Steelers selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Despite subpar performances at the quarterback position in 2023, Pickens still managed to record 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns.

Pickens has established himself as the clear No. 1 option in Pittsburgh, and the roster behind him lacks depth. After trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers this offseason, the Steelers were left with few viable receiving threats to line up against Pickens.

Pittsburgh made several attempts to find a wide receiver to fill the No. 2 role, and they even made moves to sign Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers.

If the Steelers were to trade away Pickens, they would arguably have the worst wide receiver corps in the league.

Unfortunately for Kansas City, they will likely have to look elsewhere if they want to add to their depleted wide receiver room.

Even if Chiefs general manager Brett Veach managed to find a trade partner, salary cap restrictions could limit the team's ability to acquire a talented player. In any case, adding another wide receiver probably wouldn't be enough to replace Rice's production.

According to ESPN's Ben Solak, Rice's target share of 37.2% was second only to New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers in the NFL before his injury. Rice scored first downs or touchdowns on 46.9 percent of his targets, the seventh-best mark among all receivers this season.

Great players typically aren't available for midseason trades, and Kansas City could struggle to find willing trade partners if every team in the league is desperately trying to acquire them. While the Las Vegas Raiders may trade wide receiver Davante Adams, it's unlikely they would ever trade him to their AFC West rival. For now, the Chiefs will just have to rely on their defense and hope Kelce can become a dominant threat again.