Chiefs to sign 'Hollywood' Brown to one-year deal, sources say

ByESPN
March 14, 2024, 10:59 PM

Former Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $11 million with the Kansas City Chiefs, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.

The move gives quarterback Patrick Mahomes the upgrade at wide receiver the team had been searching for since the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers for their second straight Lombardi Trophy last month despite one of the least productive wide receiver groups in the NFL. Rookie Rashee Rice developed into a serviceable option in the passing game, but the Chiefs otherwise were left to rely on journeymen and stopgaps as they chased another title.

Brown could be the perfect complement to Rice in a new-look attack that includes recently signed tight end  Irv Smith Jr. alongside star tight end Travis Kelce.

In an Instagram post on Thursday night, Brown wrote "Blessed Beyond Measures...Excited To Be Apart Of Chiefskingdom" while posting a picture of himself in a Chiefs uniform.

Brown, who was traded to the Cardinals by the Ravens in 2022, did not get the long-term deal he was seeking leading into the 2023 campaign and was hampered by a heel injury last season.

Injuries have become a recent factor for Brown, who hasn't played a full season since 2020.

Brown, who turns 27 on June 4, finished 2023 with a career-low 574 yards in 14 games. He had 51 catches and four touchdowns on 101 targets, his third straight year with triple-digit targets. However, he set career lows with yards-per-target average (5.68) and yards after catch (164).

He entered the NFL as the 25th pick in the 2019 draft by the Ravens. He has 313 career receptions for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns. His lone 1,000-yard season came in 2021, when he caught 91 passes for 1,008 yards for Baltimore.

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss and The Associated Press contributed to this report.