Former Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is expected to sign a one-year contract worth up to $11 million with the Kansas City Chiefs, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday night. .
The move gives quarterback Patrick Mahomes the upgrade at wide receiver the team had been looking for since the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers for their second straight Lombardi Trophy last month despite having one of the least productive wide receiver groups in the NFL. Rookie Rashee Rice became a strong option in the passing game, but otherwise the Chiefs had to rely on officials and stopgaps as they chased another title.
Mahomes completed 77% of his passes with six touchdowns and no interceptions when targeting Rice; that number dropped to 57% when he targeted any other wide receiver, as well as more interceptions (nine) than touchdowns (six). The drop rate of all other receivers outside of Rice was also three times higher (3% to 10%).
Brown could now be the perfect complement to Rice in a revamped offense that includes recently signed tight end Irv Smith Jr. along with star tight end Travis Kelce.
In an Instagram post Thursday night, Brown wrote “Blessed beyond all measures…excited to be a part of Chiefskingdom” while posting a photo of himself in a Chiefs uniform. Also in the post, he included a screenshot of a recruiting speech that Chiefs coach Andy Reid apparently sent him earlier that day.
Brown, who was traded to the Cardinals for the Ravens in 2022, did not get the long-term deal he sought before the 2023 campaign and was hampered by a heel injury last season.
Injuries have become a recent factor for Brown, who has not 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 receptions and four touchdowns on 101 targets, his third straight year with triple-digit targets. However, he set career lows for average yards per target (5.68) and yards after the 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 only 1,000-yard season came in 2021, when he caught 91 passes for 1,008 yards for Baltimore.
ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
