A trade for a Kliff Kingsbury favorite can solve a contract problem for the Washington Commanders.
On the surface, the Washington Commanders are loaded at wide receiver, but the riches are only temporary. Only disappointing 2024 NFL draft pick Luke McCaffrey is under contract beyond this year, but the Commanders can solve the problem by trading for a favorite of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
He was behind a deal to bring Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown to the Arizona Cardinals three years ago. Now Brown could move on again, this time from the Kansas City Chiefs, and Pro Football & Sports Network’s Sterling Xie believes the Commanders are among the wideout’s best trade fits.
Xie noted that while the “Commanders have already made a pair of trades this offseason for Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel, but they don’t have a receiver under contract past 2025 beyond Luke McCaffrey. Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury traded for Brown when he was the Cardinals head coach in 2022.”
It’s a strong argument for Kingsbury reuniting with a proven deep threat, even though Brown only rejoined the Chiefs back in March. The 27-year-old is somebody who could replace last season’s playoff hero and another vertical target, Dyami Brown.
Hollywood Brown Trade Makes Sense for Commanders, Chiefs
Familiarity has been a theme of the Commanders’ additions at wide receiver in recent years. Both Noah Brown and Michael Gallup were known to head coach Dan Quinn with the Dallas Cowboys, while trade acquisition Deebo Samuel played for the San Francisco 49ers when general manager Adam Peters was in the front office for the NFC West club.
Reuniting Brown with Kingsbury would be more of the same from the Commanders. It may seem unlikely given his decision to re-up with the Chiefs, but Xie pointed out “Brown will still likely be behind Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy in the pecking order, making it no sure bet that his production rebounds in 2025. With Brown playing on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, that makes him very tradeable if the fit doesn’t work out better in his second season with the Chiefs.”
The Commanders snagging Brown would add some more playmaking juice to a depth chart top heavy with Samuel and perennial 1,000-yard receiver Terry McLaurin, but lacking beyond them.
Brown remains a legitimate field-stretcher, even after a separated shoulder limited him to just two games for the Chiefs in 2024. He still averaged 10.1 yards per catch, continuing a six-year run of averaging double-digits per reception, according to Pro Football Reference.
His “12 TD catches on 20+ yard targets,” per PFF KC Chiefs, offer ample proof of Brown’s core talent.
The ability to take the top off coverage, as well as amass yards after the catch, make Brown ideally qualified to replace those skills his namesake took with him in free agency. It also makes the Kingsbury favorite worthy future proofing against some lingering contract issues.
Commanders Must Plan for Tricky WR Contract Decisions
Those issues include deciding whether to grant Samuel a bumper payday after this year. He’s 29 and has absorbed more than his share of punishment in a dual-threat role, so the Commanders have been warned against handing the All-Pro a lucrative extension.
Even if Peters is tempted to go against conventional wisdom, he’ll need to balance Samuel’s future against that of McLaurin. The latter could earn a new deal in the region of $100 million.
McLaurin’s a team leader and highly productive, but he’s also 29 and overworked. The Commanders would be wise to start planning for the future at this key position.
Their plans could include selecting a Samuel-like playmaker or two in the 2025 NFL draft, but Brown would also be a shrewd pickup. He was targeted 107 times on Kingsbury’s watch in ’22, so Brown would fit seamlessly into Washington’s creative offense.
