Chiefs get jump-start on free agency, bring back Hollywood Brown on 1-year deal

Jesse Newell, The Kansas City Star on Mar 8, 2025

Published in Football

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs locked in a key piece for their offense just before the start of free agency.

Receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown will be returning to KC on a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal, Schefter reported, will be worth up to $11 million if Brown reaches all incentives.

The 27-year-old Brown had a frustrating first season with the Chiefs while battling injury. He went down on the first pass play of the preseason, then needed surgery to repair his shoulder.

He returned in late December and had five catches for 45 yards against the Houston Texans in the Chiefs’ 27-19 home win. After that, however, Brown had limited impact, with a combined nine catches for 96 yards in his final three games.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach remained high on Brown’s prospects recently. In a conversation with reporters a few days before Super Bowl LIX, Veach said the team “for sure” would look to bring Brown back in free agency.

“We were so excited. Hollywood — and you guys were at camp — he was having a great (training) camp,” Veach said.

Specifically, Brown developed an excellent rapport with quarterback Patrick Mahomes during those summer practices in St. Joseph, flashing a knack for tracking deep balls while also getting open on intermediate routes.

This one-year deal appears similar to the contract that first landed Brown in KC. That deal, which the Chiefs and Brown agreed to in March 2024, first brought him to the team on a one-year agreement for $7 million with the potential to reach $11 million with incentives.

Securing Brown provides stability to a Chiefs receiving group that faces looming questions.

Top receiver Rashee Rice continues to rehab following a season-ending knee injury, though he’s expected to face discipline from the NFL’s personal conduct policy following a road-racing incident in early 2024.

Also, on Friday, Chiefs rookie receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested and booked into a central Texas jail on suspicion of assault of a family member by impeding breathing/circulation, according to Williamson County, Texas jail records. A Chiefs spokesperson said Saturday morning the team was aware of the incident and gathering information.

Worthy’s attorneys, meanwhile, released a statement to the Austin American-Statesman claiming the complainant was making extortive attempts against Worthy, while saying they believed that an investigation would “support Mr. Worthy’s innocence.”

Skyy Moore and Nikko Remigio are the only other Chiefs receivers on the active roster who remain under contract for next season.

NFL’s free agency is days away. The open negotiation period starts at noon ET on Monday, while unrestricted free agents can officially sign with new teams at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

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